HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS AND NATURAL FOODS OF TWO Rhacophorus SYMBATRIC TREE FROGS SPECIES

Abstract

Rhacophorus margaritifer and Rhacophorus reinwardtii are two sympatric frogs’ species in Ranca Upas region. This study identified natural habitat and natural foods of these two sympatric tree frog species. Result of habitat identification shows that Rhacophorus margaritifer occupies habitat with stream and can be found in every vegetation types, whereas Rhacophorus renwardtii occupies various types of water bodies, and high vegetation types. Rhacophorus margaritifer diet was dominated by Orthoptera (31.25%) while Rhacophorus reinwardtii was dominated numerally by Araneae (40%) and volumetrically by Orthoptera (40.72%). The diversity of stomach contents for both species frog is moderate (1.89). The trophic niches of both species Rhacophorus is wide enough, and the overlap value of trophic niches in these two frog is very high (0.91) indicating that there is interspecific competition in the utilization of food resources.