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The Serra do Urubu mountain range is considered a key biodiversity area. It is situated in the Pernambuco Endemism Center, one of the most threatened regions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. However, despite the high importance of this area little research on its herpetofauna has been performed. The present study presents an inventory of the herpetofauna of the region, through bibliographic review, searches in museum collections and field expeditions to the RPPNs Frei Caneca and Pedra D’Antas, in the municipalities of Jaqueira and Lagoa dos Gatos. The conservation status of the amphibians of the region is discussed. Five expeditions, between 2012 and 2013 were made. The methods employed were visual transect surveys, acoustic census and pitfall traps. We recorded a total of 46 amphibian species, belonging to nine families: Craugastoridae (3 spp.), Bufonidae (3 spp.), Ranidae (1 sp.), Hylidae (25 spp.), Leptodactylidae (8 spp.), Odontophrynidae (1 sp.), Hemiphractidae (2 spp.), Phyllomedusidae (2 spp.) and Microhylidae (1 sp.). We recorded 42 species of squamates: 16 species of lizards families Phyllodactylidae (1 sp.), Gekkonidae (1 sp.), Gymnophthalmidae (1 sp.), Polychrotidae (1 sp.), Leiosauridae (1 sp.), Tropiduridae (3 spp.), Dactyloidae (2 spp.), Diploglossidae (2 spp.), Teiidae (2 spp.), Scincidae (1 sp.), and Iguanidae (1 sp.); and 24 species of snakes: Boidae (3 spp.), Colubridae (2 spp.), Dipsadidae (13 spp.), Elapidae (2 spp.), Typhlopidae (1 sp.), and Viperidae (3 spp.). The occurrence of rare and/or threatened species such as the snakes Dipsas sazimai, Lachesis muta and Sibynomorphus sp. and the amphibians Hylomantis granulosa, Chiasmocleis alagoana, Boana freicanecae and Phyllodytes gyrinaethes reinforces the need for conservation measures at this highly threatened region of the Atlantic Forest. RESUMO O complexo da Serra do Urubu é considerado uma área chave para a conservação da biodiversidade, estando inserida no Centro de Endemismo de Pernambuco, uma das sub-regiões mais ameaçadas da Mata atlântica brasileira. Porém, apesar da alta importância dessa área, estudos relacionados com a herpetofauna local ainda são escassos. Para a elaboração da lista da herpetofauna da Serra do Urubu, foram feitas consultas na bibliografia, buscas em coleções herpetológicas e expedições de campo para a RPPN de Pedra D’Antas e RPPN Frei Caneca, localizadas nos municípios de Jaqueira e Lagoa dos Gatos. Uma discussão sobre o status de conservação dos anfíbios da região também foi realizada. Foram feitas cinco expedições entre os anos de 2012 e 2013, utilizando as metodologias de busca ativa em transectos lineares, censo auditivo e armadilhas de interceptação e queda. No total foram registrados 46 espécies de anfíbios anuros, pertencentes a nove famílias: Craugastoridae (3 spp.), Bufonidae (3 spp.), Ranidae (1 sp.), Hylidae (25 spp.), Leptodactylidae (8 spp.), Odontophrynidae (1 sp.), Hemiphractidae (2 spp.), Phyllomedusidae (2 spp.) e Microhylidae (1 sp.).Com relação aos répteis foram registradas 42 espécies, sendo 16 de lagartos: Phyllodactylidae (1 sp.), Gekkonidae (1 sp.), Gymnophthalmidae (1 sp.), Polychrotidae (1 sp.), Leiosauridae (1 sp.), Tropiduridae (3 spp.), Dactyloidae (2 spp.), Diploglossidae (2 spp.), Teiidae (2 spp.), Scincidae (1 sp.), Iguanidae (1 sp.); e 24 de serpentes: Boidae (3 spp.), Colubridae (2 spp.), Dipsadidae (13 spp.), Elapidae (2 spp.), Typhlopidae (1 sp.), Viperidae (3 spp.). Espécies consideradas raras e/ou ameaçadas de extinção como as serpentes Dipsas sazimai, Lachesis muta e Sibynomorphus sp. e os anfíbios Hylomantis granulosa, Chiasmocleis alagoana, Boana freicanecae e Phyllodytes gyrinaethes, reforçam a necessidade de conservação dessa região de Mata atlântica extremamente ameaçada.

The ecomorphological guild “gastromyzophorous” joins tadpoles that inhabit flowing water and have an abdominal sucker which is employed to adhere to substrates. Historically, gastromyzophorous larvae were known in the Bufonidae and Ranidae, but a new sucker-bearing hylid tadpole was recently described from phytotelmons in Brazilian forests. We describe the larval internal anatomy of Phyllodytes gyrinaethes and ask whether its exceptional external morphology is accompanied by derived anatomical internal features that can be related to the special habitat. We also compare it to the anatomy of sucker-bearing tadpoles from other families with a focus on characters exclusive of each lineage and the shared, convergent features. The skeleton of P. gyrinaethes is highly modified relative to that of pond-type hylines and shows a profound restructuring of the oral region, palatoquadrates, and the branchial baskets. Among the muscles, besides the overall reduction in the branchial musculature, the most unusual feature in this species are the enormous, anteriorly oriented mm. levatores mandibulae externus profundus that likely produce the abduction of the two halves of the snout. The presence of the abdominal sucker is coupled with changes in some muscle trajectories and hypertrophy of the subhyoid ligaments, and the sucker connectivity differs in some aspects compared with those of bufonids and ranids (e.g., the presence of massive mm. diaphragmatopraecordialis parallel to the sucker plane). P. gyrinaethes tadpoles, with their combination of both rare and unique morphological features plus their confined microhabitat with exceptional functional and ecological requirements, represent an extreme morphotype within Hylidae and anuran tadpoles in general. Fil: Vera Candioti, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; Argentina Fil: Haas, Alexander. Biozentrum Grindel Und Zoologisches Museum Hamburg; Alemania Fil: Altig, Ronald. Mississippi State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Peixoto, Oswaldo. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil

Phyllodytes gyrinaethes Peixoto, Caramaschi & Freire, 2003 is an endemic species from the Atlantic Forest of Northeast Brazil, occurring in the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco (Freire & Peixoto 2004). The red color pattern on the inguinal region and concealed surfaces of the hind limbs together with a highly modified tadpole makes P. gyrinaethes the most different species of the genus (Peixoto et al. 2003), being unique and in its own species group according to Caramaschi et al. (2004).

Two new species of the genus Phyllodytes are described from the State of Alagoas, Northeastern Brazil. Phyllodytes edelmoi sp. nov. was obtained at Mata do Catole, Maceio, and three additional localities. This new, medium sized species (snout–vent length [SVL] 23.5–28.8 mm) is characterized by a dark brown to black dorsum with many pearl white spots in post-metamorphic and young specimens; a conspicuous pearl white spot on the dorsum of the tadpole; in life, adults deep golden yellow, no distinct tubercle on the tip of the snout; and nares on slightly elevated prominences. Phyllodytes gyrinaethes sp. nov. was collected only at Fazenda Bananeiras, Murici; it is characterized by its medium size (SVL 23.9–27.9 mm); a marbled dorsal pattern on the body and limbs; a well developed nuptial pad at the base of the first finger; a hidden tympanum; a red cast on the concealed areas of thigh, tibia, inner border of foot, and inguinal region; and a morphologically specialized tadpole with expanded labia. Description ...