Cannibalism in the High Andean Titicaca water frog, Telmatobius culeus Garman, 1875

Cannibalism has been considered as an aberrant behavior, but in amphibians and reptiles, it could play a role in the biology of a population. This paper reports conspecific predation in the Titicaca Water Frog (Telmatobius culeus), as the first record of cannibalism of adults in this genus. Heterocannibalism describes cases where adults eat larvae, juveniles, and adults. The phenotypical differences between predator and prey suggest this is a case of cannibalistic polyphenism, where cannibalistic morphs seem to have features that facilitate the predation of the conspecifics. Both females and males were observed to be cannibalistic, and suggestions are proposed regarding why both sexes could benefit from cannibalism, as well as how a high density of a fully aquatic species that shares the habitat, resources, and refuges with other conspecifics increases the chances of encounters and cannibalism