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Notes on Summer Diet of Two Sympatric Bufonids (Rhinella horribilis and Incilius marmoreus) in a Neotropical Environment from Western Mexico

Ernesto Raya-García, Mario Sosa-Toche, Ireri Suazo-Ortuño

Abstract


The dietary habits in two species of sympatric toads were investigated during the first summer rains in the Western Neotropics of Mexico. We identified seventeen different prey types in the stomachs of Rhinella horribilis and Incilius marmoreus. The diet of R. horribilis was slightly more diverse than the diet of I. marmoreus (14 vs. 9 prey types). With respect to all types of prey, we observed that the diet overlap was 35%. However, in both species of toads, the termites (Isoptera) and ants (Formicidae) were the dominant prey types with hundreds of items recorded. The diet of both species may be influenced by the disposition and abundance of prey in the neotropical environment and possible environmental conditions linked to habitat anthropization.

Keywords


dietary niche; feeding behavior; invertebrate prey; toads’ diet

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2024-31-4-250-253

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