Ecologia trófica de uma assembleia de hylídeos do Pantanal durante uma seca severa

• Autor(a) principal: Machado, Rafaela Ruiz
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Tipo de documento: Trabalho de conclusão de curso
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFMS
• Texto Completo: https://repositorio.ufms.br/handle/123456789/7613
• topic: Dieta; Hylidae; Disponibilidade de Presas; Tamanho do Corpo; Pantanal

This study investigated the diet of an assemblage of anurans, specifically tree frogs belonging to the species Scinax acuminatus, Boana raniceps and Trachycephalus typhonius, in extremely adverse conditions in the Pantanal, a region prone to cycles of flooding and drought, an area of great ecological importance. However, recently, the region has suffered an extreme drought, accompanied by forest fires that have negatively impacted animal populations and drastically reduced the availability of essential wet habitats for several amphibian species. The research involved collecting data in a specific lagoon in the Passo do Lontra region of the Southern Pantanal in November 2021. Anurans were sampled by means of nocturnal visual surveys, and the specimens were subsequently subjected to stomach content analysis. In addition, pitfall traps were used to estimate the relative abundance of prey in the environment. The results revealed that the diet composition of the three tree frog species was similar, even in this extreme environment. The frogs proved to be generalists in terms of diet, and the main prey category included Coleoptera, which was the most numerous and representative group. Boana raniceps preferred Coleoptera and Hemiptera, Scinax acuminatus had a preference for Orthoptera and Hemiptera, and Trachycephalus typhonius showed a more diversified diet, with a preference for Coleoptera, Araneae and Diptera. No significant relationship was observed between anuran body size and diet composition and this assembly was not actively choosing its prey, but rather feeding on what was available. This study provides valuable information on the trophic ecology of tree frogs in an extremely dry environment.