Abstract
The diet of the adult Cynops pyrrhogaster was studied at a small pond on the Yachidaira high moor (1500 m asl) from 2002 to 2004. In total, 160 individuals examined by stomach flushing yielded 1518 prey items, of which most (95.7% of the total numerically) were small arthropods inhabiting the pond or surrounding land. Of these, chironomid larvae and Cladocera numerically represented 34.3% and 34.7%, respectively. By mass, Rhacophorus arboreus tadpoles, Odonata adults, Brachycera adults, and conspecific newt eggs comprised 13.7%, 11.5%, 10.7%, and 9.8% of all prey, respectively. The composition of prey items varied seasonally and annually. These results suggest that the food habits of adult C. pyrrhogaster in the alpine high moor areas are influenced by yearly and seasonal changes in various small animals in and around the ponds.
