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

Autores/as

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

DOI:

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

Palabras clave:

Death Feigning, Miniaturized frogs, Mouth Gaping, Predation, Thanatosis

Resumen

Predation is one of the most significant selective pressures affecting survival in nature, compelling species to develop crucial defense strategies. Anurans exhibit a diverse repertoire of defensive behaviors aimed at safeguarding individuals across various stages of predation, but the roles of these behaviors differ among species. This study documents defensive behaviors observed in the miniaturized frog Adelophryne nordestina. We observed mouth gaping and death feigning behaviors in a small subset of the sampled individuals, without correlation between individual size and the defensive behaviors. Similar behaviors have been serendipitously observed in other species within the genus and among other miniaturized anurans. Given their low prevalence in this species, alternative defensive strategies such as cryptic coloration may play a more decisive role in species survival. Information about predators of A. nordestina is needed to clarify the role of each strategy in their predator-prey interaction.

Biografía del autor/a

  • 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

Número

Vol. 14 Núm. 2 (2025): Herpetologia Brasileira

Sección

Artigos

Licencia

Derechos de autor 2026 Herpetologia Brasileira

Creative Commons License

Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.

Cómo 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.