Unilateral anophthalmia in a recently metamorphosed blue-sided leaf frog Agalychnis annae in Costa Rica

Abstract

An observation of unilateral anophthalmia in Agalychnis annae in Costa Rica.

Full text

Herpetological Bullen 164 (2023) 41
The blue-sided leaf frog Agalychnis annae is currently
assessed by the IUCN as Vulnerable (IUCN, 2020). The
species was considered endemic to Costa Rica, but a single
individual has since been observed in Panama (Hertz et al.,
2012). Within Costa Rica the known range of the species
has recently been extended (Hildalgo-Mora et al., 2021).
Despite these recent extensions the species is sll found
predominantly in a few, isolated populaons within urban
areas of the Central Valley of Costa Rica (Homann, 2005;
Hildalgo-Mora et al., 2021; Arguedas et al., 2022), and
remains exrpated from previously known sites of more
natural habitat, such as Monteverde and Tapan naonal
parks, where the species was once considered common
(IUCN, 2020).
On 15 September 2022 at approximately 18:30 h in
Heredia province Costa Rica, 1188 m a.s.l., during a visit
to a breeding site for A. annae within an urban area, the
authors observed a juvenile specimen at Gosner stage 45
(Gosner, 1960) with a missing right eye, where instead
there was a small fold or scar, and a normal le eye (Fig.
1A & B). The specimen was acve, observed on the upper
surface of a leaf approximately 1 m above the ground and
within 0.5 m from a breeding pond. It appeared otherwise
in good health and body condion when compared to
numerous individuals observed at the site at a similar
developmental stage. Anophthalmia, the absence of one or
both eyes, is a deformity that has previously been recorded
in both anurans (Ramalho et al., 2017; Castro-Torreblanca
& Blancas-Calva, 2021) and urodeles (Ayres et al., 2022).
Individuals with this condion exhibing the loss of a
single eye have been known to survive to adulthood whilst
appearing in otherwise good health (Ramalho et al., 2017).
This observaon is the rst recorded account of
anophthalmia in a wild individual of this vulnerable species.
Due to the fragile nature of amphibian populaons, and
observed dramac declines recorded previously in this
species (Homann, 2005; IUCN, 2020), it is important to
keep a record of observaons that may be indicave of the
health of their populaons.
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The Herpetological Bulletin 164, 2023: 41–42
Unilateral anophthalmia in a recently metamorphosed blue-sided
leaf frog Agalychnis annae in Costa Rica
ADAM W. BLAND* & ELLIE J. MCLAREN
25 Place Road, Broadheath, Altrincham, WA14 4HH, UK
*Corresponding author e-mail: adamwbland@gmail.com
hps://doi.org/10.33256/hb164.4142
NATURAL HISTORY NOTE
Figure 1. Agalychnis annae from Costa Rica with unilateral
anophthalmia - A. Missing right eye, B. Unaected le eye

42 Herpetological Bullen 164 (2023)
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Accepted: 3 November 2022