DIET OF TADPOLES AT THREE LOCALITIES IN SARAWA!{ Sandra James Tinggom Bachelor of Science with Honours (J. (Animal Resource Science and Management) 668 E2 2005 5194 2005 P.KHIDMAT MAKLUMAT AKADEMIK UNIMAS ~usal Khidmal MaklUmal Akaoerr UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWA 1111111111111111111 111111111 Q4)no KOla Samarahan 1000143775 DIET OF TADPOLES AT THREE LOCALITIES IN SARA W AK SANDRA JAMES TINGGOM This project is submitted in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the degree of Bachelor ofScience with Honours (Animal Resource Science and Management Program) Faculty of Resource Sciences and Technology UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARA W AK 2005 QL I DECLARATION No portion of the work referred to in this dissertation has been submitted in support of an application for another degree of qualification of this or any other university or institution of higher learning. Sandra James Tinggom Program of Animal Resource Science and Management Faculty of Resource Sciences and Technology University Malaysia Sarawak LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: Study site in Kubah National Park. 7 FIGURE 2: Study site in Gunung Gading National Park. 8 FIGURE 3: Cluster analysis based on overlap data on diet of representative tadpole from all the three sites (Gunung Gading, Kubah and Desa Ilmu). 24 FIGURE 4: Cluster analysis based on overlap data on diet of representative tadpoles in Gunung Gading National Park. 29 FIGURE 5: Cluster analysis based on overlap data on diet of representative tadpoles in Kubah National Park. 31 FIGURE 6: Cluster analysis based on overlap data on diet of representative species of tadpoles in Desa Ilmu. 33 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: Raw collection data of tadpoles and their localities. 9 TABLE 2: Data on tadpoles collected from three sites in Sarawak. 15 TABLE 3: Summary ofdietary composition based on gut samples of tadpoles from localities in Sarawak. 19 TABLE 4: Summary ofthe food types and feeding strategies in larval amphibian families. 20 LIST OF APPENDICES FIGURE 1: Surface feeding type, represented by Megophrys nasuta. Gosner Stage 23-25, total length 24.52 mm. Top: view of body; Bottom: view of oral disc, showing funnel-like structure. I FIGURE 2: Generalized type, represented by Rana chalconota. Gosner Stage 26, total length 26.9 mm. Top: view of body; Bottom: view of oral disc. I FIGURE 3: Mountain-stream type, represented by Meristogenys sp. Gosner Stage 26, total length 20.6 mm. Top: view of body, Bottom: view of oral disc, showing ventral sucking type. II FIGURE 4: Images of selected larval stages of amphibians from this study. III l TABLE 1: Tadpole species collected from three sites in Sarawak. IV TABLE 2: Presence and absence offood types from the gut of tadpoles. VI TABLE 3: Frequency of food types from the gut of tadpoles. VII TABLE 4: Summary of26-46 developmental changes oftadpoles as described by Gosner (1960). IX TABLE 5: Data on the food types identification for each tadpole species. X TABLE 6: Result ofthe proximity analysis of different food types based on overlap data on diets from Kubah National Park, Gunung Gading National Park and Desa Ilmu. XXII TABLE 7: Result of the proximity analysis of different food types based on overlap data on diets from Kubah National Park. XXIII TABLE 8: Result of the proximity analysis of different food types based on overlap data on diets from Gunung Gading National Park. XXIV TABLE 9: Result of the proximity analysis of different food types based on overlap data on diets from Desa Ilmu. XXIV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks are due to Datuk Cheong Ek Choon, Controller of National Parks and Nature Reserves, and Bolhan Budeng, Sarawak Forest Department, for permits. Personally, I would like to extend my outmost appreciation and gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Indraneil Das for his dedication, constant guidance and support, time and hard work. Besides, I would also like to express my sincerest thanks to my co­ supervisor, Mdm. Ramlah Zainuddin -for her time to proof-read and advice. Field work was funded by a grant from Volkswagen Stiftung, Germany (Grant Number 1/79405). My thanks also goes to field-mates, Ms. Lily Sir, Ms. Cynthia Boon, Ms. Sylvia Ng, Mr. Castro Michael, Mr. Andre Jankowski and Prof. Alexander Hass who have been there through 'thick and thin' . My thanks also go to Mr. Wan Hairulhaizal Wan Halkap, the Lab Assistant for his time, cooperation and patience, and Mr. Jeet Sukumaran for his help in computing data. Last but not least, those who have given support and encouragement in a way or another, a very big Thank You. · ~usat Khidmat Mak.umat Akademr& UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWA¥ Q4100 KOla Samar(lhan TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 2-4 2.0 LITERA TURE REVIEW 4-6 3.0 OBJECTIVE 6 4.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS 6-13 4.1 METHODS 4.11 Study Sites 4.12 Sampling Period 4.13 Sampling Techniques 4.14 Food Sample Identification 4.15 Fixation 4.2 MATERIALS 5.0 DAT A ANALYSIS 14 6.0 RESUL TS AND DISCUSSION 15-33 7.0 COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS 34-35 STUDY 8.0 CONCLUSIONS 36-37 9.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 38 10.0 REFERENCES CITED 39-42 11.0 APPENDICES I-XXIV Diet of Tadpoles at Three Localities in Sarawak Sandra James Animal Resource Science and Management Program Faculty of Resource Sciences and Technology Universiti Malaysia Sarawak ABSTRACT A study on Bomean tadpoles was conducted on fieldworks basis from August 2004 to October 2004. The tadpole collection was done from three collection sites; two were from forested area, namely Gunung Gading National Park and Kubah National Park. The other site was at a human settlement area; Desa Ilmu, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak. Five representative families of tadpoles, Megophryidae, Bufonidae, Microhylidae, Ranidae and Rhacophoridae were collected during this sampling period. The contents of the gut of tadpole identified showed that there was a major overlap of ingested food and blue-green algae were ingested, the most (42%). Resource partitioning were practiced by tadpoles and diet composition was affected by feeding strategies, mouth parts, stages of organisms and the type of environment the organism lives in. Key words: tadpoles, forested area, human settlement, blue-green algae, resource partitioning ABSTRAK Satu kajian mengenai berudu di Borneo telah dijalankan berdasarkan kerja lapangan dari Ogos 2004 hingga Oktober 2004. Persampelan berudu telah dijalankan di tiga kawasan; di mana dua daripadanya terdiri daripada kawasan hutan iaitu Taman Negara Gunung Gading dan Taman Negara Kubah. Tempat persampelan ketiga telah dija/ankan di kawasan dengan penempatan penduduk, Desa llmu, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak. Lima famili yang mewakili berudu telah berjaya diperoleh, Megophryidae, Bufonidae, Microhylidae, Ranidae dan Rhacophoridae dalam jangkamasa kerja lapangan dijalankan. Kandungan perut berudu yang dicamkan menunjukkan terdapat pertindihan dalam jenis makanan dan alga biru hijau adalah makanan yang paling tinggi dicerna (42%). Berudu didapati mengamalkan 'resource partitioning' dan pemilihan komposisi makanan dipengaruhi oleh keadah pemakanan, morfologi mulut, peringkat pertumbuhan dan habitat berudu. Kata kunci: berudu, kawasan hutan, penempatan penduduk, alga biru hijau, 'resource partitioning' 1 1.0 Introduction: Amphibians are intermediate in some ways between the fully aquatic fish and the terrestrial amniotes. The term 'amphibian' can be interpreted in two ways, firstly, as an animal spending part of its life in water and subsequently changing to an aquatic adult, or as an animal that alternates life in and out ofwater, such as the so-called pond frogs (Duellman and Trueb, 1985). Amphibians can be defined as quadrupedal vertebrates having two occipital condyles on the skull and not more than one sacral vertebra. The skin is glandular and lacks epidermal structures, i.e., scales, feathers and hair. In frogs, the postsacral vertebrae are fused into a single rodlike element, the coccycx, the tail is absent and the hind limbs are elongated and modified for jumping. The skin is highly glandular and contains both mucous with glandular (poison) glands. However, true claws are absent but horny tips are present on the toes of some frogs. The internal structure of living amphibians is intermediate between fishes and amniotes. The heart has two artria, a single ventricle that may be partially divided; and a distinct conus arteriosus with several valves with symmetrical aortic arches. Amphibians have pedicellate teeth and specialized papillae in the inner ear and anurans have green rods in the retina of the eye. Typical frogs have several modes of reproduction, which include direct development of terrestrial eggs, ovoviviparity and viviparity. Most species of frogs have external fertilization. All amphibian eggs must develop in moist conditions although they have numerous protective mucoid capsules. This is because the capsules are highly permeable. The eggs lack a shell and the embryonic membranes, i.e., amnion, allantois and chorion of higher vertebrates. In those amphibians that have aquatic larvae, the larvae undergo metamorphosis into the adult form that caused a dramatic change in frogs (Duellman and Trueb, 1985). 2 Tadpoles can be termed as the transition of newly hatched organism to an adult frog with several accompanying changes. Amphibians are different from other vertebrates as their development can be divided into two stages, a larval stage and an adult stage. The process that lies behind each life cycle of an amphibian is called metamorphosis. It is a postembryonic period of profound morphological changes by which the animal alters its mode of living and is known to occur in all major living chordate groups except amniotes (Shi, 1999). Unlike most adult amphibians, tadpoles are easily found and can be seen by day (Anstis, 2002). Tadpoles are species-specific organism in modes of feeding and niches and are sensitive towards their environment. Tadpoles morphological changes are affected by light, salinity, temperature, food supply; externally and hormonal changes, changes in yolk reserves; internally (Shi, 1999).