Defensive behavior of Adelophryne nordestina (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae) in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Northeast Brazil

Autores

  • Laiana Carla de Moura Autor
  • Igor Joventino Roberto Autor
  • Ednilza Maranhão dos Santos Autor

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17376855

Palavras-chave:

Coloração críptica, Estratégia de defesa, Predação, Rãs miniaturizadas, Tanatose

Resumo

A predação é uma das pressões seletivas mais significativas que afetam a sobrevivência na natureza, levando as espécies a desenvolverem estratégias de defesa decisivas. Os anuros exibem um repertório diverso de comportamentos defensivos voltados à proteção dos indivíduos em diferentes estágios da predação, mas a função desses comportamentos varia entre as espécies. Este estudo documenta comportamentos defensivos observados na rã miniaturizada Adelophryne nordestina. Observamos comportamentos de mouth gaping e de death feigning (tanatose) em uma pequena parcela dos indivíduos amostrados, sem correlação entre o tamanho corporal e a presença dos comportamentos defensivos. Comportamentos semelhantes foram observados de forma pontual em outras espécies do mesmo gênero e entre outros anuros miniaturizados. Dada a baixa prevalência desses comportamentos nesta espécie, estratégias defensivas alternativas, como a coloração críptica, podem desempenhar um papel mais decisivo na sobrevivência da espécie. Informações sobre os predadores de A. nordestina são necessárias para esclarecer o papel de cada estratégia na interação predador-presa.

 

Biografia do Autor

  • Laiana Carla de Moura

    “holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil), a master’s degree in Biodiversidade e Conservação from Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil), and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Global Environmental Studies at Kyoto University (Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan). Her research focuses on the ecology, natural history, and conservation of amphibians, as well as on science communication.”

  • Igor Joventino Roberto

    “is a Biologist who graduated from the Universidade Federal do Ceará (Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil), and earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from the Universidade Federal do Amazonas (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil). Currently Igor is an Assistant Professor of Zoology at the Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE-FAFIDAM) in Limoeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brazil, and is a member of the Crocodile Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). His research is focused on systematics, taxonomy, natural history, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in northeastern Brazil. (Photographed by Coleman M. Sheehy, III).”

  • Ednilza Maranhão dos Santos

    “is an Associate Professor at the Universidade Federal Rural of Pernambuco (Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil), Department of Biology, and coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Amphibians and Reptiles. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychobiology, with a focus on Behavioral Ecology, and has been systematically engaged in the study of amphibians and reptiles, particularly through research projects conducted in the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes.”

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Publicado

2026-05-06

Como Citar

CARLA DE MOURA, Laiana; JOVENTINO ROBERTO, Igor; MARANHÃO DOS SANTOS, Ednilza. Defensive behavior of Adelophryne nordestina (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae) in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Northeast Brazil. Herpetologia Brasileira, [S. l.], v. 14, n. 2, p. 46–51, 2026. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17376855. Disponível em: https://hb.sbherpetologia.org.br/index.php/hb/article/view/233. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2026.