Ecological aspects about Leptodactylus chaquensis (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from Argentina: trophic, reproductive and parasites features

We studied the trophic and reproductive ecology and document the helminth fauna of the Cei’s white-lipped frog, Leptodactylus chaquensis, from north-eastern Argentina. This frog is a generalist predator, using an intermediate strategy between active foraging and sit and wait predation. The diet cons...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Schaefer, Eduardo Federico, Hamann, Mónika Inés, Kehr, Arturo Ignacio, Gonzalez, Cynthya Elizabeth, Duré Pitteri, Marta Inés
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2006
Country:Argentina
Institution:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repository:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/54513
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/54513
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Anfibios
Leptodactylus Chaquensis
Dieta Reproducción Parasitismo
Corrientes
Diet
Frog
Helminths
Parasites
Reproduction
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Description
Summary:We studied the trophic and reproductive ecology and document the helminth fauna of the Cei’s white-lipped frog, Leptodactylus chaquensis, from north-eastern Argentina. This frog is a generalist predator, using an intermediate strategy between active foraging and sit and wait predation. The diet consisted of 17 types of prey and was dominated numerically and volumetrically by coleopterans. The number of mature ova per female (ovarian complement) ranged from 3113 to 16234, and the ovum diameter varied from 0.4 to 1.2 mm. The testes mass ranged from 0.32 to 1.54 g, and the species has an explosive reproductive pattern. The parasite fauna was rich, consisting of 20 species of helminths (twelve trematodes, one cestodes, six nematodes and one acanthocephalan), the kidneys, lungs and large intestine being the organs most infected. The trophic niche breadth and the habitats where this species is living structured the parasite community.