We studied the diet and described some reproductiveaspects (body size, clutch size, size and egg volume, and nesting site) of the exotic gecko Gehyra mutilata in the urban area from Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico, during a period of nine months (April-December, 2013). A total of 113 adult individuals were captured, where 101 revealed to have stomach contents. We found a total of 1,563 food items, which were identified and grouped into 13 prey categories: Araneae, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Diptera, Gastropoda, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera: Formicidae and Non-Formicidae, Isopoda, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Squamata (Gekkonidae) and Trichoptera. Diptera (Nematocera) was the most important food category in abundance (91.6%), relative frequency (34.2%), volume (68.8%), and relative importance (94.8%). Other uncountable food items as plant material and eggshell remains were present in the diet. The number of prey per stomach were between 1 to 140, with a mean of 15.5 ± 25.56, the prey volume mean was 0.29 ± 0.76 ml, with a range of <0.01 – 2.90 ml. Males had fewerprey items in their stomachs than females, but no significant differences were found between sexes. Diet diversity (1D) between males and females was evaluated, which was similar with almost two effective food categories for both sexes. The trophic niche overlap between sexes showed a high numeric and volumetric similarity in their diet. Snout-vent length did not significantly differ between males and adult females. The mean clutch size was 2 eggs, even though the nesting site can be composed of larger egg clusters. The nesting sites consisted on holes, crevices and inside electric installations on building walls. The mean egg length was 10.47 ± 0.541, with a mean width of 8.40 ± 0.256, while the mean volume was 387.92 ± 43.297 mm3. The present study suggests that the opportunist habits of G. mutilata are a determinant factor on its diet composition within the urban area of Chapala.
In this work, we used measures of diversity and biogeographic patterns to evaluate the response of dung-beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) at two cattle ranches with different management systems on the southern Mexican High Plateau. The number of individuals and biomass were used as the primary diversity attributes of the assemblage. The 1D and 2D true diversity indexes of these attributes were examined, and the attributes were classified according to Halffter’s biogeographical patterns. In total, 1375 Scarabaeinae adults were collected, representing 11 species and seven genera. Site management regime did not significantly affect species richness or assemblage structure when the number of individuals was considered. However, species diversity and biomass turnover were higher in the system with holistic management than in that with semitechnified management. The proportions of Halffter’s biogeographical patterns also differed between the two production systems. In conclusion, the location under holistic management, despite having cattle production, contained a significant proportion of the Scarabaeinae species that are typical of the Mexican High Plateau. In contrast, the semitechnified system negatively impacted beetle abundance, leading to half the individuals, the dominance of species with high biomass, and the absence of groups typical of the region.
The Big-footed Leopard Frog (Lithobates megapoda) is a threatened and endemic species from western Mexico. This species has aquatic habits and it is distinguished by its large size, particularly by the length of its legs, reason for which it is captured for human consumption. Also, knowledge about its natural history is scarce and incomplete. In this study, we analyzed the composition of the diet of L. megapoda on the shore of Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. A total of 69 adult individuals were collected lifeless in fishing nets, during the rainy season (June-October), of which 48 had stomach contents. A total of 96 prey items were identified, which correspond to 13 prey categories. Fish constituted the most dominant prey category in the diet in terms of number, volume, frequency of occurrence, and relative importance. No significant differences were found in the consumption by prey type (aquatic or terrestrial). However, the aquatic preys had a greater relative importance and were more voluminous than the terrestrial ones. The diversity of prey categories, in terms of prey volume, indicates males may have a higher dietary diversity than females, but we not evaluated possible bias. In addition, a significant effect was found in the interaction of size (SVL) of frogs with the average of prey volume. Females (that are larger than males) consumed prey within a wide volume range and, the larger they are, more voluminous are prey. In this way it is possible that intraspecific competition for trophic resources in the environment is reduced. This study helps us understand the trophic ecology of L. megapoda, a frog species that plays an important role in the food web where it lives, as a predator feeding on aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
Herein we report for the first time, the aggregation behavior of tortoise beetles Physonota humillis Boheman and Ogdoecosta epilachnoides (Champion), observed in inter-specific aggregation.
On September 9th, 2010, we found an individual of Lithobates neovolcanicus in a pond near to a disturbed pine forest from Mezcala de la Asunción, Poncitlán, Jalisco. The specimen presented two different deformities in its left forelimb and right hindlimb, polymelia and ectromelia, respectively. This is the first record of limb malformations in this endemic Mexican species.
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