Progressive salinization of freshwater wetlands is likely to trigger significant changes in associated animal communities. Understanding how salinization affects fundamental natural history characteristics, like diet, is necessary to predict consequences of environmental change. We analyzed dietary patterns of Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog), a generalist frog species known to inhabit freshwater and brackish wetlands. The stomach contents of coastal (e.g., brackish) and inland (e.g., freshwater) H. cinerea differed in both species variety and abundance of prey items. We also observed nematodes, a common anuran gut parasite, in inland individuals but did not observe any nematodes in coastal individuals. Our study shows differences in resource use and parasite load in H. cinerea, suggesting that wetland salinization may impact trophic dynamics and infectious disease in anuran amphibians.
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Southeastern Naturalist
Vol. 17 • No. 1
February 2018
Vol. 17 • No. 1
February 2018