Feeding habits of the leaf litter frog Haddadus binotatus (Anura, Craugastoridae) from two Atlantic Forest areas in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Haddadus binotatus is an endemic anuran of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and currently, there is no information about the diet of this species. We analyzed the diet of two populations of this anuran in two states in southeast Brazil. Samplings were carried out in 2004 in the state of Rio de Janeiro and in 2009 and 2010 in the state of Espírito Santo. Haddadus binotatus presented a rich diet composition, preying 19 prey types. Orthoptera, Coleoptera, and Blattodea were the most important preys in the Rio de Janeiro population, and Orthoptera, Araneae and Hemiptera were the most important in the Espírito Santo population. The diet composition differed numerically between the two localities, but not in terms of volume, which can reflect local differences in the prey availability in the two habitats. The jaw width limited the size of prey, which is expected for predators who swallow the preys without chewing. The proportion of individuals with empty stomachs was higher in the Rio de Janeiro population (39.2%) than in the Espírito Santo population (17.9%), suggesting that the former could be in a lower energy balance. The females of the species were larger than the males, which may result from the production of larger eggs.

Leptodactylus vastus (LEPTODACTYLIDAE) predation on an endemic frog, and a compilation of its diet

“…with previous works highlighting that mouth size is related to selection of prey items in most frogs (Coco et al, 2014). Also, our observation and literature survey reinforce L. vastus as a generalist and opportunistic species.…”

Diet and Habitat Use of Proceratophrys ararype (Anura: Odontophrynidae), an Endemic Frog from the Chapada do Araripe, Northeastern Brazil

“…The association between foraging mode and prey type does not always have a clear pattern (Ribeiro et al, 2015), since the variation in amphibian diet can be influenced by seasonal changes (Toft, 1980; Woolbright and Stewart, 1987), ontogeny (Lima and Moreira, 1993), prey availability (Galatti, 1992; Moreira and Barreto, 1996), or habitat type (De-Carvalho et al, 2008). However, in their study of the diet of Physalaemus lisei Braun and Braun, 1977, Moser et al (2017) raised the possibility that the availability of a certain prey in the environment could drive the consumption of this item, thus resulting in different categories of arthropods varying as the most important prey for each species in different locations (Coco et al, 2014).…”

Can differences between continental and insular habitats influence the parasites communities associated with the endemic frog Haddadus binotatus?

“…In the breeding season, the eggs are released as foam on land, and there is no tadpole stage in the development of these frogs (Hedges et al ., 2008; Frost, 2020). Furthermore, they may prey on a variety of items of different sizes, representing an important component of the local food web as well as getting parasites by trophic transmission (Coco et al ., 2014). Concerning the records of parasites, there are only two studies reporting the helminth fauna associated with H. binotatus (Travassos, 1925; Aguiar et al ., 2014), but no study has compared parasite communities between host populations from mainland and islands.…”