44 | FrogLog Vol. 96 | May 2011

Recent PublicationsDiscovery of the fi fth population

of a threatened and endemic toad of the Brazilian Cerrado,

Proceratophrys moratoi (Anura, Cycloramphidae).

By Maffei, F. et al.

Whether intentionally or accidentally introduced, exotic species have the

capacity to dramatically disrupt native communities. In central California, tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) have been introduced as a by-product of the sport fi shing bait industry. Some of these introductions are relatively well known and have resulted in the formation of hybrids with the imperiled native California tiger salamander (A. californiense). Other populations of A. tigrinum, particularly in

the northern and eastern parts of the state, remain poorly characterized and are present in regions where relictual amphibian populations of other species have persisted, suggesting that these might be relictual, native A. tigrinum. We used genetic sequence data to determine the provenance of all known extralimital A. tigrinum populations in California and adjacent Oregon and Nevada through comparison with reference samples from the native range of A. tigrinum. Our results suggest that A. tigrinum have been introduced in Northern California, Southern California and the Sierra Nevada, originating from multiple sources across the Great Plains of the US. Furthermore, two populations near the California-Oregon border are most closely related to A. tigrinum populations from Washington and Oregon and may represent native tiger salamander lineages.

Full article: Johnson, J. R. et al. (2011) The origin of tiger

salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) populations in California, Oregon,

and Nevada: introductions or relics? Conservation Genetics: 12; 355-370.

The origin of tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) populations in California, Oregon, and Nevada:

introductions or relics?By Jarrett R. Johnson, Robert C. Thomson, Steven J. Micheletti, and H. Bradley Shaffer.

Proceratophrys moratoi is a small toad endemic to the Cerrado of São Paulo

State, southeastern Brazil. Occurs in open areas of low vegetation near small streams and swamps in areas of sandy soil. On October 2009, P. moratoi males were recorded vocalizing in a Cerrado remnant at Avaré Municipality, São Paulo State. The males were calling on the soil, in small burrows dug at the base of Brachiaria sp., in an area of very compacted bare soil. This toad is present in the list of endangered species in Brazil and São Paulo State, being included in the categories “Criticallly Endangered” and “Vulnerable”, respectively. Until then, this species was known the other four areas: municipalities of Botucatu, Brotas, São Carlos and Bauru. All areas located in a perimeter of less than 120km. The present record is the fi fth P. moratoi known population. The new locality is close to the type locality, Botucatu (~45 km), where the species has not been recorded over 10 years. The native vegetation areas of the biome Cerrado in São Paulo State are highly threatened as a consequence of the devastation that occurred in recent decades. The occurrence of this species is particularly restricted, but this new fi nding suggests that further searches may lead to the discovery of new populations in this intermediate area.

Full article: Maffei, F. et al. (2011) Discovery of the fi fth population of a threatened and endemic toad of the Brazilian Cerrado, Proceratophrys moratoi (Anura, Cycloramphidae).

Herpetol. Notes: 4; 95-96.

Conservation and EcologyDiscoveries and Rediscoveries Regional decline of an iconic amphibian species determined by patterns of land use and invasive

species distributions.By Pieter T. J. Johnson1, Valerie J. McKenzie1, Anna C. Peterson1, Jacob L. Kerby, Jennifer Brown, Andrew R. Blaustein and Tina Jackson

In the western USA, growing evidence suggests dramatic declines in the

abundance and geographic distribution of the northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens), historically one of the most widespread frogs in North America. To assess the status of leopard frogs in Colorado and evaluate causes of decline, we coupled statewide resurveys of 196 historically occupied sites with intensive sampling of 274 wetlands stratifi ed by land use. Resurveys of wetlands historically occupied by leopard frogs indicated that population declines in Colorado are regionally variable; the lowest frequency of contemporary observations occurred in eastern Colorado (2-28%), coincident with widespread land development and colonization by non-native bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus). Introduced fi shes and bullfrogs (local scale) and urbanization (landscape scale) reduced the likelihood of leopard frog occurrence, whereas wetland area was positively associated with detection. Although the pathogenic chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) was not included in the best-supported models, the negative relationship between leopard frogs and elevation suggests Bd could be a contributing factor in declines of frogs in montane areas. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple, competing hypotheses to explain species declines, particularly when implicated factors operate at different spatial scales.

Full article: Johnson, P. T. J. et al. (in press) Regional decline of an iconic amphibian associated with elevation, land-use change, and

invasive species. Conservation Biol: (pieter.johnson@colorado.edu)

Photo: F. Maffei

Photo: J. R. Johnson