Rainy season food availability for anurans of Kimboza forest reserve, Tanzania
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Asian Journal of Biology
Abstract
Amphibians are mostly considered to be generalist predators. Some species have a narrow diet or
even specialize on certain prey categories. An assessment of the feeding habits of anuran species
of Kimboza forest reserve, Tanzania was conducted during rainy season between March 2017 and
June 2017. Through a visual encounter survey, 93 species were captured and analyzed for gut
contents. About 462 prey items were identified the most abundant component being Isoptera and
Hymenoptera. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the anurans’ diet (composition or
diversity or preferences) among different habitats of the forest (along boundaries and within the
forest) but significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between the upper Stratum and the lower
Stratum of the forest. The study provides a preliminary estimation of the actual diet of anurans and
establishes a general feeding pattern for these species for the management of the Kimboza forest
reserve. The study recommends the intensification of similar assessments in the nearby forest areas
to come up with a complete description of the feeding habits for management purposes.
Description
Journal Artcle
Keywords
Anura, Prey, Diets, Kimboza, Tanzania