Arboreal life supports slow and steady pace of life in the Pacific dry forest of Ecuador

Abstract Age and growth-related data provide key insights into life-history strategies, yet remain scarce for neotropical amphibians, particularly arboreal species inhabiting highly seasonal environments. We used skeletochronology to conduct the first empirical assessment of sex-specific aging and somatic growth patterns of an arboreal frog from the Pacific dry forest of Ecuador. We found limited support for the “breed fast, die young” pace of life that would be expected in highly seasonal environments. The studied species, Trachycephalus jordani , attained sexual maturity after two to three years, had a relatively long average lifespan (4.2 years in females, 3.9 years in males) and longevity (6 years in both sexes), and grew slowly compared to a sympatric fossorial species. We suggest that the higher longevity associated with arboreal life buffers the costs of delayed reproduction. Female-biased size dimorphism was established before sexual maturity and maintained after, while age structure and somatic growth were similar in both sexes. Our findings emphasize that the diversity of life-history strategies in the Neotropics is shaped at a fine (microhabitat, microclimate) scale. Expanding age and growth-related research across neotropical lineages and niches remains essential for refining life-history theory and guiding conservation in species-rich but data-poor ecosystems.