Abstract
An adult green treefrog (Hyla cinerea) was collected in mid-September 2014 from Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas. Contents included the remains of a beetle and two fruits. The contents were photographed, measured, and identified to the lowest achievable taxonomic level. The beetle was identified as a spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpuncta howardi Barber [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae]). The fruits were identified as Persicaria sp. (likely P.punctata (Elliot) Small; Polygonaceae) and Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae). Fruits in the stomachs of frogs are rarely reported in the literature, but could represent possible mechanisms for seed dispersal in plants. It is unknown if frogs select to sometimes eat fruits or if fruits are a by-product of animal prey capture or missed predation attempts. In any case, the goal of this report is to raise awareness of a poorly documented phenomenon in an effort to direct attention to this possible method of seed dispersal.
Recommended Citation
Thigpen, C. S.; Trauth, S. E.; and Marsico, T. D.
(2015)
"Case of Frugivory in a Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) from Northeastern Arkansas,"
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 69, Article 19.
DOI: 10.54119/jaas.2015.6913
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol69/iss1/19
