Rana iberica (Boulenger, 1879) goes underground: subterranean habitat usage and new insights on natural history

Abstract

Reports of amphibians exploiting subterranean habitats are common, with salamanders being the most frequent and studied inhabitants. Anurans can occasionally be observed in caves and other subterranean habitats, but in contrast to salamanders, breeding had never been reported in a cave or similar subterranean habitat in Western Europe. Based on observations during visits to a drainage gallery in Serra da Estrela, Portugal, from May 2010 to December 2012, here we document: (i) first report of Rana iberica reproduction in cave-like habitat, representing the fourth report of an anuran for the Palearctic ecozone; (ii) oophagic habits of the tadpoles of R. iberica; and (iii) Salamandra salamandra predation on R. iberica larvae. These observations, particularly of R. iberica, highlight our lack of knowledge of subterranean ecosystems in the Iberian Peninsula.