A COMPARISON OF CANE TOAD AND NATIVE TADPOLES AS PREDATORS OF NATIVE ANURAN EGGS, HATCHLINGS AND LARVAE

Few quantitative data exist regarding the impact of the introduced can e toad, Bufo marinus, on native Australian fauna. This study investiga ted predation by tadpoles of B. marinus and two native anurans (Limnod ynastes ornatus and Litoria rubella) on eggs, hatchlings and larvae of native anurans that co-occur with these tadpoles in temporary and sem i-permanent water bodies in northern Queensland. During controlled lab oratory experiments, neither small nor large B. marinus tadpoles were significant predators of native anuran eggs, hatchlings or tadpoles. S mall tadpoles oft. ornatus also did not prey significantly upon native anuran eggs, hatchlings or tadpoles. However, large tadpoles of L. or natus and, to a lesser extent, L. rubella were often significant preda tors of native anuran eggs and hatchlings, but were not significant pr edators of native tadpoles. The results suggest that native tadpoles a re often likely to have a greater impact on the survival of early life history stages of native anurans via predation than are. marinus tadp oles.