Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 863-865 (2020) (published online on 16 October 2020)

New defensive behaviour for Xenodon neuwiedii Günther, 1863 (Squamata, Dipsadidae) in a fragment of Atlantic Forest

Mariana Pedrozo¹, Matheus de Toledo Moroti¹, and Edélcio Muscat¹,*

Knowledge about anti-predatory strategies for space, and sometimes shows a triangular occipital spot different snake species is increasing continuously with (Günther, 1863). Recent fieldwork has provided an the descriptions of new defensive behaviours over the opportunity to observe previously unknown aspects of years (e.g. Alves et al., 2013; Fiorillo et al., 2019; Assis the natural history of X. neuwiedii. Thus, the objective et al., 2020). The varied anti-predatory strategies present of this study is to describe a new defensive behaviour in this group, such as aposematism, cryptic colouration, for Xenodon neuwiedii, in a fragment of Atlantic Forest mimicry, head triangulation, and biting (Pough et in the Mantiqueira Mountains in south-eastern Brazil. al., 2004) are directly associated with survivorship On 19 April 2020 at 4:00 p.m. we found an adult (Lima and Dill, 1990; Guimarães and Sawaya, 2011; individual of Xenodon neuwiedii moving in a grassy area Dell’Aglio et al., 2012). (Fig. 1A) of the Projeto Dacnis private reserve in the São Cryptic colouration is a good example of primary Francisco Xavier sub-district, municipality of São José strategy (independent on the predator’s presence) to dos Campos, São Paulo state, Brazil (-22.889194°N, avoid being detected by visually-oriented predators -45.937500°E, WGS 84). When we approached it, it Edmunds (1974), while head triangulation and biting started to perform a display by elevating the tail: it was are important secondary strategies (triggered by the tightly coiled and only showing its dorsal surface (Fig. predator’s presence) to intimidate the predator and, 1B). The snake swung it from side to side before trying thus, avoid predation. Some primary anti-predatory to escape. When manipulated, it started to press the tail strategies, like polymorphism and mimicry are known spine against the researcher’s arm (E. Muscat), causing to some Bothrops Wagler, 1824 and Micrurus Wagler, a little discomfort but not breaking the skin. The spine- 1824 species, and secondary defences, like biting press happened quickly, making it impracticable for us and false strikes, are well documented for the genus to make a visual record of the behaviour. We filmed the Xenodon Boie, 1827 (e.g. Lavilla et al., 1979; Dirksen tail display and deposited it in Fonoteca Neotropical and Duarte, 1998; Martins et al., 2008; Mesquita et al., Jacques Vielliard (ZUEC-VID 795, also available on the 2013). YouTube platform (https://youtu.be/yjToAdyE6dM). Xenodon neuwiedii belongs to the Dipsadidae family Body compression or depression, head elevation (Costa and Bérnils, 2018) and is widely distributed in or triangulation are examples of behaviours that are South America (Nogueira et al., 2019). The species reported for X. neuwiedii (see Table 1) and are considered is terrestrial, with diurnal habits, usually associated common in phylogenetically related species (Martins et with open areas in forests, disturbed environments, al., 2008; Tozetti et al., 2009; Alves et al., 2013). Those and forest edges (Nogueira et al., 2019). This species behaviours can be considered warning displays (Sazima, has a greenish or brownish olive colouration, with 1992). They create an illusion of a larger body size brown cross bands on the trunk, snout and interorbital (Tozetti et al., 2009), which may discourage predators from striking at the snake. The tail display mimics the head and aims to misdirect predators’ attacks while the real head searches for refuge (Greene, 1973). The spine- pressing behaviour, performed by X. neuwiedii, is widely ¹ Projeto Dacnis, Estrada do Rio Escuro 4754, Sertão das known for Scolecophids, but also for some Dipsadids, Cotias, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. e.g. Atractus trilineatus Wagler, 1828 in Beebe (1946); * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Taeniophallus brevirostris (Peters, 1863) in Martins and 864 Mariana Pedrozo et al.

Figure 1. (A) Individual of Xenodon neuwiedii recorded in the São Francisco Xavier sub-district, São José dos Campos, São Paulo state, Brazil, (B) tail display in detail.

Oliveira (1998); Psomophis joberti (Sauvage, 1884) in species of the genera Bothrops and Micrurus, due to Lima et al. (2010) and may be related to an attempt to visual similarity and some defensive displays (e.g. head cause injuries to the predator. Nevertheless, we found triangulation, false strikes, and tail display — exhibiting not reports on this behaviour for Xenodon species. red ventral scales; Yanosky and Chani, 1988; Sazima Within the genus Xenodon, tail display is known for and Abe, 1991; Sawaya et al., 2008). Although mimicry X. dorbignyi (Bibron, 1854), X. histricus (Jan, 1863), hypotheses are largely cited in literature (e.g. Tozetti et X. nattereri (Steindachner, 1867), X. matogrossensis al., 2009; Oliveira et al., 2010; Alves et al., 2013; Banci (Scrocchi and Cruz, 1993), X. guentheri Boulenger, et al., 2020), being mostly accepted, further studies are 1894 and X. merremii (Wagler, 1824) (Tozetti et al., needed to provide compelling evidence these similarities 2009; Alves et al., 2013; Marques et al., 2015, 2019; enhance mimic’s survivorship (Banci et al., 2020). Abegg et al., 2018). Species of Xenodon have also been Furthermore, we cannot reject the role of evolutionary reported as mimicry to some sympatric and syntopic factors in the selection of snakes’ defensive repertoire (Greene, 1988), considering these similarities might represent behavioural convergences. Thus, studies that document behaviours are important to fill in the gaps Table 1. Types of defensive behaviour reported for Xenodon in the knowledge of species’ natural history, as well as neuwiediiTable. 1. Types of defensive behaviour reported for Xenodonproviding neuwiedii data for. future studies.

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