CAVE BREEDING AND FROGLET TRANSPORT - A NOVEL PATTERN OF ANURAN BROODCARE IN THE JAMAICAN FROG, ELEUTHERODACTYLUS-CUNDALLI

Reproduction and brood care of the Jamaican frog Eleutherodactylus cun dalli was studied in the Windsor Great Cave from 1992 to 1994. The fro gs entered the cave for mating and egg deposition. Males were territor ial and called from exposed rock sites. Ovigerous females searched for mates and oviposition sites. Both sexes were found up to 87 m deep in to the cave. Egg development was direct and exceeded 31 days. The fema les attended the clutch until hatching. They returned to their nests a fter being removed and released outside the cave. Egg mortality in 199 3 appeared to be caused mainly by fungus infection and by predation in 1994. Hatched froglets climbed on the backs of their mothers who even tually transported them outside of the cave. Eleutherodactylus cundall i is the first frog reported to breed in caves and to transport fully metamorphosed young. The unique breeding habitat appears to favor egg development by providing an environment with fairly stable and moderat e temperatures and high humidity. Froglet transport seems to safeguard the passage of the offspring from the cave to the forest feeding-habi tat.