Feeding habits of Engystomops pustulatus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in western Ecuador

Abstract:

We describe the diet of adult and juvenile Engystomops pustulatus from three populations in the Ecuadorian Chocó. Analysis of the items recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts of 95 individuals showed that E. pustulatus has a diverse diet. We identified 52 prey types among 1211 items. The numeric niche breadth, as measured by the Simpson's Index, was 5.37 while the volumetric niche breadth was 5.48. Among juveniles at Cerro Blanco we found a high proportion of small prey items, including termites and ants. Larger items, including snails, coleopterans, and isopods, were most frequent in adults at Patricia Pilar and La Maná. We hypothesize that dietary niche breadth is correlated with the presence of teeth in Engystomops. Engystomops pustulatus has teeth and has a more generalist diet than the termite and ant specialist species E. pustulosus, E. petersi, and E. freihergi, which lack teeth.

Año de publicación:

2013

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