Boana raniceps (Cope, 1862)

Schiesari, Luis, Rossa-Feres, Denise De Cerqueira, Menin, Marcelo & Hödl, Walter, 2022, Tadpoles of Central Amazonia (Amphibia: Anura), Zootaxa 5223 (1), pp. 1-149 : 48

Boana raniceps

External morphology. Description based on one tadpole at Stage 35 (CZPB-LA 254/570). Total length 41.4 mm. Body ovoid in dorsal view and globular/depressed in lateral view ( Fig. 22A, B ). Snout rounded in dorsal and lateral views. Eyes medium-sized, dorsally positioned and dorsolaterally directed. Nostrils medium-sized, oval, dorsally positioned near to snout, with opening dorsally directed, with a large projection on the marginal rim. Oral disc ( Fig. 22C ) ventral, ventrolaterally emarginate; marginal papillae triangular, uniseriate, with a dorsal gap. Submarginal papillae laterally. LTRF 2(1,2)/3(1); A1 slightly longer than A2; P2 slightly longer than P1; P3 of about half the length of P2. Jaw sheaths narrow, finely serrated; anterior jaw sheath arch-shaped, posterior jaw sheath V-shaped. Spiracle single, sinistral, conical, long and wide, posteriorly directed, opening in the posterior third of the body, with the centripetal wall not fused to the body wall and of the same length as the external wall. Vent tube medial, fused to the ventral fin, with a dextral opening. Caudal musculature of moderate width; in lateral view gradually tapering to a pointed tip. Dorsal fin high, convex, originating in the posterior third of the body; ventral fin shallow, convex. Tail tip pointed.

Colour. In preservative body reddish brown, with small dark dots on the dorsum; caudal musculature light brown; fins translucent light brown; small irregular marks on the margin of dorsal fin.

Metamorphs. Body and limbs green; small dark spots in dorsum and dorsolateral region; iris silver.

Natural history. Eggs were not observed in Central Amazonia. Gravid females contain on average 1,272 ovarian eggs (Ĥdl 1990). In Central Amazonia tadpoles of B. raniceps were found in the root zone of floating meadows in várzea floodplain lakes. In the igapó flooded forests of eastern Amazonia tadpoles of B. raniceps were found in both temporary and permanent lentic water bodies ( Azevedo-Ramos et al. 1999).

Comments. These tadpoles were first described by Miranda-Ribeiro (1926) from Cáceres, Brazil, and they differ from those herein characterized by presenting LRTF 2/3. They were also characterized by Cei (1980) from Argentina, Vizotto (1967) and Rossa-Feres & Nomura (2006) from southeastern Brazil, by Kolenc et al. (2008) from Argentina, Lynch & Suárez-Mayorga (2011) from Colombia’s lowlands, and by Schulze et al. (2015) from Bolivia’s lowlands. Tadpoles from Argentina ( Cei 1980) differ from those herein characterized by presenting vent tube dextral and an alternative LRTF 2/3. Tadpoles herein characterized do not differ from those characterized from southeastern Brazil ( Vizotto 1967; Rossa-Feres & Nomura 2006), except by the oval snout in dorsal view, and from those characterized by from Argentina ( Kolenc et al. 2008), except by variations found in only two specimens (a very short ventral gap in marginal papillae row and the presence of a short P4 tooth row). Tadpoles from Bolivia’s lowland differs from those herein characterized by presenting LTRF [2(1,2)/3(1)[2]], snout oval in dorsal view, nostrils directed dorsolaterally, and spiracle opening posterodorsally ( Schulze et al. 2015). Lynch & Suárez-Mayorga (2011) illustrated these tadpoles as presenting LTRF 2(1,2)/3(3).

Figures

FIGURE 22. Tadpole of Boana raniceps (CZPB 254/570) at Stage 35: (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view (scale = 10 mm), and (C) oral disc (scale = 1 mm).