MORFOLOGIA TESTICULAR EM LEPTODACTYLUS PODICIPINUS (ANURA: LEPTODACTYLIDAE): EFEITO DO TEMPO DE VIDA E DO AMBIENTE

Abstract

The process of spermatogenesis is a synchronous and coordinated event, and changes in the environment can cause impairment in the reproductive performance of anurans. Urbanization significantly alters the environment, influencing the rhythm of life of the animals, which can cause reproductive alterations. The objective of this work is to describe the testicular morphology with emphasis on the density of germ cells of Leptodactylus podicipinus, looking for relations with the life span of the animal, as well as with the collection site. For this, 17 adult L. podicipinus specimens were collected in the city of Campo Grande - MS and in the Pantanal Study Base (BEP), considered a preserved place with little anthropic influence. There was interaction between life times and sampling sites for weight and size, but not with the gonadosomatic index. The body condition index was influenced by both age and site separately, but not by the interaction between the factors. Both locular area and germ cell density were influenced by the interaction between lifetime and collection site. Animals collected in the city have more late maturing cells at shorter lifetimes than animals from the BEP, suggesting that these animals are able to reproduce younger. Thus, we corroborate the hypothesis that older animals have higher amounts of cells in final stages only in the preserved area. On the other hand, for the animals in the city, the younger animals have larger quantities of spermatozoa in the lumen. Thus, we suggest that studies that evaluate germ cell densities comparing different environments should consider the life span of the animals since these characteristics are plastic and may vary between species.