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ABSTRACT
The diet of Hoplobatracus occipitalis popularly known as the African tiger frog was studied in fifty nine (59) specimens collected between August, 2019 and October, 2019 in Ovia North East area Of Edo State, to determine the ontogenetic changes in their feeding habits. The stomachs of the specimen were flushed using both stomach flushing method (for larger frogs individuals) and stomach extraction method (for smaller frog individuals). A total of three hundred and ninety five (395) prey items in fourteen (14) prey categories (taxa) were recorded. Most prey items were terrestrial invertebrates although a vertebrate – an Amphibian (smaller frog), was also recorded in the stomach of a H. occipitalis individual revealing their cannibalistic tendency. The most abundant stomach contents were Hymenoptera (20.76) while the least was a frog species (0.25). The least value was seconded by the prey taxa Odonata (0.76). Although the high values of dietary overlap was explained by the high similarity of the morphology of frogs, there was a significant ontogenetic change in the feeding habits of H. occipitalis. This ontogenetic change in the diet of H. occipitalis may have been as a result of shifts in foraging modes. Results for this work could however give the tools for making strategies for conservation in the future.
