Life history traits and reproductive ecology of North American chorus frogs of the genus Pseudacris (Hylidae) - PubMed (original) (raw)

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Life history traits and reproductive ecology of North American chorus frogs of the genus Pseudacris (Hylidae)

Jeffrey P Ethier et al. Front Zool. 2021.

Abstract

Amphibian biodiversity is declining globally, with over 40% of species being considered threatened to become extinct. Crucial to the success of conservation initiatives are a comprehensive understanding of life history and reproductive ecology of target species. Here we provide an overview of the Pseudacris genus, including breeding behaviour, reproduction, development, survival and longevity. We present an updated distribution map of the 18 species found throughout North America. We also summarize the conservation status at the national and subnational (state, provincial, and territorial) levels, in Canada, USA, and Mexico, to evaluate the relationship between life history traits and extinction risk. Results show a high degree of consistency in the life history traits of Pseudacris species considering their relative diversity and wide distribution in North America. However, data are lacking for several species, particularly in the Fat Frog and West Coast clades, causing some uncertainties and discrepancies in the literature. We also found that the most threatened populations of chorus frog were located in the east coast of the USA, potentially as a result of increased levels of anthropogenic disturbance. We suggest that the similarities in life history traits among chorus frog species provides an opportunity for collaboration and united efforts for the conservation of the genus.

Keywords: Chorus frogs; Conservation; Distribution; Life history; Population management.

© 2021. The Author(s).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1

Fig. 1

Cladogram of 18 species of chorus frog (genus Pseudacris: Hylidae). Branching is based on the phylogeny estimated with *BEAST using the multiple-allele dataset (26 nDNA loci) published by Barrow et al. [44]. Note that the branch lengths delineate estimated relatedness but do not represent the evolutionary time between two nodes

Fig. 2

Fig. 2

Distribution of the 18 species of North American chorus frogs (genus Pseudacris: Hylidae), separated by phylogenetic clade. Distribution is based on occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility website [58]

Fig. 3

Fig. 3

Adult male boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata), Great Lakes/St. Lawrence—Canadian Shield population, reared in captivity. Age = 10 months. Snout-vent length = 29.9 mm. Photo by J.P. Ethier (04 March 2021)

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