Abstract

FALICO, Diego Alejandro; LOPEZ, Javier Alejandro; ANTONIAZZI, Carolina Elizabet  and  BELTZER, Adolfo Héctor. Interpopulation and ontogenetic variation in the diet of the menwig frog Physalaemus albonotatus (Anura: Leiuperidae). Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2012, vol.83, n.4, pp.1187-1193. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.28122.

We analyzed and compared the feeding of 2 populations of Physalaemus albonotatus inhabiting different ecosystems: a) an urban vacant lot, and b) a protected area of Middle Paraná River floodplain. The diet of Physalaemus albonotatus is mainly composed by ants, beetles, springtails and woodlouses, but also included several secondary preys. While comparing adults, subadults and juveniles diet on each population, we found an ontogenetic diet variation related to changes in prey type and volume as well as in number of prey items per gut. Bigger frogs consumed a greater amount of prey and more voluminous arthropods, while juveniles had a larger trophic niche breadth. Despite the great similarity in diet between sexes, adult females consumed a larger amount of ants than males did. Although trophic niche overlap between both populations was high, trophic niche breadth was wider for Paraná River floodplain population. Feeding differences found between studied populations and populations inhabiting other environments as described on literature reflects the trophic plasticity of this species and its capacity to thrive at different habitats, including markedly anthropogenically impacted environments.

Keywords : anurans; foraging habitat; urban environment; floodplain wetland; trophic plasticity; trophic overlap.