Composition of the diet of the Iberian common toad (Bufo spinosus, Daudin, 1803) in central Spain

Abstract

We describe the diet of the Iberian common toad (Bufo spinosus) in a locality in central Spain. The sample consisted of individuals that were road-killed in road M-301 between Madrid and San Martín de la Vega during their seasonal migration events in spring and fall. The diet of B. spinosus comprises up to 42 different taxonomic families of invertebrates, of which Julidae, Carabidae, Staphylinidae, and Formicidae were the most abundant. When considering the biomass of these prey, the results were consistent except for Formicidae, whose importance is limited (2.63% of the total biomass). Biomass estimations for Julidae were compared to empirically obtained data, which showed a high content of inorganic matter (41.4%) in these invertebrates. Nevertheless, Julidae is still the leading contributor in consumed biomass in our samples (42%). We highlight the occurrence of supposedly unpalatable (Lampyridae) and nutritionally poor items (vegetal matter and fecal pellets of lagomorphs).