REPRODUCTION AND PARENTAL CARE OF THE CORONATED TREEFROG, ANOTHECA SPINOSA (STEINDACHNER, 1864) (ANURA: HYLIDAE)

Males of Anotheca spinosa call from water filled tree holes or bromeliad leaf axils. I used water filled containers to study the reproduction and parental care of this species in captivity. Between 48 and 311 eggs (x = 157.8) were laid in a single, discontinuous layer above the water surface. The male abandoned the container immediately or 6-7 days after oviposition. Few eggs were fertilized and only 1-25 larvae per clutch hatched. The female subsequently returned to the container depositing eggs either above the water when the male was still present or under the water surface when the male was absent. The unfertilized eggs were eaten by the larvae. She returned in intervals of 1-14 (x = 4.85) days feeding larvae as long as they touched and slightly sucked her skin during her visits. If this behavior was interrupted by metamorphosis or experimentally, the female did not lay unfertilized eggs but approached a calling male. Metamorphosis was reached after 60-136 days, depending on the number of larvae present. Larvae that did not receive nutritive eggs regularly either starved and were eaten by their siblings or survived until the latter had completed metamorphosis, at which time they were able to obtain nutritive eggs again.