Descrição do conteúdo gastrointestinal de girinos de Boana Curupi Garcia, Faivovich e Haddad, 2007 (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae), no sul do Brasil

Abstract

Brazil has the greatest diversity of amphibians in the world. Despite advances in knowledge about the natural history of these species, there are still many gaps in the way of life of the larval stages (tadpoles). This study aimed to describe the diet of the tadpoles of Boana curupi, an endangered hylid species. Tadpoles were collected in Atlantic Forest remnants in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. We analyzed the gastrointestinal contents of 12 tadpoles. We identify food items through visual inspection under an optical microscope. It is important to emphasize that a list of items present in the digestive tract was created, without it being possible to differentiate elements ingested voluntarily and/or involuntarily. Among the probable food resource items, the most frequently registered were macroscopic algae, insects and crustaceans. There were also records of fungi, protozoa, nematodes and flatworms. This suggests a poorly selective diet as to what is eaten and what will effectively serve as a nutritional source. More refined analysis, such as that of stable isotopes, could help to elucidate more precisely which of the items recorded are the most important for the species' diet.