238 IRCF ReptIles & AmphIbIAns • Vol 17, no 4 • DeC 2010
ADRIAno sAntos et Al.
male Bokermannohyla hylax from blumenau, santa Catarina, brazil.
axeL kWet
IDentIFyInG BOKERMANNOHYLA HYLAx
IRCF ReptIles & AmphIbIAns • Vol 17, no 4 • DeC 2010 239
use of natural Marks to Identify Individual Bokermannohyla hylax (amphibia: anura)
melissa Adriano santos1, ellen Denise lutzer2, and Rudi Ricardo laps3
Fundação Universidade Regional de blumenau, 1206 Government street, ocean springs, mississippi 39564, UsA (melperereka@gmail.com) 2 Fundação Universidade Regional de blumenau, Rua: Goiás, 550 – 89021300 – blumenau, sC – brasil. 3 zoology laboratory, natural sciences Department, Fundação Universidade Regional de blumenau, Rua: Antônio da Veiga, 140 - 89010971 - blumenau, sC - brasil - Caixa-postal: 150. photographs by the senior author except where noted.
1
abstract.—of 16 Bokermannohyla hylax (13 males and three females) assessed during a seven-month field study in blumenau, santa Catarina, brazil, five were recognized visually by natural marks when recaptured and the other eleven from photographic records of the flanks and dorsum. this is the first time that identification by natural marks has been used to individually identify frogs. to test this method, waistbands with colored plastic beads were tied to the frogs’ waists to verify individual recognition upon recapture. photographic identification is a scientific tool that consists of cataloging photographs of the animal for individual recognition and
later identification in studies of behavior and population dynamics. many individuals displayed thanatosis upon handling and some vocalized. such vocalization is distinct from those associated with territoriality, advertisement, and release calls. the identification of individual B. hylax using digital images was an efficient, low-cost, and non-invasive method that might be of benefit in the study of other amphibian...