DIETS OF Hemisus mamoratus AND Leptopelis hyloides (ORDER ANURA) FROM MONOCULTURE PLANTATIONS IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA
ENABULELE, E.E. and AISIEN, M.S.O.
Keywords: anurans, H. marmoratus, L. hyloides, diet, monoculture plantations, southern Nigeria.
Published in Volume 10
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Abstract:
The stomachs of 73 anurans, consisting of 22 Hemisus marmoratus and 51 Leptopelis hyloides from two monoculture
plantations (oil palm and rubber), respectively, in Okomu-Udo, Edo State, were examined for their dietary constituents. The
diets of the two frog consisted mainly of insects belonging to the orders Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera
and Diptera. Other items recovered, which may be incidental intakes were sand grains and plant materials. Hymenopterans
and isopterans were the food items recorded in H. marmoratus with percentage frequencies of occurrence 1.55% and
98.45%, respectively. Food items recovered from L. hyloides were Hymenoptera (22.73%), Coleoptera (65.91%), Diptera
(2.27%) and Orthoptera (9.09%) with coleopterans having the highest percentage frequency of 68.18%. Although there
were differences in the feeding rates of H. marmoratus (31.82%) and L. hyloides (43.14%), the difference was not statisti-
cally significant (p>0.05). The restricted diets of these frogs, which differed from those of their counterparts collected from
natural forests, may have been influenced by the food items available in their respective monoculture habitats. While H.
marmoratus may be classified a specialist feeder, L. hyloides is a generalist.