Advertisement calls, notes on natural history, and distribution of <I>Leptodactylus chaquensis</I> (Amphibia: Anura: Leptodactylidae) in Brasil

Abstract

Three types of advertisement calls of Leptodactylus chaquensis from the Cerrado of Minas Gerais, Brasil are described - growls, grunts, and trills. Additional variation includes calls that start with growls and end with trills. The growl call has not been reported previously. Tadpoles are described and agree with previous descriptions. A female was found associated with tadpoles for at least 20 d. The female communicated with the tadpoles by pumping behavior and also exhibited aggressive behavior toward potential predators. The data reported herein are the First conclusive evidence that L. chaquensis occurs in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais. Other reported Brasilian records for L. chaquensis come from the southern portion of the Cerrado. Additional field work is necessary to determine whether L. chaquensis occurs in the northern Cerrado (in the states of Bahia, Distrito Federal, Maranhao, Par, and Tocantins).