Anuran egg predation and heterocannibalism in a breeding community of East African frogs

摘要

This is the first published account of a terrestrial anuran exhibiting interspecific egg predation. Adults of both sexes ofAfrixalus fornasinii(Bianconi 1849) prey on the eggs and developing larvae ofChiromantis xerampelinaPeters 1854,Hyperolius(probablyH. tuberilinguisSmith 1849), and also the eggs of conspecifics.A. fornasiniiis the first African anuran known to exhibit predation upon conspecifics' eggs (heterocannibalism). Data on the appearance of species over time are given for a breeding site in a coastal East African forest. The delayed appearance ofA. fornasiniiat breeding sites during the rainy season may be synchronized to take advantage of terrestrial egg masses deposited earlier by other species. We suggest that the unique leaf-gluing mode of egg deposition in the genusAfrixalusLaurent 1944 may serve as defense against intraspecific egg predation.