Diet Composition of Three Anurans from the Playa Wetlands of Northwest Texas

1999/05/07 by Ann M. Anderson, David A. Haukos, James T. Anderson · 1 citation
Environmental Science · #Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Species Distribution and Climate Change

paper · doi:10.2307/1447502

Abstract

Great Plains toads (Bufo cognatus), plains spadefoots (Spea bombifrons), and New Mexico spadefoots (S. multiplicata) commonly breed in playa wetlands on the Southern High Plains of northwest Texas and eastern New Mexico. Great Plains toads (n 129) consumed 43 invertebrate taxa, plains spadefoots (n = 24) consumed 12 invertebrate taxa, and New Mexico spadefoots (n = 38) consumed 20 invertebrate taxa during 1995 and 1996. Diet overlap was greatest between Great Plains toads and New Mexico spadefoots during 1995. Carabids were the most commonly consumed food item by all species during 1995 and 1996. Conservation of anurans that use playas should focus on playas that are surrounded by terrestrial grassland habitats that provide foraging sites for breeding anurans.

Citations

• Prey Selectivity and Size-Specific Diet Changes in Bufo cognatus and B. woodhousii during Early Postmetamorphic Ontogeny

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• Diet of Epipedobates flavopictus (Anura: Dendrobatidae) in a Neotropical Savanna

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