Volume 4

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The Feeding habits of the Giant African Bullfrog (Anura: Pyxicephalidae: Pyxicephalus Adspersus Tschudi, 1839) of the Cuvelai Drainage System in Northern Namibia
(University of Namibia, 2014) Okeyo, Daniel O.; Kashea, Martha M.; Kandjengo, Lineekela
The recorded diet of the giant African bullfrog Pyxicephalus adspersus of the Cuvelai drainage plains (the oshanas) of northern Namibia is presented. Among all the stomach contents; insects accounted for the greatest diversity of the orders recorded. The most abundant prey items to the juvenile frogs come from Orthoptera (20.0%), Lepidoptera (16.0%), Isoptera (15.5%), Coleoptera (12.0%), while to the adult frogs also come from Orthoptera (20.0%) but followed by Coleoptera (11.8%), Odontata (11.0%) and Hemiptera (10.0%) in that hierarchical order. A habit of cannibalism is indicated; tadpoles form the fifth (11.0%) and second (13.1%) most important food item for juvenile and adult frogs, respectively. Diet shift is evident, from ants to tadpoles and beetles as the frogs become larger.