Food Composition of the Marsh Frog, Rana ridibunda Pallas, 1771, in Thrace

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the feeding habits of the marsh frog, Rana ridibunda, populations inhabiting Turkish Thrace. Analysis of the stomach contents of 53 (19 males, 34 females) adult individuals was performed. The frog diet consisted of a wide variety of arthropods; Diptera (42.62%) and Coleoptera (21.84%) were especially prominent. Aquatic forms did not contribute much to the frog diet. The prey items identified indicate that individuals of this species, like other ranids, are generalist opportunistic predators whose diet is most strongly influenced by prey availability.