Hábitos alimentarios de dos poblaciones andinas de Bufo spinulosus Wiegmann, 1835 (Anura: Bufonidae)

Abstract

The feeding habits in two populations of Bufo spinulosus from Segunda Region of Chile were analized: the first one from San Pedro de Atacama at 2.400 m elevation and El Tatio Springs at 4.300 m, 22° S, Chile. In San Pedro the animals ate insectivorous and in El Tatio Springs are omnivorous, eating cianofitas algae in a figure of 52% in average weight/stomach. This last population exhibit a digestive tract longer than that of the San Pedro de Atacama, presumably as an adaptation to vegetables consumption. The algae do not appear casually eated by toads, but are independently consumed of prey associated with them. The San Pedro population has a liver significatively lighter than that of El Tatio Springs, join with a lesser number of prey/stomach and a lesser relative wei.it of stomach content Probably these facts are associated with the reproductive activity of animals from San Pedro; which would be depleting its liver from energetic budget and in fast in favor of the reproduction.