The Oropharyngeal Morphology and Feeding Habits of Tadpole of Tiger Frog Rana Tigerina Daudin

Muhammad Sharif Khan

Abstract


The oropharyngeal morphology of Rana tigerina tadpole was studied in detail. It differs from that of other sympatric tadpoles in a small number of details in ornamentation of the oropharyngeal tract, abbreviation of pharyngeal elements, and hyperdeveloped beak, dental rows, and buccal musculature. Such simple morphology is suited tadpole’s obligate carnivorous habits for the transportation of large chunks of flesh, which does no require the developed papillae and secretory glandular tissue. In the temperate pond ecosystem, the voracious carnivorous Rana tigerina tadpole acts as an efficient scavenger, rapidly cleaning the natural habitat from the decaying animal matter to ensure minimum pollution and freshness of pond habitat.


Keywords


oropharyngeal morphology; Rana tigerina; ecosystem; amphibian; feeding ecology

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-1996-3-2-163-171

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