Pseudis cardosoi Kwet 2000

Diagnosis: A medium-sized species of Pseudis with paired vocal sacs in males and thumb with a bulbous base. It can be distinguished from P. paradoxus by its smaller size and paired vocal sacs (larger body size and single vocal sac in P. paradoxus), and from P. minuta by a more robust body, adpressed hind limbs not having metatarsal articulation reach the snout tip, rounded snout, robust bulbous fingers plus a thumb quite widened at its base, and lack of dilated toe tips (in P. minuta, body is less robust, adpressed limbs extend past the snout tip, snout is truncate, fingers are more slender, and toe tips are dilated) (Kwet 2000).Description: The snout-vent length in males is 33 - 46 mm, and in females is 45 - 56 mm. The head is about as long as it is wide, and is broad and flat. The snout appears rounded in both dorsal and lateral profile, with an indistinct, rounded canthus rostralis and a slightly sloping loreal region. The upper jaw protrudes in profile. Nares are slightly protuberant. Eyes are large and project slightly. The interorbital region is flat and wide. The rounded tympanum is distinct, with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the eye. The supratympanic fold is weak. Vomerine teeth are present in two round, short and well-divided patches between the small and widely-separated choanae. The large tongue is cordiform. The body is robust. The forearms are robust, while the upper arms are more slender and are shorter. All fingers lack webbing. Fingers are robust, and bulbous at the base, and the thumb is also wider at the base. Small raised conical subarticular tubercles are present, especially on the thumb. The relative lengths of the fingers are 2 < 1 = 4 < 3. Hind limbs are short and robust, with extensively webbed toes. Relative lengths of the toes are 1 < 2 < 5 < 3 < 4. The inner metatarsal tubercle is spurlike and elliptical; the outer metatarsal tubercle is absent. Small, raised, conical subarticular tubercles are present. A tarsal fold is present. The skin of the dorsum and hindlimbs is coarsely granulated. Skin on the head is smooth. Longitudinal rows of tubercles are present on the upper surface of the thigh, tibia, and tarsus. The venter is smooth. Males posses paired vocal sacs that are conspicuous in the lateral gular region as two wrinkled dark areas (Kwet 2000). In preservative, the dorsum and dorsal surfaces of the limbs are olive gray or gray and marked by irregularly shaped blackish blotches. Dark blotches are present on the forelimb, thigh, tibia, and foot. A dark line runs across the nostrils from the tip of the snout to the eyes. Ventral surfaces are white with sparse dotting on the vent. The ventral surface of the thigh has one distinct dark longitudinal band and three or four less distinct, interrupted bands. In life the dorsal surfaces of the body and limbs range in coloration from light to dark green, olive, or brown. Darker irregular spots and blotches are present. A narrow dark green or black stripe is present on the canthus rostralis, although in some specimens this stripe is broad and blotlike. The tympanum is olive, tan or light brown. The lateral surfaces of the head, body, thigh and the anal region are light yellow. The ventral surfaces are white, and the vent region is sometimes scattered with dark brown dots. Several dark brown longitudinal lines of varying number, form and extension mark the ventral surface of the thighs (Kwet 2000). Tadpoles have ovoid bodies that are widest at the midbody and highest at the posterior half of the body. Medium-sized eyes are laterally situated on the tadpole head. The dorsolateral nostrils are small and nearer to the snout than to the eyes. The snout is broadly rounded in both dorsal and lateral views. The small mouth is terminal, with multiple rows of well-developed marginal papillae. A large median gap is present in the second row of the anterior labium. All tooth rows are about equal length, except the shorter third row in the posterior labium. The large, triangular vent opening is midventral. The spiracle is sinistral. Tail length is about 2/3 the length of the total tadpole, with a height greater than the body height. The dorsal fin extends from the midbody at the level of the eye to the tip of the tail with a uniformly curved margin. The ventral fin extends from the vent to the tip of the tail, which is flagelliform (Kwet 2000). In preservative, the tadpole body coloration is brown or grey with a few light reticulations. The posterior portion of the tail is dark brown to black (Kwet 2000).This species name honors the late Adão José Cardoso for his contributions to the knowledge of Brazilian anurofauna (Kwet 2000).

Endemic to southern Brazil, this species is found on the Araucaria plateau of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul at 700-1100 m asl. It inhabits mainly permanent pasture ponds and the still water pools of slow-moving creeks, in shrublands, grasslands, and grassland-forest transition, and is highly aquatic (Kwet 2000; Miranda et al. 2006).

Advertisement calls are loud and modulated, and resemble the grunting of a pig. Call duration is variable, with calls more prolonged and at lower frequencies at lower temperatures (Kwet 2000). Females deposit spawn both separately and in small clumps, attaching them to submerged plants. A single egg clutch may contain up to 200 eggs. Eggs are dark brown and white and are encapsulated by a large, transparent greenish casing. The tadpoles are suspension feeders (Kwet 2000). This species is a generalist, foraging actively on various arthropod taxa (primarily Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, and Araneae). Non-insect arthropod prey taxa comprised only 3.7% of stomach contents and included Arachnida, Crustacea, and Chordata (male P. cardosoi were occasionally found to have consumed another frog). Annelids and nematodes were also occasionally consumed. Naiads (Plecoptera) are an important component of the diet and indicate that this species can feed underwater. Plant matter was frequently found in stomach contents, particularly in summer months (Miranda et al. 2006). Miranda et al. (2005) carried out an 11-month population study at São Francisco de Paula, RS, using photographs of the thigh color pattern to recognize individuals. The population size was estimated at 129 individuals using the Jolly-Seber method. Photographs were deemed more effective than toe clipping methods as Miranda et al. (2005) found that this species is able to easily regenerate the first phalanx.

This species is not under threat; it is common and has a stable population trend. It is found within two protected areas, Aparados de Serra and Serra Geral National Parks (Kwet 2004).

Diagnosis A medium sized species of Pseudis with paired vocal sac in males. This distinguishes it from P. paradoxus which has a single vocal sac and a larger body size. The new species differs from P. minutus by having a more robust body, metatarsal articulation not reaching tip of snout when hindlimb adpressed to body (articulation reaching beyond tip of snout in P. minutus), a rounded snout (truncate in P. minutus), bulbous and robust fingers with thumb considerably widened at base (more slender in P. minutus), and by absence of noticeably dilated tips of toes (dilated in P. minutus).

Occurs in the southern regions of the Serra Geral. It is known from several localities in northeastern Rio Grande do Sul, for example from the Municipalities of Canela, Gramado, São Francisco de Paula, Cambará do Sul, Bom Jesus and Vacaria. Based in specimens of MZUSP it occurs in the neighbouring State of Santa Catarina.

Herbácea

Perene

Estolões

Description of holotypeAdult male, Body robust. Head broad, slightly flattened, approximately as long as wide. Snout rounded in dorsal and lateral views, upper jaw protruding in profile. Eye to nostril distance about equal the distance from nostril to tip of snout. Nostrils very scarcely protuberant, directed dorsally; distance from nostril to tip of snout as wide as internarial distance. Loreal region gently sloping. Canthus rostralis indistinct, rounded.Eyes large, slightly projecting; interorbital region flat, wider than internarial distance. Tympanum distinct, round, its diameter sligthly smaller than eye diameter; supratympanic fold very weak. Vomerine teeth in two short, rounded, well-separated patches between the choanae; choanae small and widely separated; tongue large, cordiform. Vocal sac of males paired, conspicuous as wrinkled, dark areas in the lateral gular region. Forearms robust; upperarms short and more slender. Fingers robust, bulbous at base, without webbing; tips of fingers not attened or expanded. Relative lengths of fingers 2 < 1 = 4 < 3. Thumb considerably widened at base. Metacarpal tubercles extremely reduced; subarticular tubercles small, conical, and raised, very distinct on thumb. Hindlimbs robust, short; when adpressed to body, metatarsal articulation not reaching tip of snout. Toes extensively webbed; web reaching the base of the tips of toes; tips of toes not dilated. Relative lengths of toes 1 < 2 < 5 < 3 < 4. Inner metatarsal tubercle sharp, spurlike, elliptical; outer metatarsal tubercle absent; subarticular tubercles small, conical and raised; tarsal fold present. Skin on dorsum and hindlimbs closely, coarsely granulated; longitudinal rows of tubercles on upper surface of thigh, tibia and tarsus; skin on head and venter smooth. Coloration of holotype in preservative: Dorsum dark gray to olive-gray, with irregularly formed, blackish blotches. Dorsal surface of limbs with coloration like dorsum; dark blotches on each forelimb, thigh, tibia, and foot. Dark line from tip of snout across nostril to eye. Ventral surface white, scarcely dotted on venter. Ventral design of thigh with one distinct dark longitudinal line, and three or four weaker, interrupted stripes. Coloration in life and variation: Dorsal surface of body and limbs light to dark green, olive, or brownish, usually with some darker spots or blotches of irregular form. Dorsum without light middorsal line. Black or dark green stripe along canthus rostralis narrow, in some specimens broad and blotlike. Tympanum olive, tan or light brown. Coloration around anal region and at lateral surface of head, body and thigh light yellow. Ventral surface white, on venter usually scattered with dark brown dots. Ventral surface of thigh with several dark brown longitudinal lines, varying in number, form, and extension. First line at the level of vent opening usually indistinct, due to the dark dorsal surface. Second line below cloaca most conspicious, broad and extended, the third one incomplete and interrupted. The remaining two or three lines very irregular and much fainter. In some specimens the lines are partially confluent, forming a net-like pattern. Variation in measurements of males (n= 22) and females (n=15) with range (mean±standard desviation): Snout-vent length 36.3-45.9 (42.20±2.580) 45.4-55.9 (51.09±2.763) ; head length 12.7-16.3 (14.71±0.937) 14.9-20.1 (17.85±1.363); head width 12.3-16.8 (14.87±1.025) 16.0-18.9 (17.39±0,789); tympanum diameter 3.2-4.4 (3.68±0.325) 3.5-5.3 (4.41±0,431); eye diameter 3.4-4.6 (3.68±0,325) 4.0-5.6 (4.63±0.456); eyelid length 4.7-6.0 (5.45±0,354) 4.9-6.6 (5.57±0.478); eyelid width 2.2-3.4 (2.92±0.265) 2.5-3.8 (3.07±0.335); eye-nostril distance 2.1-3.2 (2.72±0.309) 2.1-3.3 (2.96±0.300); nostril-snout distance 2.3-3.7 (2.89±0.306) 3.0-4.0 (3.36±0.346); internarial distance 2.0-2.9 (2.44±0,220) 2.0-3.2 (2.59±0.313); thigh length 20.3-26.5 (24.22±1.600) 26.1-30.6 (28.27±1.455); tibia length 18.6-24.7 (21.42±1.643) 23.4-26.9 (24.59±0.816); foot length 18.5-24.2 (21.82±1.633) 23.9-28.6 (25.45±1.232); hand length 10.6-14.6 (12.72±1.029) 14.4-16.6 (15.41±0.607); thumb width 2.5-3.3 (2.89±0.232) 2.7-3.4 (2.97±0.232). Larval morphology Tadpole description. SMNS 9235-37, larvae in developmental stages 34-37 (Gosner, 1960). Typical pond tadpole, suspension feeder. Total length between 79 and 87 mm (n = 3). Body proportions in per cent of total length: body length 0.34-0.39; body width 0.19-0.21; body heigth 0.23-0.24. Body ovoid in dorsal and lateral views; widest at midbody, highest at posterior half of body. Eyes lateral, medium sized. Nostrils small, dorsolateral, nearer to snout than to eyes (fronto-nasal distanceaso-ocular distance 0.7-0.8). Snout broadly rounded in dorsal and lateral views. Mouth small, terminal; multiple rows of well-developed marginal papillae, dorsally interrupted by a wide gap, being 50-60%of width of oral disc. Labial tooth row formula 2(2)/3(1).Median gap in first tooth row of posterior labium distinct but very small and, due to the fixation, slightly overlapping in some specimens. Median gap in second row of anterior labium large, about equal the lenght of each half of the tooth row (gap considerably smaller in P. minutus). All tooth rows approximately equal in lenght, except third row in posterior labium which is shorter. Vent opening large, triangular, midventral. Spiracle single, sinistral, laterally located, dorsally visible. Tail length about two thirds of total length (60-67%). Tail height greater than body height (tail height/body height 1.1-1.2). In lateral view, dorsal fin, ventral fin, and tail musculature about equal in height. Dorsal fin extending from midbody (at eye level) to tip of tail, with margin uniformly curved.Ventral fin extending from vent to tip of tail, with margin at anterior portion convexe, at posterior portion slightly concave. Tip of tail flagelliform. Coloration of body in preservative pale brown or grey with some light reticulations. Posterior portion of tail dark brown to black. Coloration generally much darker and more uniform than in P. minutus, without clearly defined whitish stripes on body or tail.

América do Norte

LC. Least Concern.

Pseudis cardosoi is a species of aquatic frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to southern Brazil and is known from the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná. The specific name cardosoi honors Adão José Cardoso, a Brazilian herpetologist.