Anurans of the caparaó national park and surroundings, Southeast Brazil

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest (AF) is one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world, and the most fragmented biome of Brazil. This biome includes different phytophysiognomies, as riparian, slope, cloudy forests, and grasslands. Such complexity, allied to huge latitudinal and high elevational range, provides diverse habitats and conditions for amphibian speciation. As a result, there are over 600 amphibian species known to occur in the AF. Within this biome the Caparaó National Park (CNP) is relevant, as it includes the highest peak of the biome, the Pico da Bandeira at almost 3,000 m above sea level, as well as different phytophysiognomies as rocky fields and humid forests. In spite of that, its amphibian fauna is still poorly described. We inventoried amphibians at the CNP and surrounding areas from 2016 to 2018 and recorded 47 anuran species, of which two are locally endemic and at least six have not been described yet. Additionally, we compiled data from previous surveys (2004 to 2008) and secondary data from scientific collections. All together, we registered a total of 61 anuran species from 12 families for the CNP and surroundings, placing this area among the 10 amphibian richest sites in the AF. Some of these species are represented by only one or two collected specimens and have not been registered in the CNP since the 1980’s, such as Thoropa lutzi and Hylodes vanzolinii. These species could be examples of population declines or even past local extinctions, highlighting the need of further sampling efforts in that highly biodiverse site.