Rhinella merianae

discussion

Remarks: A member of the Rhinella granulosa species group. Even though Narvaes and Rodrigues (2009) stated examining voucher specimens, the biogeography is not evidential to the current authors. There are specimens from Puerto Ayacucho, Gran Sabana, the Orinoco River, and Zulia State. The authors consider particularly the Zulia State specimen doubtful, and believe it is more likely to be R. beebei or R. centralis (the last would be a first record for Venezuela). However, if the distribution is valid, then that of R. merianae would overlap with that of R. beebei along the Orinoco River and with that of R. nattereri in the Gran Sabana Region. Selected references: Narvaes and Rodrigues (2009); Señaris et al. (2014); Pereyra et al. (2016).

Catalogue of the amphibians of Venezuela: Illustrated and annotated species list, distribution, and conservation

distribution

Distribution: Regions 5, 6. Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, and Venezuela. In Venezuela, known from the Orinoco River, Gran Sabana (Bolívar State), and a disjunct record in Zulia State (Narvaes and Rodrigues 2009). Obviously, the last record is likely in error. It may be R. beebei or another species within the granulosus species group.

Catalogue of the amphibians of Venezuela: Illustrated and annotated species list, distribution, and conservation

materials_examined

Holotype: AMNH 46531. Type locality: “ Head falls of Essequebo River, British Guiana (= Guyana). ”

Catalogue of the amphibians of Venezuela: Illustrated and annotated species list, distribution, and conservation

description

Colour. In preservative, body greyish-brown; venter and sides of body transparent; caudal musculature light gray, upper half of caudal musculature grey, lower half unpigmented; fins transparent. In life, body and caudal musculature light brown (sand-coloured), lateroventral portion of caudal musculature without pigmentation, laterodorsal portion with melanophores giving a weak black colouration; in the dorsal portion there are wide spots formed by accumulation of golden chromatophores that give the impression of transversal stripes in dorsal view; tail fins transparent. Metamorphs. Dorsum dirty brown, venter translucid creamy-brown, limbs light brown, legs with discrete light transversal stripes. Natural history. Pigmented eggs are laid in shallow water as two gelatinous strings. One clutch contained 1,557 eggs. A dissected female contained 3,142 ovarian eggs. Tadpoles are found in small (<26 m 2) and shallow (<10 cm) temporary ponds and puddles with clayish or sandy bottom, with or without leaf-litter, twigs and branches (Silva et al. 2017). In Central Amazonia the species is found during the rainy season in terra-firme forest edge and deforested land. In the igapó flooded forests

Tadpoles of Central Amazonia (Amphibia: Anura)