''Pseudis cardosoi'' is a species of aquatic

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...

in the family

Hylidae Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as "tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semiaquatic. Taxonomy and ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to southern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and is known from the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná. The specific name ''cardosoi'' honors Adão José Cardoso, a Brazilian herpetologist.

Description

Males measure and females in snout–vent length. The body is robust. The head is broad and the snout is rounded. The tympanum is distinct. The forearms are robust with robust fingers; no webbing is present. The hind limbs are short and robust with extensively webbed toes. The body and the limbs are dorsally light to dark green, olive, or brownish. There are usually some darker spots or blotches of irregular form. A black or dark green stripe runs along the

canthus rostralis In snakes and amphibians, the canthus, canthal ridge or ''canthus rostralis'',Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. . is the angle between the flat crown of the head and the ...

; it can be narrow or broad and blot-like. The tympanum is olive, tan or light brown. The lateral surfaces of head, body, and thigh are light yellow. Ventral surfaces are white. Males have paired

vocal sac The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs and toads. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way ...

The male advertisement call is loud, modulated, and variable, resembling the grunting of a pig. Three

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found ...

s in Gosner stages 34–37 measured . Of this, the ovoid body made little more than one third. The tail is higher than the body but ends with a flagelliform tip.

Habitat and ecology

''Pseudis cardosoi'' is strictly aquatic and typically occurs in permanent pasture ponds and still-water pools of slowly flowing creeks at elevations of above sea level. It appears to be a diet generalist. The diet consists of mostly insects (mainly Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera) and plant matter. Whether the plant matter is accidentally ingested or represents a supplementary source of nutrition is unknown. Arthropods other than insects and other invertebrates are sometimes present. Breeding activity has been observed through the warmer season, when temperature exceeds 8–10°C.

Tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found ...

s can be found throughout the year, reflecting their long development time. Males call during both day and night, floating on the water surface. The eggs are deposited singly or in small clumps and fixed to submerged plants. The total clutch size of four amplectant pairs was 70 to 189 eggs. The egg diameter is .

Conservation

''Pseudis cardosoi'' is a common species that is not facing major threats. It is present in the Aparados de Serra and Serra Geral National Parks. Nevertheless, its ability to colonize new habitat appears limited: two formerly inhabited ponds that dried out did not become recolonized within the next three years, despite their proximity to other inhabited ponds.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q853142 cardosoi Endemic fauna of Brazil Amphibians of Brazil Amphibians described in 2000 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot