Bufo bergi (NCN). Diet

DURÉ, MARTA, I.; KEHR, ARTURO I.

HERPETOLOGICAL REVIEW

Society for the study of Amphibians and Reptiles

Lugar: Connecticud, USA; Año: 2006 vol. 37 p. 334 - 335

0018-084X

BUFO BERGI (NCN). DIET. Bufo bergi can be found associated with the flood plains of the Paraná and Paraguay rivers in the northern Corrientes, eastern Chaco, Formosa, and northern and eastern Santa Fe, Argentina, and in adjacent southern Paraguay (Frost 2004. database at http:// research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html).  Little is known over the biology and feeding behavior of this species. In Corrientes, it exploits terrestrial environments and temporary pools during the reproductive season.  We analyzed the stomach content of ten specimens (female: 41.26 ± 2.90 mm SVL, N= 3 and male: 36.8 ± 2.29 mm SVL, N= 7) collected 15 km northwest of Corrientes (27º28’S, 58º50’W), Corrientes, Argentina, between January 2001 to October 2002. All individuals capturated showed identifiable stomach content. The diet was composed for six food articles, with a marked predominance of the ants both in number (81.34%) and in volume (48,96%). The Formicids and Coleopterans, were found in the same frequency (N=8).  The latter besides, it was reelevante inside the total volume of ingested preys (42,93%). Table 1 summarizes data obtained by analysis of the stomach content. The values of diversity (Shannon Index, using natural logarithm) and niche amplitude (Levins index) for this species were 0.63 and 1.46  respectively. Due to the low number of specimens found during this period, we use a non parametric test (Sperman Rank Correlations) for the analysis of the morphologic and diet correlations. We observed a positive and significant correlation between the snout-vent length  and width mouth of the frogs (rs= 0.76; p= 0.010). Besides, the mouth width was correlated with  volume of  preys (rs=0.63, p= 0.05). Nevertheless, the number of ingested preys was not correlated with predator snout-vent length  (rs= 0.18, p= 0.61).  Bufo bergi consumed preferentially ants. Bearing in mind that identified seven different item preys. We believe that this specie can be a generalist predator with a marked trend to the consumption of Formicidae and it would behave as an active foraging. On these characteristics there would depend the low values of diversity and niche amplitude. Submitted by MARTA I. DURÉ and  ARTURO I. KEHR. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral (CECOAL-CONICET), C.C. 291, (3400) Corrientes, Argentina. E-mail: martadure@yahoo.com. Submitted by MARTA I. DURÉ and  ARTURO I. KEHR. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral (CECOAL-CONICET), C.C. 291, (3400) Corrientes, Argentina. E-mail: martadure@yahoo.com.