Natural history of the rare and endangered snake Atractus ronnie (Serpentes: Colubridae) in northeastern Brazil

Natural history of the rare and endangered snake Atractus ronnie (Serpentes: Colubridae) in northeastern Brazil. The habitat use, activity period, sexual dimorphism, morphological variation, reproduction and diet composition of this fossorial and nocturnal snake are reported. The snakes were captured between 2008–2014 in the Chapada do Araripe in northeastern Brazil, and were collected by active visual searches, as well as in pitfall traps with drift fences. Although females are larger than males, the males have longer tails, and scale counts differ between the sexes. Reproduction is seasonal, occurring during the rainy season. Brood sizes rang from one to four eggs. Atractus ronnie preys on earthworms, in addition to ants (Crematogaster sp.) and insect larvae.

Download Full-text

Sexual dimorphism, deformations, and epibionts of Phrynops tuberosus (Testudines, Chelidae)

Animal Biology ◽

10.1163/15707563-00002480 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 65 (3-4) ◽

pp. 311-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

João Fabrício Mota Rodrigues ◽

José Roberto Feitosa Silva

Keyword(s):

Sexual Dimorphism ◽

Natural History ◽

Tail Length ◽

Condition Index ◽

Head Width ◽

Body Condition Index ◽

Future Studies ◽

History Of ◽

One Year ◽

Effective Conservation

Studies focusing on the natural history of species are essential for developing effective conservation measures and evaluating ecological hypotheses. To this end, we describe natural history data of the Cotinga River toadhead turtle, Phrynops tuberosus, in the Banabuiú River in Ceará, Brazil, and evaluated sexual dimorphism, epibionts, and mutilation effects. We hand-captured 134 individuals by snorkeling, over a period of one year, resulting in the capture of 94 males, 24 females, and 16 juveniles. Females had larger head width and body mass than males, while males had longer tail length. One quarter of the turtles captured had some sort of injury or deformation, most common injuries being missing claws, mutilations, and shell deformations. We found no difference in body condition index between mutilated and non-mutilated animals. Mollusks, insects, and leeches were found as epibionts on P. tuberosus and most of the captured turtles had extensive algal cover. Future studies should focus on understanding the effect of mutilations on animal fitness and reproductive success.

Download Full-text

Natural history of the lizard Enyalius brasiliensis (Lesson, 1828) (Leiosauridae) from an Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842004000200021 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

pp. 353-356 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

M. Van Sluys ◽

V. M. Ferreira ◽

C. F. D. Rocha

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

The Other ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Important Food ◽

Insect Larvae ◽

Lizard Species ◽

Food Items ◽

History Of ◽

Forest Leaf Litter

Information on the ecology of lizard species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest is scarce and almost nothing is known about the ecology of lizards of the genus Enyalius. In this study, we provide information about some aspects of the natural history of E. brasiliensis from an area of Atlantic Forest in Ilha Grande, RJ. Enyalius brasiliensis (N = 15) feeds mainly on arthropods. The most frequent food items were insect larvae, orthopterans, and ants; in terms of volume, larvae and termites were the most important food items; ants and termites were the most numerous prey categories. Two females were reproductive (one had 10 and the other, five vitellogenic follicles); the smallest measured 92.4 mm in SVL. Seven lizards were found on forest leaf litter. The other microhabitats used were vines, fallen logs, branches, and a crevice on a slope.

Download Full-text

Natural History of Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi infection in Northeastern Brazil: Long-Term Follow-Up

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1086/313697 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 608-609 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

S. M. B. Jeronimo ◽

M. J. Teixeira ◽

A. d. Q. Sousa ◽

P. Thielking ◽

R. D. Pearson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Leishmania Chagasi ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

History Of

Download Full-text

Predation of Hemidactylus mabouia (Sauria: Gekkonidae) by a vine snake Oxybelis aeneus (Serpentes: Colubridae) in an Atlantic Forest fragment, Northeastern Brazil

Pesquisa e Ensino em Ciências Exatas e da Natureza ◽

10.29215/pecen.v2i1.587 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 67 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lissa Dellefrate Franzini ◽

Carmem Karime Bacalháo Pedro ◽

Lucas Barbosa De Queiroga Cavalcanti ◽

Daniel Oliveira Mesquita

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Alien Species ◽

Scientific Literature ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Forest Fragment ◽

American Continent ◽

Lizard Species ◽

History Of ◽

Historia Natural ◽

Hemidactylus Mabouia

Oxybelis aeneus (Wagler, 1824) é uma espécie de serpente arborícola de ampla distribuição no continente americano cuja dieta é composta principalmente por vertebrados, como lagartos. Diversas espécies de lagartos já foram reportadas como presas desta serpente, incluindo a espécie exótica Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnèes, 1818). Aqui descrevemos em detalhes um evento de predação de H. mabouia por O. aeneus, ampliando o conhecimento acerca da história natural de ambas as espécies à literatura científica.Palavras chave: Dieta, ecologia alimentar, lagarto, presa, serpente.Abstract: Oxybelis aeneus (Wagler, 1824) is an arboreal snake species that is widely distributed in the American continent whose diet is composed mainly by vertebrates, such as lizards. Several lizard species have already been reported as prey of this snake, including the alien species Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jones, 1818). Herein we describe in details a predation event of H. mabouia by O. aeneus, widening our knowledge regarding the natural history of both species to scientific literature.Key words: Diet, feed ecology, lizard, prey, snake.

Download Full-text

Lizard predation Tropidurus hispidus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) by false coral snake Oxyrhopus trigeminus (Squamata, Dipsadidae) in the Caatinga, in northeastern Brazil

Pesquisa e Ensino em Ciências Exatas e da Natureza ◽

10.29215/pecen.v1i1.174 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 60

Author(s):

Jefferson Simanas Mikalauskas ◽

Daniel Oliveira Santana ◽

Stephen Francis Ferrari

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Key Words ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Coral Snake ◽

In The Wild ◽

History Of ◽

Historia Natural

A predação de lagartos raramente é observada na natureza, e eventos envolvendo serpentes são ainda mais escassos. Aqui nós documentamos em detalhes a predação de um lagarto (Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825)) por uma serpente (Oxyrhopus trigeminus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854). Muitos estudos identificaram lagartos Tropidurus Wied-Neuwied, 1825 como presas de serpentes brasileiras. Assim, este registro fornece importantes informações sobre a história natural de ambas as espécies, especialmente de O. trigeminus, que são essenciais para a compreensão de sua ecologia.Palavras chave: Ecologia alimentar, dieta, constrição de presas, Saurofagia.Abstract: The predation of lizards is rarely observed in the wild, and events involving snakes are scarcer still. Here we document in detail the predation of a lizard (Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825)) by a snake (Oxyrhopus trigeminus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854). Many studies have identified Tropidurus Wied-Neuwied, 1825 lizards as prey for Brazilian snakes. Thus, this record provides important insights into the natural history of both species, especially O. trigeminus, which are essential for the understanding of their ecology.Key words: Feed ecology, diet, prey constriction, Saurophagy.

Download Full-text

Reptile diversity and community composition in the Puyango dry forest

10.7287/peerj.preprints.2625v1 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Acosta Vásconez Ana ◽

Cisneros-Heredia Diego ◽

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Deciduous Forest ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Tropical Dry Forests ◽

Pitfall Traps ◽

Phylogenetic Groups ◽

Dry Forests ◽

History Of ◽

Dry Deciduous Forest

Reptiles are key animals in vertebrate communities in most ecosystems. However, there is little information on their diversity and abundance in dry forests of Ecuador. Between 2013 and 2014 we studied the reptile diversity and natural history of the Puyango Protected Forest, on the border between the province of Loja and El Oro, Ecuador. This area protects relicts of dry deciduous forest in hills and patches of semi-deciduous forest around ravines. We used belt transects in three different streams and irregular band transects in trails, together with pitfall traps, funnel traps, and litter quadrants. The richness of the Puyango Protected Forest represents a small percentage of the Ecuadorian reptile diversity, but covers much of the representative phylogenetic groups of tropical dry forests of the world. Sampling was effective to determine saurian diversity, but more sampling is needed to estimate snake diversity. Evidence of the presence of 21 species, divided into 10 families, was obtained; of which 14 are snakes (including a potential new species of the genus Epictia) and seven are lizards. Natural history is described for each species, including time and space use, and their conservation status is analyzed. The reptile community is characterized by a relative homogeneity over the vegetation remnants and the highest abundances correspond to saurian species.

Download Full-text

Diet and trophic niche overlap of Boana bischoffi and Boana marginata (Anura: Hylidae) in southern Brazil

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0542 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Camila F. Moser ◽

Mateus de Oliveira ◽

Fernanda R. de Avila ◽

Diogo Dutra-Araújo ◽

Renata K. Farina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Diet Composition ◽

Niche Breadth ◽

Niche Overlap ◽

Food Composition ◽

Trophic Niche ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Important Prey ◽

History Of

Abstract: The species Boana bischoffi and Boana marginata are endemic to the Atlantic Forest, where they often occur in sympatry. There is a large gap in the knowledge of natural history of both species. In this study, we aimed to describe and compare the diet composition of B. bischoffi and B. marginata in the southern domain of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We analyzed the gastrointestinal contents of 43 individuals of B. bischoffi and 30 individuals of B. marginata. Both showed a high trophic niche overlap (0.90 Ojk). The most important prey categories for both species belonged to the orders Araneae and Coleoptera. The species niche breadth (Bsta) varied from 0.35 to 0.42, suggesting a generalist feeding behavior for both species. Our data provide unprecedented information on these species' food composition, contributing to a better knowledge of the natural history of neotropical anurans.

Download Full-text

Feeding habits, sexual dimorphism and size at maturity of the lizard Cnemidophorus ocellifer (Spix, 1825) (Teiidae) in a reforested restinga habitat in northeastern Brazil

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842010005000006 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 70 (2) ◽

pp. 409-416 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

GG. Santana ◽

A. Vasconcellos ◽

YEA. Gadelha ◽

WLS. Vieira ◽

WO. Almeida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Dimorphism ◽

Sexual Maturity ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Structural Complexity ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Size At Maturity ◽

Insect Larvae ◽

The Poor ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Poor Soil

The feeding habits, the sexual dimorphism in size and sexual maturity of the actively foraging lizard Cnemidophorusocellifer were analysed in an area of a reforested Restinga habitat located in the municipality of Mataraca, along the northern-most coast of Paraíba State, Brazil. Seventy-five specimens of C. ocellifer were examined (46 males and 29Â females). Of this total, only 23 specimens had prey in their stomachs. The most frequent prey consumed items were orthopterans (50%), coleopterans (23.9%) and arachnids (10.9%); termites and insect larvae were less consumed (both with 2.2%). There were no significant differences observed between the numbers of prey consumed by either males or females. There were significant differences in SVL (snout-vent length) between the sexes, with males attaining larger SVL values. When the influence of SVL was removed from the analyses, sexual dimorphism in the form was still reflected in the head size of these lizards. Sexual maturity in females and males was attained with SVL of 42.2 and 49.0 mm respectively. Although no significant difference was observed between the SVL of the females and the number of eggs produced, there was a clear tendency for larger females to produce more eggs. The low structural complexity of the vegetation and the poor soil quality in the reforested restinga area examined does not furnish favourable habitat for insect and termite larvae, contributing to the marked differences in the diet of the population of C. ocellifer observed in the present study in relation to the diet of their conspecifics in undisturbed areas of restinga, cerrado and caatinga.

Download Full-text

Diet of Crotalus enyo (Serpentes: viperidae) from the Baja California Cape Region, Mexico

ACTA ZOOLÓGICA MEXICANA (N S ) ◽

10.21829/azm.2016.3201925 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rubén A. Carbajal-Márquez, ◽

Gustavo Arnaud ◽

Marcio Martins ◽

Gustavo E. Quintero-Díaz

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Diet Composition ◽

Baja California ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

Baja California Peninsula ◽

Specialist Predator ◽

History Of ◽

Prey Items

Crotalus enyo is a rattlesnake endemic to Baja California peninsula, Mexico. The natural history of this species is poorly known, so the goal of this study was to determine the diet of C. enyo in the Cape Region, an area with different conditions than the rest of the peninsula. We analyzed the stomach contents of 24 specimens obtained during 2010-2013, and identified the ingested prey. The diet of C. enyo consists of rodents (83.34%) and lizards (16.66%), although presents a diverse diet, the data suggest C. enyo is a specialist predator at Cape Region. We didn’t find differences in diet composition between sexes, site of capture, or season. This study documents three new prey items in the diet of C. enyo: the Orange-Throated Whiptail (Aspidocelis hyperythra), the Cape Spiny-Tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura hemilopha) and Hunsaker’s Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus hunsakerii).

Download Full-text

Natural history and population data of fishes in caves of the Serra do Ramalho karst area, Middle São Francisco basin, northeastern Brazil

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/s1676-06032009000100015 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 129-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Eleonora Trajano ◽

Sandro Secutti ◽

Maria Elina Bichuette

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Population Data ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Karst Area ◽

Undescribed Species ◽

Southern Bahia ◽

History Of ◽

Belo Horizonte ◽

And Behavior

During the exploration and mapping of new caves in Serra do Ramalho karst area, southern Bahia state, cavers from the Grupo Bambuí de Pesquisas Espeleológicas - GBPE (Belo Horizonte) noticed the presence of troglomorphic catfishes (species with reduced eyes and/or melanic pigmentation), which we intensively investigated with regards to their ecology and behavior since 2005. Non-troglomorphic fishes regularly found in the studied caves were included in this investigation. We present here data on the natural history of two troglobitic (exclusively subterranean troglomorphic species) fishes - Rhamdia enfurnada Bichuette & Trajano, 2005 (Heptapteridae; Gruna do Enfurnado) and Trichomycterus undescribed species (Trichomycteridae; Lapa dos Peixes and Gruna da Água Clara), and non-troglomorphic Hoplias cf. malabaricus, probably a troglophile (able to form populations both in epigean and subterranean habitats) in the Gruna do Enfurnado, and Pimelodella sp., a species with a sink population in the Lapa dos Peixes.

Download Full-text