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Home , Corallus, Epicrates (snake), Proboscis bat

Cuad. herpetol., 2323 (2):(2): 9393–96,–96, 20092009 93

N OTA loured juvenile female C. annulatus (270 mm TL / 180 mm SVL) was dis- PREDATION BY CORALLUS covered in the roofing rafters at Caño ANNULATUS () ON Palma’s boat dock (Fig. 1.0). Rhyncho- RHYNCHONYCTERIS NASO nycteris naso were regularly observed () IN A roosting beneath the dock in groups of LOWLAND TROPICAL WET between three and eight individuals (Fig FOREST, 1.1) several nights before we found the . We discovered, without the need for regurgitation by palpation, typical TODD R. LEWIS shapes of morphology and deduced Westfield, 4 Worgret Road, Wareham, Dorset, that it was possible that the snake had BH20 4PJ, United Kingdom. eaten a R. naso. On the second occa- [email protected] sion we observed an orange / taupe co- loured adult male C. annulatus (584 DARRYN J. NASH mm TL / 512 mm SVL) swallowing a 60 West Road, Spondon, Derby DE21 7AB. Unit- R. naso in the crown of a Manicaria ed Kingdom. saccifera palm, approximately 200 m [email protected] along a riparian section of the Biologi- cal Station’s forest. Rhynchonycteris PAUL B. C. GRANT naso are an abundant insectivorous bat 4901 Cherry Tree Bend, Victoria, British Colom- found throughout most tropical lowlands bia, V8Y 1S1, Canada. from southern Mexico through to the northern half of (Sorin, Corallus annulatus (Northern Annu- 1999). They are a small bat ranging lated Tree-boa) is a little-studied tropical from 35 to 41 mm in forearm length Boid occurring disjunctively throughout and typically weigh around 4 g. Both C. and tropical South annulatus and R. naso are closely asso- America in mostly lowland tropical ciated with trees near rivers and moist and wet forests (Holdridge, 1967; streams and single roost sites Stafford & Henderson, 1996; Smith & for R. naso are almost exclusively found Acevedo, 1997; Henderson et al., 2001). close to water (Goodwin, 1946; Goodwin Prior to this report and to the best of & Greenhall, 1961; Carter et al., 1966; our knowledge, small rodents were the Plumpton & Jones, 1992; Stafford & only documented prey for wild speci- Henderson, 1996). mens of C. annulatus (Henderson et To the best of our knowledge these al., 1995). are the first recorded instances of C. an- Caño Palma Biological Station is sit- nulatus predating on R. naso. Previous uated on the northeast coast of Costa studies have identified hawks (Buteo Rica approximately 8 km north of Tor- spp.), falcons (Falco spp.) and egrets tuguero. C. annulatus has previously (Leucophoyx spp.) as significant preda- been recorded from Manicaria forest at tors of R. naso (Husson, 1962; Sander- Caño Palma (Myers, 1990; Burger, son, 1941). The Orb spider savig- 2001). nyi (Araneidae) has also been recorded On 12th January 2002 and 15th July as a predator (Timm & Losilla, 2007). 2003 we found two separate C. annula- Predation on by Boids is well re- tus specimens with Rhynchonycteris corded in the tropics, most of which are naso () in their stomachs. recorded at the bats’ roosting site; Epi- In the first instance an anerythristic co- crates cenchris cenchris (Boidae) (Rain-

Recibido: 01/03/2009 — Aceptado: 12/11/09 Ed. asoc.: F. Cruz 94 T. R. LEWIS et al.: Predation by Corallus annulatus on Rhynchonycteris naso

Fig. 1.0. Anerythristic Corallus annulatus with (possible) Rhynchonycteris naso meal (Photo: Paul B. C. Grant).

Fig. 1.1. Rhynchonycteris naso roosting under Caño Palma Biological Station boat dock (Photo: Paul B. C. Grant). Cuad. herpetol., 23 (2): 93–96, 2009 95 bow Boa) fed on Carollia perspicillata and . Bulletin of (Phyllostomidae) (Lemke, 1978), Epi- the American Museum of Natural crates anguilifer (Boidae) (Cuban Boa) History 122: 187-302. predated Phyllonycteris poeyi (Phyllosto- HARDY, J. D. 1957. Bat predation by midae) (Hardy, 1957) and Epicrates inor- the Cuban Boa, Epicrates anguili- natus (Boidae) (Puerta Rican Boa) ate fer Bibron. Copeia 1957: 151-152. Monophyllus redmani (Phyllostomidae) HENDERSON, R. W.; T. W. P. MICUCCI; and Brachyphylla cavernarum (Phyllosto- G. PUORTO & R. W. BOURGEOIS. midae) (Rodriguez, 1984). The more thor- 1995. Ecological correlates and oughly studied Corallus hortulanus patterns in the distribution of neo- (Boidae) (Amazon Tree Boa) is known to tropical boines (Serpentes: adopt a sit-and-wait strategy as well as Boidae): a preliminary assess- actively snatching bats from the air ment. Herpetological Natural His- (Henderson, 2002; Barnett et al., 2007). tory 3: 15-27. Given that both the C. annulatus and HENDERSON, R. W.; M. HÖGGREN; W. the R. naso are primarily nocturnal it is W. LAMAR & L. W. PORRAS. suggested that, on both occasions, the 2001. Distribution and variation tree-boas adopted a snatching strategy. in the treeboa Corallus annulatus We thank The Canadian Organiza- (Serpentes: Boidae). Studies on tion for Tropical Education and Rainfor- Neotropical Fauna and Environ- est Conservation (COTERC) for permis- ment 36: 39-47. sion to study at Caño Palma Biological HENDERSON, R. W. 2002. Neotropical Station and Xavier Guevara of The Min- Tree-boas: natural history of the isterio de Recursos Naturales Energia y Corallus hortulanus complex. Minas (MINAE) for permits to study the Krieger Publishing Company, Mal- forest. abar. HOLDRIDGE, L. R. 1967. Life zone ecol- ogy (2nd Edition). Tropical Science REFERENCES Center, San José, Costa Rica. HUSSON, A. M. 1962. The bats of Suri- BARNETT, A. A.; V. SCHIEL & A. DE- name. Zoologische Verhandelin- VENY. 2007. Predation of a bat by gen, Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke a juvenile Amazon Tree Boa (Cor- Historie Leiden 58: 1-282. allus hortulanus: Boidae), in Jaú LEMKE, T. O. 1978. Predation upon bats National Park, . The Herpe- by Epicrates cenchria cenchris in tological Bulletin 100: 35-37. . Herpetological Review 9: BURGER, R. M. 2001. The herpetofauna 47. of Caño Palma Biological Station, MYERS, R. L. 1990. Palm swamps. Eco- Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Bulletin systems of the World 15: Forested of the Chicago Herpetological So- Wetlands. (Ed by A E Lugo, M ciety 36 (12): 243-253. Brinson & S Brown), pp. 267-278, CARTER, D. C.; R. H. PINE & W. B. Elsevier, Oxford. DAVIS. 1966. Notes on the Middle PLUMPTON, D. L. & J. K. JONES. 1992. American bats. The Southwestern Rhynchonycteris naso. Mammalian Naturalist 11: 488-499. Species 413: 1-5. GOODWIN, G. G. 1946. of RODRIGUEZ, G. A. 1984. Bat predation . Bulletin of the Ameri- by the , Epi- can Museum of Natural History crates inornatus. Copeia 1984: 79: 107-195. 219-220. GOODWIN, G. G. & A. M. GREENHALL. SANDERSON, I. T. 1941. Living treasure. 1961. A review of the bats of Viking Press, New York. 96 T. R. LEWIS et al.: Predation by Corallus annulatus on Rhynchonycteris naso

SMITH, E. N. & M. E. ACEVEDO. 1997. STAFFORD, P. J. & R. W. HENDERSON. The northernmost distribution of 1996. Kaleidoscopic tree-boas: the Corallus annulatus (Boidae), with Corallus of tropical Ameri- comments on its natural history. ca. Krieger Publishing Company, Southwestern Naturalist 42: 347- Malabar. 349. TIMM, R. M. & M. LOSILLA. 2007. Orb- SORIN, A. 1999. Rhynchonycteris naso weaving spider, Argiope savignyi (On-line), Diversity Web. (Araneidae), predation on the Pro- Accessed February 23, 2009 at boscis bat Rhynchonycteris naso http://animaldiversity.ummz. (Emballonuridae). Caribbean Jour- umich.edu/site/accounts/informa- nal of Science, 43 (2), 282-284. tion/Rhynchonycteris_naso.html.