Species composition and richness of anurans in Cerrado urban forests from central Brazil

Abstract

Brazil harbors the greatest diversity of amphibians on the planet although there are few studies dealing with urban fauna. The objective of this study is to describe the species composition and richness of anurans in urban Cerrado fragments from Campo Grande municipality, Mato Grosso do Sul state, central Brazil. The specimens were sampled in three stages through pitfall traps and visual/acoustic surveys. Seventeen species were recorded (17.7% of anuran species registered in Mato Grosso do Sul), with Leptodactylidae and Hylidae being the most represented families. The existence of a high number of green areas and water bodies in the urban area likely favors anuran species in the region. The anuran communities in urban areas of Campo Grande were dominated by species which use a broad range of habitats. In this study there was the record of a new species of anuran, Proceratophrys dibernardoi , for the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The forest fragments that had the highest similarity for species composition were those with similar environmental conditions. The knowledge of the fauna that occurs in urban areas is important because natural habitats suffer severe fragmentation and degradation and species present in these areas may disappear in a shorter period of time.