COMPETIÇÃO INTERESPECÍFICA E INTRAESPECÍFICA EM GIRINOS DE Physalaemus nattereri E Leptodactylus labyrinthicus ALTERA A TAXA DE DESENVOLVIMENTO E CRESCIMENTO LARVAL?

Abstract

The interspecific and intraspecific competition are events that occur between two or more species, where organisms are subject to changes in growth, development, fecundity, and survival. Many species of anurans seek for temporary water bodies for oviposition, where since the larval life stage the species experience competition. Thus, the present study aimed to compare the larval development rate and the growth rate of individuals of Physalaemus nattereri and Leptodactylus labyrinthicus species when placed under the same laboratory conditions at two different population densities. For this purpose, two tadpoles species were placed in containers with different population densities (one with 30 and one with 60 individuals) and every 5 days, five tadpoles were removed from each experiment and biometric and larval development stage characteristics were performed, up to 15 days of experiment. It was verified which of the two studied species stood out as competitor in obtaining resources and presented the best development rates, and if the population density interfered in the larval development rates. Our results allowed us to conclude that the tadpoles density during competition affected the growth and development of Leptodactylus labyrinthicus individuals, since this species obtained higher growth rates as the experimental days advance in the density of 30 and 60 individuals. Our results allowed us to conclude that the tadpoles density during competition affected the growth and development of the species, since Leptodactylus labyrinthicus had higher growth rates as the experimental days advance in the density of 30 and 60 individuals.