Oviposição e desenvolvimento de Brachycephalus ephippium (Spix) (Anura, Brachycephalidae)

Abstract

The Pumpkin toadlet, Brachycephalus ephippium (Spix, 1824), is an orangish daily anuran, which inhabits the litter of the Atlantic Forest of Southeastem Brazil. During a survey of this species' natural history in the vicinities of Campinas (22o52'S, 46o49'W), Sao Paulo State, field observations were made on the oviposition behavior, in which after the male left the oviposition site, the female covered the surface of ali eggs with soil particles. She pressed and rolled each egg against the ground using her hindfeet, until the eggs were indistinguishable from the litter background. A clutch was obtained in laboratory and two others were found in the field. After 25 days of development the embryo possess a big yolk sac, differentiated mouth and a small tail with caudal membranes poorly developed. After 41 days, fingers and toes are fully formed, the tail is relatively smaller than the previous state, the abdomen is large due to the yolk within, and the mouth possess two egg tooth. After 54 days, the tail remains as a small appendix, there is only one egg teeth, and body is densely pigmented. The hatehling oceurred after 64 days of development, the young possess reddish brown coloration, vestigial tail, and no egg teeth.