Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 835-837 (2018) (published online on 28 September 2018)

First record of attempted piscivory by Bothrops asper (Garman, 1883) (Squamata, Viperidae) on a swamp eel, genus Synbranchus

Juan Camilo Díaz-Ricaurte ,*

The neotropical genus Bothrops has 45 species that On 26 April 2009, during a field trip in the San Cipriano are commonly called “lanceheads” (e.g., Tonini et al., Forest Reserve and Escalerete, I observed an attempt of 2016; Uetz et al., 2018). This genus has received quite predation by an individual of Bothrops asper upon an a bit of attention from researchers, including aspects anguilliform fish. This occurred in the municipality of of its reproductive biology (Solórzano and Cerdas, Buenaventura (3.8334°N, -76.8917°W; WGS84; 60 m 1989; Almeida-Santos and Salomão, 2002; Hartmann elevation), Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. et al., 2004; Almeida-Santos et al., 2017), phylogenetic relationships (Alencar et al., 2016, 2017; Snetkov and Results and Discussion Orlov, 2017; Barbosa et al., 2018), toxicology (Carrasco The inactive B. asper was found at 1800 h et al., 2016), and morphological analyses (Carrasco et immediately next to a temporary pond. The snake was al., 2012). in a characteristic sit-and-wait position, with its neck Knowing a species’ natural history is extremely forming an S shape, its head positioned above its body important to an understanding of its intra and interspecific coils and forming an angle of > 20° in relation to the relationships (e.g., Greene, 1986, 1993, 2005). However, ground (Fig. 1A). At around 2300 h, when revisiting despite the large number of studies of viper species, the locality where the snake was found, I noticed it was information on their natural history remains relatively trying to ingest a swamp eel, genus Synbranchus, which scarce. This is better for some species, such as B. atrox was longer than the snake (Fig. 1B–E). This process (Linnaeus, 1758) (Oliveira and Martins, 2003a), B. continued for ca. 10 min. After failing to swallow the jararaca (Wied-Neuwied, 1824) (Sazima, 1992), or B. eel, the snake regurgitated it and left it in situ (Fig. moojeni (Hoge, 1966) (Nogueira et al., 2003) but, for B. 1F). After the unsuccessful feeding attempt, the viper asper, detailed descriptions of its diet are still lacking withdrew. Neither specimen was collected. (but see Sasa et al., 2009). Here, I describe a predation Swamp eels usually migrate through the floodplain attempt by a B. asper, locally known as “terciopelo”, on forests and, in this process, become exposed to a swamp eel. possible predators. This observation is the first record of attempted piscivory (either eel or fish in general) by B. asper, and only the second record confirmed for the genus Bothrops (first was for B. atrox; Oliveira and Martins, 2003b). This behaviour corroborates the 1 Laboratório de Ecologia, Evolução e Conservação de generalist and opportunistic feeding habits of B. asper Anfíbios e Répteis, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de in Colombia. This observation offers an additional data Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil; and Grupo de Investigación point for B. asper feeding, particularly that even species en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico, Programa de often considered to have arboreal tendencies, may still Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de la feature fishes in their diets. Amazonía, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia. * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] 836 Juan Camilo Díaz-Ricaurte

Figure 1. Predation attempt by an individual of Bothrops asper on a swamp eel (genus Synbranchus) in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. (A) The viper in typical sit-and-wait position on the edge of a temporary pond. (B–D) After capture of the eel (not observed), the snake proceeds to ingest it. (E) Beginning of regurgitation. (F) The dead, regurgitated swamp eel in situ. Photos by Jhon Jairo Ospina-Sarria.

Acknowledgements. My particular thanks go to Jhon Jairo neotropical pitvipers, with emphasis on species of the genus Ospina-Sarria for the photos used in this manuscript. I also thank Bothrops. In: Biology of the Vipers, p. 445–462. Schuett, Filipe Serrano and João Alencar for their English review and G.W., Höggren, M., Douglas, M.E., Greene, H.S., Eds., Eagle Professor Márcio Martins for his help in identifying the species. Mountain, Utah, USA, Eagle Mountain Publishing. Almeida-Santos, S.M., Barros, V.A., Rojas, C.A., Sueiro, L.R., Nomura, R.H.C. (2017): Reproductive biology of the Brazilian References Lancehead, Bothrops moojeni (Serpentes, Viperidae), from the Alencar, L.R.V., Martins, M., Burin, G., Quental, T.B. (2017): State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. South American Journal Arboreality constrains morphological evolution but not species of Herpetology 12: 174–181. diversification in vipers. Proceedings of the Royal Society B Barbosa, L.N., Ferreira R.S. Jr., Mello, P.L., Garcia Garces, H., 284: 20171775. Luana Chechi, J., Frachin, T., De Barros, L.C., De Moraes- Alencar, L.R., Quental, T.B., Grazziotin, F.G., Alfaro, M.L., Guimenes, S., Bagagli, E., Fernandes, A., Barraviera, B. (2018): Martins, M., Venzon, M., Zaher, H. (2016): Diversification in Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of Bothrops vipers: phylogenetic relationships, time of divergence and shifts insularis bacterial and fungal microbiota. Journal of Toxicology in speciation rates. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 105: and Environmental Health 81: 142–153. 50–62. Carrasco, P.A., Mattoni, C.I., Leynaud, G.C., Scrocchi, G.J. (2012): Almeida-Santos, S.M., Salomão, M.G. (2002): Reproduction in Morphology, phylogeny and taxonomy of South American First record of attempted piscivory by Bothrops asper on a swamp eel 837

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Accepted by Pedro Pinna