Determining sex in dendrobatid (Subfamily Dendrobatinae) anurans: a methodological description as a useful tool for in-situ and ex-situ conservation of endangered amphibians

In science, conclusions are only as reliable as the data they are based on. As such, methodologies that can improve both the reliability and the ease of securing such data must be disseminated to the scientific community to be used and measured for viability. Here I present a descriptive methodology for Vocal Slit Expression (VSE) as a form of sex determination for Dendrobatid anurans, specifically those from the subfamily Dendrobatinae. This clade was selected for this work due to their presence in the pet trade in the USA where they are readily available to be investigated to test the viability of this method. I present the history of similar techniques in the literature among the eight member genera and discuss examples of less described but more prevalent methods of sex determination. I provide photographic examples of VSE in some of the species within Dendrobatinae and discuss pitfalls and difficulties associated with the process as well as limitations for application in the field or in the lab. All species examined had readily identifiable bilateral vocal slits in adult males despite some reports in the literature about vocal slits being unilateral. This procedure allows for a quick and definitive identification of the sex of a specimen.