Breed fast, die young - Demography of a Neotropical fossorial frog

Information regarding age- and size-related parameters is of paramount importance both to understanding the life-history of populations, and for designing effective conservation strategies; however, such base-line data lacks for many species, especially for those inhabiting tropical habitats. Using skeletochronology, we provide the first detailed information regarding the demography of the Pacific horned frog, Ceratophrys stolzmanni, a vulnerable, fossorial amphibian, that lives in the Tumbesian dry-forests of Ecuador. The species shows an intense growth rate during the first activity season, both before and after metamorphosis. Sexual maturity is achieved by both sexes before the first year of life, after which growth rates abruptly decrease. Females are on average larger, but not older, than males, mean age being two years in both sexes. The rapid sexual maturation is associated with a short life-span, the observed maximum longevity being three years in males and four years in females. The short reproductive life-span, which offers few mating opportunities, might have important implications for the conservation of this species, that can be especially at risk in the case of prolonged droughts expected to affect its habitat.