Rhinella fernandezae (Bella Vista toad): Eggs and Embryos Predation by Leeches

Abstract

Predation of eggs and embryos is one of the reasons of early mortality in anurans, and it is known that embryos of several amphibian species can accelerate its hatching, as a mechanism to reduce predation risk. Several authors have been documented that hirudiniforms of the several genera like Batrachobdella, Desserobdella, Erpobdella, Haemopis, Hirudo, Macrobdella, Phylobdella and Oxyptychus (mainly in Neotropical species) can incorporate amphibian as prey upon all life stages by consuming eggs, attack tadpoles, or even suck blood of adults frog. In egg predation, although they are protected by a gelatinous coat, leeches manage to bypass the gelatinous capsules surrounding the eggs, and perforating them with their jaws. Particularly, Neotropical regions with intense livestock places are an optimal habitat for living leeches; however, data about predation by leeches on eggs and embryos in anuran species from this region are scarce. In this study, we report the first event of predation by Oxyptychus inexpectatus (Hirudinidae) on eggs and embryos of Rhinella fernandezae.