Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 521-523 (2017) (published online on 06 October 2017)

Thamnodynastes pallidus (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) predation on semilineata (Anura: ) in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest in northeastern

Airan S. Protázio1,*, Arielson S. Protázio2, Lennise C. Conceição2, André C. Ribeiro2 and Silvio J. Cruz3

Snakes are efficient predators with However, pallidus (Linnaeus, 1758) morphophysiological structures which allow them is the only of the group that possesses whole to search for, capture and subjugate specific prey cloacal scales as a synapomorphy, although variation (Gans, 1961; Greene, 2000). A wide variety of food can occur in Amazonian populations (Nóbrega et al., items, from small to medium-sized vertebrates, can be 2016). observed in the diet of this group (see Shine et al., 1998; has a disjunct distribution Greene, 2000; Colston et al., 2010). While the in the Amazonian and Atlantic Forests, occurring in Thamnodynastes is considered to consist of generalist localities in , , , and feeders, several species are to some level specialized on western Pará (see Franco and Ferreira, 2002), as well the predation of anurans, which implies that they should as Paraíba (Santana et al., 2008), Bahia (Hamdan and be considered anurophagous (Bernarde et al., 2000a; Lira-da-Silva, 2012), Alagoas, Pernambuco and Sergipe Ruffato et al., 2003; Bellini et al., 2013). (Guedes et al., 2014) in the northeast of Brazil. Despite The Thamnodynastes genus is part of the Dipsadidae recent contributions to the and phylogeny family and includes nineteen recognized species of the Thamnodynastes genus, knowledge about the distributed throughout the continent of trophic ecology of various species remains unknown. (Uetz, 2016), eleven of which have been registered This information can be useful to clarify relationships in Brazil (Costa and Bérnils, 2015). Despite much within the genus, and thereby help to solve taxonomic taxonomic uncertainty involving this genus, causing problems. it to be described as the least understood on the planet Here we report the first predation record of T. pallidus (Bailey and Thomas, 2007), species of Thamnodynastes on the treefrog (Spix, 1824) (Figure have bodies ranging from small to medium, a viviparous 1). Predation was observed on December 7, 2016 at reproduction mode, the presence of opistoglyph 22:29 h during field work aimed at characterizing dentition, vertical elliptical pupils and a divided cloacal herpetofauna in a fragment of Atlantic Forest located scale (Franco and Ferreira, 2002; Bailey et al., 2005). in the Sergipe Farm, in Jandaíra municipality, in the northeast of the Bahia state, Brazil (S11º37’14,3”, W37º39’44,9”). This dense ombrophilous forest fragment is inserted in a silviculture matrix (Eucalyptus sp.) and a legal reserve area. 1 Departamento de Ensino, Instituto Federal de Educação, Thamnodinastes pallidus was found perched on Ciência e Tecnologia da Bahia, Rodovia BA 148, Km 04, nº a palm leaf (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) at a height of 1800, Vila Esperança, 44900-000, Irecê, Bahia, Brazil. 78 cm, above the water surface, with the specimen 2 Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas, of B. semilineata partially ingested in its mouth. Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Rua Rui The predation event occurred on the edge of a rocky Barbosa, nº 710, Centro, 44380-000, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil. depression that formed a small pool (depth: 0.40 cm). 3 Bsc/Copener, Rua Dr. José Tiago, s/n, Alagoinhas Velha, 48030- When the was handled it released the prey, which 480, Alagoinhas, Bahia, Brazil. was preserved and deposited in the Herpetological * Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] Collection of the Universidade Federal do Recôncavo 522 Airan S. Protázio et al.

of the genus are an important component of the ’ diet. Although the dietary composition of Thamnodynastes is relatively well documented, studies are limited to the species T. strigatus, T. chaquensis, T. hypoconia and T. cf. nattereri (Bernarde et al., 2000a; Ruffato et al., 2003; Hartmann et al., 2009; Dorado-Rodrigues et al., 2012; Bellini et al., 2013; Dorigo et al., 2014), with the absence of records of the diet of T. pallidus, revealing a lack of knowledge on the feeding ecology of the snake. This is the first record of T. pallidus predating on B. semilineata. It is also the first record of a semi-arboreal for T. pallidus, which has formerly been described to have a terrestrial habitat (Guedes et al., 2014).

Acknowledgments. We thank BSC/Copener for logistic support and the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade for the collection permit nº 50639.

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Accepted by Iris Starnberger