FOOD HABITS OF Bufo spinulosus WIEGMANN, 1835 (Anura: Bufonidae) FROM FARELLONES LOCALITY (Región Metropolitana)

Abstract

Stomach contents of Bufo spinulosus population sampled from Farellones (2.331 masl), 33° S (Región Metropolitana), Chile, were analyzed. As a result of our study we were able to prove that, in this locality, this species is omnivorous, consuming mainly arthropods. The nourishing habits of this population, display a great similarity with the same species from San Pedro de Atacama population (Región de Antofagasta), which share a similar niche breadth, and a high overlap niche. Nevertheless, the amount of preys per stomach was remarkably greater in the Farellones’s population, probably because, unlike the samples from San Pedro, the specimens of this study were collected in the months of February /March, out of the breeding season. Despite the large differences of habitat among Farellones and El Tatio, our result show that these populations share similar niche breadth, and a relatively high overlap niche.