Social Behavior in Nototriton brodiei in the Cloud Forest of Cusuco National Park, Honduras

Abstract

Abstract. The slender and elusive Nototriton brodiei is known only from a few specimens at two separate sites in the Sierra de Merendón, in Guatemala and Honduras. We present the first record of an aggregation of three adults of N. brodiei on a single leaf in the cloud forest of Cusuco National Park, Honduras. We observed two males and one female walking together at night, using one another as support to move across vegetation. This behavior is the first record of both sexes interacting for this species, and might represent courtship strategy or similar behavior. This observation is a contribution to the sparse natural history and ecology literature for this genus. Our observation highlights the need for herpetological research on little-known and imperiled species endemic to cloud forests in Central America.