Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus SmiliscaDuellman, William Edward
Science
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca
Duellman, William Edward
Amphibians -- Central America; Frogs; Smilisca
_Smilisca_ breeds primarily in quiet water and reaches its height of
breeding activity at times of plentiful rainfall,--usually from May
through October. Through most of its range _Smilisca baudini_ breeds in
those months, but in some places where abundant rain falls in other
seasons, the species breeds at those times. For example, in southern El
Peten and northern Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, _Smilisca baudini_ has been
found breeding in February and March. The other pond-breeding species
(_S. cyanosticta_, _phaeota_, and _puma_) live in regions lacking a
prolonged dry season, and possibly they breed throughout the year, but
breeding activity seems to be greatest in the rainiest months.
The two stream-breeding species (_S. sila_ and _sordida_) breed in the
dry season when the streams are low and clear, principally in December
through April. At high elevations the species sometimes breed in the
rainy season; also, individuals sometimes breed in the short dry season
(summer canicula) in July and August.
At several localities species have been found breeding at different
times of the year: _S. baudini_ in March and July at Chinaja, Guatemala;
_S. phaeota_ in April and August at Palmar Sur, Costa Rica; _S. puma_ in
February and July at Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica; and _S. sila_ in
February, April, and August at El Volcan, Panama. These observations
indicate only that the population breeds at more than one time in the
year, but do not provide any evidence on the breeding cycles of the
individual frogs. This is one important aspect of the natural history of
_Smilisca_ for which we lack data.
_Breeding Sites_
All members of the genus _Smilisca_ presumably deposit their eggs in
water.
_Smilisca baudini_ usually breeds in temporary rain pools; often these
are nothing more than shallow, muddy puddles. In other instances the
sites are extensive ditches or large flooded areas (Pl. 8, Fig. 1). This
species is an opportunistic breeder, and males gather at any of a wide
variety of suitable breeding sites that are formed by torrential rains
in the early part of the rainy season. _Smilisca baudini_ nearly always
breeds in open pools having bare earthen edges. Frequently congregations
of _S. baudini_ are found at such small pools, but are absent from
nearby large ponds surrounded by vegetation.
Little is known of the breeding habits of _S. cyanosticta_, which
inhabits humid forests on foothills and lowlands. Apparently its
breeding sites are not unlike those of _S. phaeota_, which usually are
pools surrounded by vegetation (Pl. 8, Fig. 2), although sometimes males
of _S. cyanosticta_ call from open muddy puddles. In uplands, where
standing water is uncommon, this species breeds in quiet pools in
streams.
_Smilisca puma_ breeds in grass-choked ponds and marshes, where the
males call from bases of dense clumps of grass in the water (Pl. 9, Fig.
1).
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