US ISSN: 0025-4231 ^0 413*53 BULLETIN OF THE THaculanb f)ecpeto!ogical Ooriety DEPARTMENT OF HERPETOLOGY THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MARYLAND, INC. MDHS . A Founder Member of the Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League JULY-DECEMBER 2014 VOLUME 50 NUMBERS 3-4 BULLETIN OF THE MARYLAND HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 CONTENTS A Study of the Effects of Water Quality on the Success of Hatching Rates of Egg Masses of Ambystoma tigrnum tigrinum and a Volumetric Method of Estimating Egg Number in Each Mass Susan A. Stanzione . . . . . . . 52 Leucistic Wood Frog tadpole (Lithobates sylvaticus) from central Ohio Geoffrey R. Smith . . . .. . . . .74 Predation of Leptodactylus melanonotus (ANURA: LEPTODACTYLIDAE) by Cupiennius salei (ARANEAE: CTENIDAE) Rafael Alejandro Calzada-Arciniega .76 ! 2000 Mg/1. Bioconcentration ratios ranged from 152 for gudgeon to 17.5 for guppies. The bioconcentration for crayfish is 4.9 (EXTOXNET). page 60 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Results. Table 2. represents the data obtained counting the eggs in each mass and measuring the volume of each mass. Chart 1. is a plot of this data. Color Tag #Eggs Volume Mass B-l 151 400 B-2 150 400 C-l 133 150 C-2 109 100 P-1 68 200 P-2 81 250 P-3 81 250 P-4 97 200 P-5 62 150 P-6 110 400 0-1 98 250 0-2 48 175 0-3 110 300 0-4 181 500 0-5 40 200 Y-l 105 300 Y-2 51 150 Y-3 80 200 W-l 84 300 W-2 36 200 W-3 101 200 W-4 61 150 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 61 Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 Chart 1 . Number of eggs per mass vs. volume of mass. July-December 2014 Mimbercf Eggs vs Vdumed Mass Massey pond In Table 3 are listed the number of eggs counted and the number of live larvae that hatched from each egg mass. The mean hatch rates were: Massey, 94.2%; TP- 1 , 40.7% and TP-3, 85.9%. TP- 1 was overrun with filamentatious algae in March; this progressively worsened in following months. Table 3. Live Larvae Color Tag # Eggs # Live Larvae Massey Pond B-l 151 146 B-2 150 143 C-l 133 127 C-2 109 106 P-1 68 65 P-2 83 78 P-3 81 78 P-4 97 93 P-5 62 61 P-6 110 89 0-1 98 93 0-2 48 42 page 62 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Table 3. Continued Color Tag # Eggs # Live Larvae 0-3 110 98 0-4 110 172 0-5 40 38 Y-l 105 91 Y-2 51 50 Y-3 80 74 W-l 84 78 W-2 36 31 W-3 101 100 W-4 61 58 TP-1 Pond TP- 1 - A 65 0 TP-l-B 20 8 TP-l-C TP-3 Pond 72 59 TP-3 -A 52 49 TP-3-B 70 58 TP-3-C 67 54 The following are the results of tests for nitrates, phosphates and tannic acid. Table 4. Water Quality: Nitrate, Phosphates and Tannic Acid. 4/11/93 Nitrates Phosphates Tannic Acid Massey 0 0 1.4 mg/1 TP-1 0.2 mg/. 1 .0 mg/1 6+ mg/1 TP-3 0 0 1.5 mg/1 6/11/93 Massey 0 0 1.6 mg/1 TP-1 0.9 mg/1 0.6 mg/1 6+ mg/1 TP-3 0 0 1.6 mg/1 Ground water samples tested for the presence of phosphates produced the following results: Table 5. Groundwater Phosphate Levels at each Pond. 6/11/93 Sample #1 Sample #2 Massey 0 0 TP-1 1 .0 mg/1 0.8 mg/1 TP-3 0 0 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 63 Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Water temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH measurements were also taken at several locations in each pond. The time of day is indicated since the ambient temperature obviously af¬ fected both water temperature and dissolved oxygen readings. Table 6. Water Quality: Dissolved Oxygen, pH and Temperatures. 4/11/93 Air Temp h2o D. O. pH H20 Depth °C °c ppm cm Massey 18 17 9.8 6.0 10-15 2:00 pm 16 7.5 6.0 30 15 10.5 6.0 76 TP-1 14 17 9.6 5.0 5-10 11:00 am 16 10.8 5.0 15-20 15 10.1 5.0 30 13 12.0 5.0 61 TP-3 12 13 11.6 5.0 10-15 9:00 am 6/11/93 Air Temp h2o D. O. pH H20 Depth °c °c ppm cm Massey 30 32 7.8 6.0 10-15 2:00 pm 27 7.0 6.0 61 TP-1 23 26 1.7 5.0 10-15 9:00 am 25 0.2 5.0 61 TP-3 27 26 6.6 5.0 10-15 1 1 :00 am 25 2.2 5.0 61 Discussion. Volume/number of eggs study The data obtained from the egg count/mass volume portion of this study was analyzed statistically using the linear regression method (Fig. 8). This represents a correlation coefficient (r) = 0.7018, and a p value - 0.0003, which is interpreted as statistically significant. However, this study did not take into account the exact age of each egg mass and, therefore, does not adjust for this variable. Given that salamander eggs are hygroscopic (Stine, 1984), differences in the exact age of the eggs may influence the results. It appears that, if very rough estimates of egg numbers are needed, this would be an acceptable method for obtaining the estimate. It would also seem that a larger sample represent¬ ing the same developmental stage egg masses would produce even more significant results. This warrants further study. Egg Mortality It is apparent from the data present in Tables 3, 4 and 6, that Massey pond provides a much more favorable environment for breeding of A. t. tigrinum than does TP-3. Larval popula¬ tion estimate for the 1993 breeding season, at Massey, are 26,000 individuals. In contrast, TP-l’s environment seems veritably hostile to A. t. tigrinum eggs and larvae. Of the 41% of the eggs translocated to TP-1 hatched successfully, only one individual larva was found when the pond was page 64 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Figure 8. Linear plot of the number of eggs vs. volume of masses of A. t. tigrinum at Massey pond. Number of eggs vs. volume of mass 500 450 400 S? 350 JL 300 | 250 2 200 > 150 100 50 0 B m m mm mm m m m — I - —I - - - 1 - H 50 100 150 200 Number of eggs seined one month after the larvae were released, and none were found two months later (Maex, pers. comm., July, 1993). Representative samples seined from Massey, however, yielded 62 larvae one month after release; 15 larvae two months later (Maex, pers. comm., July, 1993). No similar data is available for TP-3. However, invertebrate life at TP-3 is visibly quantatively and qualitatively inferior to that of Massey pond (Stine, pers. comm., July, 1993) and therefore it seems unlikely that larvae at TP-3 would fare much better than those at TP- 1 since food would be a limiting factor. The TP ponds are both located on the same Fallsington soils and within the same drainage area of the watershed (Fig. 9). Also, the land around TP-3 is unsuitable for the non-aquatic phase of the tiger salamander: these is swamp to the northeast, high ground to the southwest that is too dry, and a small pine forest along a county road to the west-southwest. Algae seems to be a major problem at TP- 1 . Even in January, when the encapsulated egg masses were translocated to TP-1, there were algae present. As temperatures rose, the algae con¬ tinued to grow in a manner that is commonly referred to as an algal bloom. The water quality data provides some insight into what is, perhaps, the driving force behind this particular algae problem. TP-1 was the only pond with detectable levels of nitrates and phosphates. It was also the only site where phosphates were also detectable in the ground water within 25 feet of the pond’s edge. Ground water data obtained from USGS Water Resources Basic Data Report , No. 10, data site BG-15, located in Massey, Maryland, (Fig. 10) indicates a natural phosphate level of <.05 mg/1 (USGS 1978). Ground water samples taken at TP-1 range from 16 to 20 times that amount, while phosphate levels in the pond itself were 12 to 20 times what is normally expected. Additionally, TP-1 had a much higher level of tannic acid than did Massey and TP-3, an indication that there is much more decaying matter in TP-1 (Table 4). Dissolved oxygen levels at Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 65 Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Figure 9. Soils map of Massey and TP ponds. Massey ois located on Elkton (Em) soiles, while the TP ponds are on Fallsington (Fa). TP-1 declined 51-98% over a two month period, while levels at TP-3 dropped 43-81% and those at Massey 6-33% (Table 6). Dissolved oxygen levels at TP-1 were actually higher than those at Massey and TP-3 in April, probably because: 1) the algae present had not yet overrun the pond; 2) the water temperatures were 12-13° C lower than in June and; 3) at 1 1 :00 a.m. on a sunny day, the algae were at peak oxygen output from photosynthesis. Massey and TP-3, though each had accept¬ able dissolved oxygen levels, did not have the additional input of oxygen from algae photosynthesis. Conversely, by June, as the algae bloomed in TP-1 , and then began dying and decomposing and the dissolved oxygen levels dropped at TP-1, the dissolved oxygen levels at Massey remained stable, although TP-3 levels were also in decline. The feature which most distinguishes Massey from the TP ponds, however, is the topo¬ graphic situation (Fig. 11). Though all the ponds are at approximately the same elevation (60-65 feet above mean sea level), Massey pond receives negligible amounts of surface runoff, none of which comes from the adjacent cropland and very little of which comes from the roadway. TP-1, however, receives direct runoff from the cropfield alongside it, and even though TP-3 does not page 66 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Figure 10. USGA Water Resources Basic Data Report No. 10., Maryland Ground-Water Informa¬ tion: Chemical Quality Data. have any cropfields immediately adjacent, it is downstream from TP- 1 . The TP ponds, therefore, are subject to severe environmental perturbations as a result of agricultural practices applied to the nearby land, specifically agrichemicals. TP-1 could probably be classified as eutrophic. Seasonally, it supports prolific aquatic plant growth and this tremendous biomass generates abundant oxygen during photosynthesis. However, when environmental factors inhibit or retard photosynthesis, dis¬ solved oxygen drops drastically. The oxygen level also drops considerably with depth because the algae restricts sunlight penetration. Phosphates appear to be the key to the overabundant algae found in TP-1. It is intro¬ duced to the pond primarily through surface runoff from the cropfield. Phosphorus is applied as a component of some fertilizers, but more damaging are the organophosphates that are a part of the various pesticides used on corn and soybeans - the major crops grown on the Delmarva peninsula, where annually, nearly three million pounds of agricultural herbicides, insecticides and fungicides are used to enhance production (USDA, 1992). The field next to TP-1 was planted in soybeans in 1992 and again in 1993. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 67 Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Figure 11. USGS Topographic Quad Sheet. Phosphorus has a high adsorption partition coefficient, a measure of the absorption phenomenon. Therefore, it adsorbs quite readily to soil particles and is delivered to the pond with sediment during storms. Phosphorus-fueled algae blooms are not the only adverse effect that these pesticides have on A. t. tigrinum. All of the pesticides researched are toxic to either wildlife, birds, fish, aquatic invertebrates, aquatic organisms or a combination of these. Though not mentioned specifically, surely A. t. tigrinum is affected by these agrichemicals as well. These pesticides would be toxic not only to the adult organism, but even more so to the eggs and larvae since the limits of tolerance for developing organisms are narrower. page 68 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 At 15° C, larval A. t. tigrinum take in about 59% of their total oxygen from the water (Whiteford and Sherman, 1968). It is likely that an organism utilizing cutaneous respiration in ad¬ dition to pulmonary respiration would be at even greater risk from toxic chemicals. All of the pesticides studied were insecticides. Only one, phorate, is fat soluble and, therefore, has a high potential to accumulate within organisms. If bioaccumulation is a hazard, then one can extrapolate that biomagnification is also a consequence of pesticide-contaminated ponds. Dimethoate, on the other hand, claims to not be an environmental hazard since it readily degrades and does not bioaccumulate. If, however, this chemical is toxic to insects - its intended target - then it is still an environmental hazard since it will also kill aquatic invertebrates and alter the food supply for A. t. tigrinum ; and it will contribute phosphates to surface and ground water that, in turn, create algal blooms. All the pesticides researched were selected because they are commonly used in the state of Maryland on soybeans and they contain phosphates. It is not known which, if any, were actually applied to the crops grown in the field next to TP-1, but it is reasonable to infer that the elevated phosphate levels are not a natural occurrence, and that applications of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides are the most likely avenues for their introduction. The mechanisms for delivery of contaminants to the pond are rainfall events which detach soil particles that are transported with surface runoff, percolation of phosphates into ground water, and direct spray or drift onto surface waters. On the Delvmarva peninsula, where ground water is the major source of surface water streamflow, ground water can significantly affect the quality of surface water. Ground water move¬ ment is very slow, typically moving one-quarter to two feet per day in the water-table aquifer; consequently, water can remain in the water-table aquifer for several decades (USDA, 1992). Ground water is particularly fragile. Since it lacks biological activity, it has no assimilative capacity (USDA, 1988). Dissolved constituents in natural ground water are derived from the mineral components of the aquifer materials. The Delmarva peninsula aquifers are comprised primarily of quartz sand that does not dissolve readily, and, therefore, the concentration of dissolved constituents is very dilute. Additional inputs such as agrichemicals with moderate to high leaching potentials could significantly change the chemical properties of the water (USDA, 1992). There is no historic data on pesticide use on the Delmarva peninsula. Ground water test¬ ing that has been done for pesticides reveals their presence, but at reportedly low levels, less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant and health advisory levels for drinking water. However, very little is known about the effects of long-term exposure of aquatic animals and plants to ground water that contains low concentrations of pesticides (USGS, 1992). Furthermore, there is sparse data on the breakdown products of pesticides and the environmental effects of combinations of pesticides are as yet unknown. The universal concern among the herpetological community regarding the disappearance of amphibians is more than justified. Land development demands from an expanding human popu¬ lation are putting ever increasing stresses on an already abused ecosystem. The tiger salamander ranges over most of the North American continent, and indication of a rather resilient and adaptive creature, yet in the state of Maryland their numbers are dwindling to the point that they are now considered an endangered species. That in itself should be cause for alarm. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 69 Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 Summary. July-December 2014 Although a volumetric approach to quantifying the number of eggs in A. t. tigrinum egg masses seems to be possible, further study involving greater numbers of egg masses seems war¬ ranted before it can be used definitively as an accurate field method. Topography seems the single most important factor influencing the overall success of A. t. tigrinum in the ponds studied. Massey pond, by virtue of its topographic position in the wa¬ tershed, seems to have escaped the long term effects of pollutants delivered to ponds adjacent to agricultural fields by surface runoff and ground water contamination. The algae blooms that occur in TP-1, and the lack of a suitable invertebrate food supply at TP-3, seem to be directly related to agricultural runoff and in turn, the depletion of dissolved oxygen necessary for survival of A. t. tigrinum developing embryos and larvae. In addition, a study of the many pesticides that are used in the production of com and soybeans on the Delmarva peninsula reveals that they are toxic to A. t. tigrinum in all of its life stages and a host of other organisms as well. There is a dearth of information on the long term environmental effects of not only the pesticides themselves, but also of their breakdown products singly and in combination with each other. The exact quantities of each of a multitude of agrichemicals that have been applied to the land over the years and how much of these have reached the aquifers underlying the Delmarva, and the resultant effects are also unknown. The information contained in this study should not be extrapolated to explain species decline in other areas or ponds, rather, further study in other ponds, with greater attention to the effect of topography, seems indicated. Literature Cited, Anderson, J.D., D.D. Massinger, and G.H. Dalrymple. 1971. Natural morality of eggs and larvae of Amby stoma t. tigrinum. Ecology , 52 (6): 1107-1112. Arndt, R.G. 1989. Note on the natural history and status of the tiger salamander. Ambystoma tigrinum , in Delaware. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society , 25 (1): 1-21. Bishop, S.C. 1943. Handbook of Salamanders. Comstock Publishing Company, Garden City, New York. Budavari, S. (ed). 1987. The Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Bioiogicals. Merck and Company, Inc. Rahway, New Jersey. Buskirk, J. W. and D.C. Smith. 1991. Density-dependent population regulation in a salamander. Ecology , 72 (5): 1747- 1756. Cochran. D.M. 1961. Amphibians of the world. Doubleday and Company, Garden, New York. Cogger, H.G., and R.G. Sweifel. 1992. Reptile and Amphibians. Smith mark Publishers Inc. New York. page 70 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Conant, R. 1975. Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. Cooper, J.E. 1965. Distributional survey: Maryland and the District of Columbia. Reprinted from Bulletin of the Philadelphia Herpetological Society , 8(3): 1 8-24, and revised by H.S. Harris, Jr., (November, 1965) Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetologi- cal Society, 1 ( 1 ):3- 14 Cooper, J.E., L.R. Franz, et al 1973. Endangered amphibians and reptiles of Maryland: a special report. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society, 9 (3):42-100. Crop Protection Chemicals Reference. 1992. John Wiley and Sons, New York. Druad, MJ. 1 993 . North American tiger salamander. Reptile and Amphibian Magazine, January - February, pp 62-68. Duellman, W.E., and L, Trueb. 1986. Biology of Amphibians. McGraw-Hill, New York. Hamilton, P. A., and R.J. Shedlock. 1992. Are Fertilizers and Pesticides in the Ground Water? U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1080. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. Hassinger, D.D., J.D. Anderson and G.H. Dah y triple. 1993. The early life history and ecology of Amby stoma tigrinum and Amby stoma opacum in New Jersey. Midatlantic Naturalist. 84:474-495. Hitchman, M.L. 1978. Measurement of Dissolved Oxygen . John Wiley and Sons, Inc., and Orbisphere Laboratories, Geneva, Switzerland. Holman, J.A. 1977. The Pleistocene (Kansan) herpetofauna of Cumberland Cave, Maryland. Anals of Carnegie Museum, 46:157-172. Hotchkiss, B.E., J.W. Gillett, et al. 1992. EXTOXNET. Extension Toxicology Network, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York Lee, D.S. and R. Franz. 1974 Comments on the feeding behavior of larval tiger salamanders, Ambystoma Lynn, A.M. 1987 tigrinum. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society , 25 (1): 1-21. Maryland Fishpond Management Guide . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, College Park, Maryland. Maex, C. 1993. Unpublished data. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 71 July-December 2014 Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 1984. Wildlife Management for the l80\. Maryland Department of Natural Re¬ sources, Forest, Park and Wildlife Management Program. 1991. Rare, Threatened , and Endangered Animals of Maryland. Maryland Natural Heritage Program. Moore, D.S. and G.P. McCabe. 1989. Introduction to the Practice of Statistics. W.H. Freeman and Co., New York. Odum, E.R 1971. Fundamentals of Ecology. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia. Petranka, J.W. 1989. Density -dependent growth and survival of larval Amby stoma: evidence from whole pond manipulations. Ecology , 70 (6): 1752- 1767. Sever, D.M., and C.F. Dineen. 1978. Reproductive ecology of the tiger salamander, Amby stoma tigrinum tigrinum in Northern Indiana. Proc. Ind . Adac. ofSci. 87: 189-203. Stine, C.J., J.A. Fowler and R.S. Simmons. 1954. Occurrence of the eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum Stine, C J 1984. (Green) in Maryland, with notes on its life history. Annals of the Carnegie Museum , 33:145-148. The life history and status of the eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigri¬ num tigrinum (Green) in Maryland. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society, 20 (3):65-108. 1993. Personal communication. University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service. 1992. Unpublished information. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 1988. Water Quality Field Guide. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. Weier, T.E., C.R. Stocking, and M.G. Barbour. 1974. Botany, An Introduction to Plant Biology . John Wiley and Sons, New York. White, E.A. 1 983. Soil Survey of Kent County , Maryland. United States Department of Agricul¬ ture, Soil Conservation Service, in cooperation with the Maryland agricultural Extension Service and Kent Soil Conservation District. Whiteford, W.G., and R.E. Sherman. 1 968. Aerial and aquatic respiration in axolotl and transformed Amby stoma tigrinum . Woll, R.S. Herpetologia , 24:233-237. page 72 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 1978. Water Resources Basic Data Report No. 1 0 Maryland Ground Water Informa¬ tion: Chemical Quality Data. United State Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. Received: Accepted: 20 January 2014 12 June 2014 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 73 Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Leucistic Wood Frog tadpole (Lithobates sylvaticus) from central Ohio Abnormally pigmented anurans, both adults and tadpoles, have been observed for several species, with abnormalities including both albinism and leucism (no skin pigment but eyes pig¬ mented) (reviews in Hensley, 1959; Dyrkaez, 1981). Here I report leucism in a tadpole Wood Frog (. Lithobates sylvaticus) from central Ohio. Previously, Mitchell and White (2005) reported a leucistic Wood Frog tadpole from northern Virginia. Toledo et al. (2011) suggested that we need more reports of such abnormal pigmentation to better understand their appearance and distribution in nature. As part of a mesocosm experiment, I introduced a total of 2550 Wood Frog tadpoles into 48 mesocosms (1 135 L cattletanks filled with 800 L of well water) on 6 April 2014. Tadpoles were Gosner Stage 25 (Gosner, 1960) when introduced into the experiment. Wood Frog tadpoles were derived from 8 partial clutches collected from a local pond on the Denison University Biological Reserve, Granville, Licking Co, Ohio, USA (40°05?07.32”N, 82°30’33.92”W; datum: WGS84, elev. = 341 m). During the course of the experiment, the abnormally pigmented tadpole was noticed in one of the mesocosms (Fig. 1), and its status was noted throughout the experiment. The tadpole had pigmented eyes, and there appeared to be a cream color to its body, but it was lacking any darker pigments observed in other Wood Frog tadpoles. Thus, it appears this tadpole exhibited leucism, and is similar to the description by Mitchell and White (2005). Thompson and Rea (2013) reported a leucistic adult L. sylvaticus from a population in British Columbia, Canada. To my knowledge, the only other previous observation of leucism in tadpoles of L. sylvaticus was that reported by Mitchell and White (2005) (see reviews in Hensley, 195.; Dyrkaez 1981). Fig. 1. Leucistic Wood Frog ( Lithobates sylvaticus) tadpole observed in a mesocosm in Granville, Licking Co., Ohio, USA. Note the normally pigmented Wood Frog tadpole to the right of the leucistic tadpole. page 74 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 The abnormally pigmented tadpole did not metamorphose by the end of the experiment on 27 June 2014. It had reached Gosner Stage 39-40. I attempted to continue raising the tadpole to metamorphosis in the laboratory but the tadpole died 2 days later. Mitchell and White (2005) observed that the leucistic tadpole they found developed slower relative to other Wood Frog tad¬ poles in their ponds. The observed abnormal pigmentation is quite rare since only one such tadpole was ob¬ served (= 0.039% of those introduced to the experiment; = 0.054% [ 1 of 185 1 ] recovered at the end of the experiment). These estimates of frequencies are likely overestimates since I did not observe any abnormal pigmentation in the tadpoles not used in the experiment. In addition, I have observed no similar tadpoles or metamorphs in local ponds over the past 13 years. Taken together with the observations of Mitchell and White (2005), it is clear that leucism is very rare in Wood Frog tadpoles. Acknowledgments I thank M. Smyk, L. Smith, G. Eng-Surowiec, J. Hollis, M. Jones, D. Mirzashvili, J. Rettig, and W. Smith for help throughout the experiment. I thank S. Graham for pointing out the Mitchell and White (2005) observation. The experiment was conducted with approval of the Denison Uni¬ versity Institutional Animal Care and Use committee (14-002), and eggs collected and used under Ohio Division of Wildlife permit (17-51). Literature Cited Dyrkacz, S. 1981. Recent instances of albinism in North American amphibians and reptiles. Herpetological Circular 11: 1-31. Gosner, K.L. 1960. A simplified table for staging anuran embryos and larvae with notes on identification. Herpetologica 16: 183-190. Hensley, M. 1959. Albinism in North American amphibians and reptiles. Publications of the Museum, Michigan State University, Biological Series 1: 133-159. Mitchell, J.C., and J. White. 2005. Leucistic Wood Frog ( Rana sylvatica) tadpoles from northern Virginia. Banisteria 25: 52-53. Thompson, M., and R.V. Rea. 2013. Rana sylvatica. Leucism. Herpetological Review 44: 128-129. Toledo, L.F., N. Rodirgues da Silva, and O.G. dos Santos Araujo. 2011. Albinism in two Amazonian frogs; Elachistocles carvalhoi (Microhylidae) and Lithobates palmipes (Ranidae). Herpetology Notes 4: 145-146. Geoffrey R. Smith , Department of Biology, Denison University, Granville, Ohio, USA (e-mail: smithg@denison.edu) Received: 1 3 October 20 1 4 Accepted: 1 November 2014 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 75 Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Predation of Leptodactylus melanonotus (ANURA: LEPTODACTYLIDAE) by Cupieimius salei (ARANEAE: CTENIDAE) Predation is the greatest cause of mortality in natural populations and can occur in any life history stage, (Vitt and Caldwell, 2009), Amphibians are preyed by invertebrates including spiders at all life stages. Small-bodied and juvenile amphibians are prey for numer¬ ous arthropods including insects, amblypygids and spiders, however no invertebrate species is recognized as specialist predator of this group. Most species are generalist predators that feed opportunistically on available food items (Wells, 2007; Vitt and Caldwell, 2009). Anurophagy by spiders is well documented in other reviews on the subject (Toledo, 2005; Menin et al, 2005; Maffei et ah, 2010). On 4 February 2014 I observed the first record of one individual of Leptodactylus melanonotus Hallowell, 1861 being preyed upon by Cupiennius salei Keyserling, 1877 in La Mancha, Municipality of Actopan, State of Veracruz, in eastern Mexico (19.618180 N, 96.444569 W 6 m elevation). The animals were on the border of a water body. They were observed for a few minutes and photographed. The back of the frog was damaged and be¬ ing eaten by the spider (Figure 1). Anurans have a key role in food webs, acting as either important predators or significant prey, and link terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (Wilbur, 1997; Whiles et ah, 2006). This record contributes to the knowledge of the predator-prey relationship between amphibians and arthropods especially the spiders. I thank Miguel Angel Avila Lazcano for the spider identification Fig. 1. Leptodactylus melanonotus being preyed by Cupiennius salei.JPG (6.1MB) page 78 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Literature Cited Maffei F., Ubaid, F.K., Jim J. 20 1 0. Predation ofherps by spiders (Araneae ) in the Brazilian Cerrado Herpetol¬ ogy Notes, volume 3: 167-170. Menin, M., Rodrigues, D.J., Azevedo, C.S. 2005 . Predation on amphibians by spiders ( Arachnida, Araneae ) in the Neotropical Toledo, L.F. 2005. region . Phyllomedusa. 4(1): 39-47. Predation of juvenile and adult anurans by invertebrates: current knowledge and perspectives. Herpetol. Rev. 36 (4): 395-400. Vitt, L.J. and J. Caldwell. 2009. Herpetology: an introductory biology of amphibians and reptiles . San Diego: Wells, K. D. 2007. Academic Press. 697p. upiennius salei Keyserling, 1877. Ecology and behavior of amphibians. The University of Chicago Press. 1 148 PP- Whiles, M.R., Lips, K.R., Pringle, C.M., Kilham, S.S., Bixby, R.J., Brenes, R., Connelly, S., Colon- Gaud, J.C., Huntebrown, M., Huryn, A.D., Montgomer, Y.C., Peterson, S. 2006. The effects of amphibian population declines on the structure and function of Neotropical stream ecosystems . Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 4(1): 27-34. Wilbur, H.M. 1997. Experimental ecology of food webs: Complex systems in temporary ponds. Ecology 78(8): 2279-2302. Rafael Alejandro Calzada-Arciniega , Avenida de los Barrios Niimero 1, Colonia Los Reyes Iztacala Tlalnepantla, Estado de Mexico , C.P. 54090 ( 'raejandrocalzada89@gmail.com ) Received: 17 October 2014 Accepted: 20 October 2014 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 77 Volume 50 Numbers 3-4 July-December 2014 Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society page 79 Society Publication Back issues of the Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society, where available, may be obtained by writing the Executive Editor. A list of available issues will be sent upon request. Individual numbers in stock are $5.00 each, unless otherwise noted. The Society also publishes a Newsletter on a somewhat irregular basis. These are distributed to the membership free of charge. Also published are Maryland Herpetofauna Leaflets and these are available at $. 25/page. Information for Authors All correspondence should be addressed to the Executive Editor. 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