Mating and oviposition in the hylodine frog Crossodactylus gaudichaudii (Anura: Leptodactylidae)

Abstract

Abstract Males of Crossodactylus gaudichaudii call from stream edges, and they regularly dive and excavate oviposition places under stones and rocks. A female ready to spawn visits a male, and both animals dive and dig themselves under a stone to lay eggs. Oviposition takes only 1 to 2 minutes. The male visits the eggs again after the female has left, and afterwards carefully closes and conceals the entrance to the oviposition crevice. After hatching, the larvae remain in their crevice for about 2 more weeks, until they are fully pigmented and able to swim in the current. The implications of the observations are discussed. The behaviour observed is compatible with the idea of hylodine-dendrobatid relationships although not sufficient to support this hypothesis.