DIET AND TROPHIC ECOLOGY OF THE MASCARENE GRASS FROG, PTYCHADENA MASCARENIENSIS (ANURA: PTYCHADENIDAE), IN THE EHOTILE ISLANDS, SOUTHEASTERN CÔTE D'IVOIRE

This study aimed to characterize the diet of Ptychadena mascareniensis (Anura: Ptychadenidae) in the Ehotilé Islands, southeastern Côte d'Ivoire, and to assess trophic variations according to sex and habitat type. The stomach contents of captured individuals were analysed using the Index of Relative Importance (IRI). Overall, insects constituted the predominant prey category (IRI = 60.31%), mainly represented by Coleoptera (17.88%) and Hemiptera (17.42%), followed by molluscs (16.08%). Trophic differences were observed between sexes: males preferentially consumed molluscs (IRI = 39.38%), whereas females fed more extensively on insects (IRI = 30.52%), annelids (16.71%), and crustaceans (16.27%). Diet composition also varied among habitats. In lowland sites (S-BAS), the diet was diverse and dominated by insects (50.34%). In coconut plantations (S-PAL), molluscs constituted the principal food resource (54.96%). In contrast, individuals from cultivated areas (S-CUL) exhibited an almost exclusively insectivorous diet (92.94%), with a predominance of Hemiptera (41.54%) and Coleoptera (24.05%). These findings reveal substantial trophic plasticity in P. mascareniensis, which likely enhances its ability to exploit a wide range of habitats within the Ehotilé Islands. They also highlight the potential ecological role of this species in regulating invertebrate populations, particularly phytophagous insects in insular agroecosystems.