Breeding Habitat and Microhabitat Choices by Male and Female Frogs: Are There Differences Between Sexes and Seasons?

Abstract

Abstract Breeding success of frogs depends, among other factors, on male and female habitat choices, which may be based in part on environmental features that aid offspring survivorship and development. Frogs can respond to habitat features in varied scales, including types of bodies of water and microhabitats within them, and the correspondence between male and female choices may contribute to a successful reproduction. We compared habitat and microhabitat choices by males and females of a Scinax species from the catharinae clade, focusing on microhabitat selection by both sexes, including variation between dry and wet seasons. We also compared the distribution of males and females across a stream size gradient and related their abundance with numbers of tadpoles in each stream to assess successful breeding. We found males and females to be similar in microhabitat preferences, but their abundances did not correlate across streams. Male abundance, however, correlated with number of tadpoles, indicating th...