Food capture and escape behavior of Leposternon microcephalum Wagler, 1824 (Squamata: Amphisbaenia)

Abstract Amphisbaenians are fossorial reptiles that have a cylindrical and elongated body covered with scales arranged in rings, and are all apodal, except for the three species of the genus Bipes. The amphisbaenian diet consists of a variety of invertebrates and small vertebrates. As these animals live underground, many aspects of their natural history are difficult to study. Most feeding studies of amphisbaenians have focused on the composition of the diet and feeding ecology, and the data available on feeding behavior are based on precursory observations. The present study describes the food capture behavior of Leposternon microcephalum Wagler, 1824 in captivity. In this experiment we used non-live bait (moist cat food), which was placed near a burrow opening, on the surface of the substrate. Three animals were monitored visually and filmed using cellphone cameras deployed at fixed points, to capture images from the dorsal and lateral perspectives of the study subjects. Two principal types of behavior were observed: the capture of food and defense mechanisms. The strategies used to capture the food were similar to those observed in other fossorial species. Although the backward movement has already been observed and described, we were able to record this movement being used as an escape strategy. These findings enrich our knowledge on different aspects of the natural history of the amphisbaenians.

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Redescription and notes on the natural history of the arboreal tarantula Iridopelma seladonium (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Aviculariinae)

Revista Brasileira de Zoologia ◽

10.1590/s0101-81752008000400019 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 728-736 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lina M. Almeida-Silva ◽

Agustín Camacho ◽

Antonio D. Brescovit ◽

Sylvia M. Lucas ◽

Tania K. Brazil

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Original Description ◽

Reproductive Organs ◽

Single Female ◽

Male And Female ◽

In Captivity ◽

History Of ◽

First Time

The original description of this species was based on a single female and no illustrations of reproductive organs were presented. After we collected several specimens identified as I. seladonium, we decided to redescribe this species and discovered that the male, previously described as belonging to this species, was misidentified by MELLO LEITÃO (1923). Thus, in this paper the male of I. seladonium is newly described and the reproductive organs of male and female are described and illustrated in detail. Notes on the behavior and natural history of I. seladonium are presented based on the observation of live specimens in the field and in captivity. An immature of I. seladonium was observed constructing a hinged retreat with silk and little pieces of bark, a behavior not previously seen for other Aviculariinae. Two courtship events were observed and photographed, leg tapping and palpal drumming of the male on female's body and dorsum-ventral movements of the female's abdomen while the male was inserting the embolus were documented to Aviculariinae for the first time. The courtships and mating lasted almost two minutes.

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The life cycle of the Atlantic Beach-Cricket, Pseudomogoplistes vicentae Gorochov, 1996

Journal of Insect Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10841-019-00187-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 473-485

Author(s):

Karim Vahed

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Natural History ◽

Late Winter ◽

Embryonic Diapause ◽

Adult Males ◽

Field Sampling ◽

Pitfall Trapping ◽

In Captivity ◽

History Of ◽

The Uk

Abstract The Atlantic Beach-Cricket, Pseudomogoplistes vicentae, inhabits shingle beaches, with a range that extends from the UK to the Canary Islands. Little is known about the natural history of this species, which is listed by the IUCN as Vulnerable. In the present study, a combination of field sampling (by pitfall trapping and direct searching) in spring, summer, autumn and late winter at two different sites in the UK, together with culturing eggs and nymphs in captivity, was used to determine the life cycle. Eggs laid in August in captivity showed no visible embryonic development until May and hatched the following July. There was no difference in the time taken to hatch between eggs maintained over winter at either 4 or 11 °C. Nymphal instars present in the field indicated that the majority of eggs hatch from June to early August. From October to February in the field, the majority of nymphs were estimated to be at the 7th instar. Development appeared to resume by April and nymphs reached adulthood by July to August in the field, two years after the eggs from which they hatched were likely to have been laid. The number of nymphal instars ranged from 10 to 11 (mode: 11) in males and 11 to 13 (mode: 12) in females. In captivity, most adult males died by the end of November, while 35% of females survived until March. Females preferred to oviposit in driftwood rather than in sand in the laboratory. This fact, together with the early embryonic diapause, suggests that the species might be able to disperse by rafting at the egg stage.

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Reproductive Biology and Notes on Natural History of the Side-necked Turtle Acanthochelys radiolata (Mikan, 1820) in Captivity (Testudines: Chelidae)

South American Journal of Herpetology ◽

10.2994/1808-9798-3.3.223 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 223-228 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Márcia A. Mocelin ◽

Ronaldo Fernandes ◽

Marcovan Porto ◽

Daniel S. Fernandes

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Reproductive Biology ◽

In Captivity ◽

History Of

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Notes on the natural history of the Stump-tailed Porcupine, Coendou rufescens (Rodentia, Erethizontidae), in Colombia

Neotropical Biology and Conservation ◽

10.3897/neotropical.15.e56926 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 471-478

Author(s):

Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves ◽

Cristina Romero-Ríos ◽

Jose Jaime Henao-Osorio ◽

Juan Pablo Franco-Herrera ◽

Bernardo Ramiro Ramírez-Padilla

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Citizen Science ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Wide Distribution ◽

Diurnal Activity ◽

Andean Region ◽

In Captivity ◽

In The Wild ◽

Feeding Activities ◽

History Of

Porcupines of the genus Coendou are among the least studied mammals in the Neotropics. The Stump-tailed Porcupine, Coendou rufescens, is distributed in the Andean region from Colombia and south to Bolivia. Despite its wide distribution, nothing is known about its natural history, besides observation of banana consumption in captivity. Here we present new observations on the feeding habits, diurnal activity, and the use of the tail for support during feeding obtained by means of collaborative (citizen) science. We also comment on its locomotion on land and in trees. We observed five diurnal events of C. rufescens feeding on infructescences of trumpet tree (Cecropia angustifolia Trécul). During the feeding activities, the Stump-tailed Porcupine used the tail for stability and support. These are the first observations of such behavior in the wild for this species and suggest a more diurnal activity for this species which belongs to a group of rodents traditionally considered to be predominantly nocturnal.

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How is the moral stance related to the intentional stance and group thinking?

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x19002413 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

Author(s):

Hannes Rakoczy

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Intentional Stance ◽

Cognitive Capacities ◽

Shared Intentionality ◽

History Of ◽

Group Thinking ◽

Moral Stance

Abstract The natural history of our moral stance told here in this commentary reveals the close nexus of morality and basic social-cognitive capacities. Big mysteries about morality thus transform into smaller and more manageable ones. Here, I raise questions regarding the conceptual, ontogenetic, and evolutionary relations of the moral stance to the intentional and group stances and to shared intentionality.

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