Biology of a sit-and-wait predator, the leptodactylid frog Ceratophrys cornuta
Herpetologica
1994
Journal Article
50
1
51-64
Anura ceratophrys-cornuta movements breeding growth feeding animals animal behavior amphibians frogs Leptodactylidae Ceratophrys cornuta ecology single-species study small spatial scales Madre de Dios Bibliography
At Cuzco Amazonico in southern Amazonian Peru, the large leptodactylid frog Ceratophrys cornuta is an abundant, nocturnal, terrestrial predator. Breeding occurs primarily after the first heavy rains of the rainy season, and activity is strongly correlated with the mean rainfall of the preceding 48 h. The carnivorous tadpoles develop in shallow ponds and metamorphose in November-March. The frogs move randomly after rains; although they are aggressive, there is no evidence of territorial behavior. Ceratophrys cornuta is a sit-and-wait foraging strategist; of the volume of food consumed, 75% consists of large orthopterans and small vertebrates, but ants are the most abundant food item.