Feeding Ecology of the Big Headed Treefrog, Polypedates megacephalus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae), from Northwestern Vietnam

Abstract

The Big Headed Treefrog, Polypedates megacephalus Hallowell, 1861, is widespread throughout subtropical and tropical regions from northeastern India to South Myanmar. In Vietnam, P. megacephalus is currently known in the North. However, the knowledge about the feeding ecology of this White-lipped Treefrog is still lacking. As a result of our field trips in Son La and Lai Chau provinces, northern Vietnam, this study provides novel data about the feeding ecology of P. megacephalus. We used the stomach-flushing method to obtain the stomach contents of 232 individuals at three sites. A total of 19 prey categories with 415 items were found in the stomachs of P. megacephalus. This species has a wide food spectrum and the dominant prey items of P. megacephalus were Araneae, Opiliones, insect larvae, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, and Orthoptera. The importance index for these categories ranged from 1.87% to 31.03%. Orthoptera was the prey category with the highest frequency of occurrence and its representatives were found in 81 stomachs. The result of multiple regression analysis indicated that both snout-vent length and mouth width were associated positively with prey sizes consumed by P. megacephalus.