Biological survey of amphibians of Talesh Township and their biological role in pest control

Since amphibians feeds on insects, they have crucial role in controlling the population of pests in various ecosystems. Although their importance is clear, but systematics and biodiversity of them has been poorly studied. The aim of this research, conducted in 2014, is to identify amphibians of Talesh Township and their biological roles in pest control. Sampling procedure has been done by hand and hand net and 407 specimens have been collected. Specimens were released after the photography, identification and stomach flushing, and afew specimens fixed in 10% formalin after using anesthesia and stored in Talesh PNU laboratory. In this study, 5 species from 3 genera and 3 families were identified. The examination of amphibian stomach contents showed that the insects (with 15 order) are the most frequent and among various insects, Hymenoptera has the largest frequency. Comparing these results with those of other studies showed that this region has a variety of amphibians. Similarity between amphibian stomach contents and reported agricultural pests, showed that amphibians could be a useful biological controlling tool and an appropriate substitution for chemical toxicants as they have minimal negative effects on ecosystems.