NEW RECORD OF Physalaemus riograndensis MILSTEAD, 1960 IN PARAGUAY AND COMMENTS ON ITS POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION IN THE COUNTRY.

Abstract

Physalaemus riograndensis is a species whose distribution extends from Uruguay to the Northeast of Argentina, Southeast of Brazil and in two localities in Paraguay, in the Departments of Presidente Hayes and Itapúa. In Paraguay, the species is categorized as data deficient due to few records and no information on its ecology. In this note we record a new locality where we found the species in an active assemblage in a flooded savanna after heavy rains. In addition, we modeled the distribution of the species using extensive use methods to determine areas of high probability of presence in the country. The new record is the first for the Department of Caazapá and is 130 km north and 182 km southeast of the closest records, respectively. Models estimate that the species is highly likely to occur in the southwestern Oriental region.