Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 589-591 (2017) (published online on 25 October 2017)

Morphometry of hatchlings of pallidus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae: Tachymenini)

Daniel O. Santana1,*, Francis L. S. Caldas1,4, Débora S. Matos2, Charlles M. S. Machado2, José L. Vilanova-Júnior2 and Renato G. Faria3

The genus Thamnodynastes is comprised of 19 valid of T. pallidus in this region (Hamdan and Lira-Da- distributed throughout from Silva, 2012). According to Nóbrega et al. (2016), Northern to Southern (Cei et al., in a recent study the definition of this species and its 1992; Franco and Ferreira, 2002; Bailey et al., 2005; geographic limits was still unresolved. These authors Bailey and Thomas, 2007). It consists of small , also performed a distribution modelling analysis to viviparous and opistoglyphas, with an elliptical vertical identify potential suitable areas for T. pallidus, in order pupil that can live in a wide variety of habitats and to understand definition and geographical limits of this environments (Bailey, 1967; Hamdan and Lira-Da- species and was verified the regions with particularly Silva, 2012). Thamnodynastes pallidus is recorded for high suitability are seen on the northeast coast of , localities in the Guianas, , , , the central Brazilian Amazon, the coast of the Guianas, Colombia, Ecuador, , and Brazil (Franco and northern Bolivia, eastern Peru and Colombia. Ferreira, 2002; Nóbrega et al., 2016). Thamnodynastes pallidus is observed in ombrophilous In Brazil T. pallidus is found in Pará (Franco and forest remnants, this is nocturnal and found Ferreira, 2002), Rondônia (Bernarde et al., 2012), Acre foraging on the ground (Cunha and Nascimento, 1981; (Silva et al., 2010), Mato Grosso do Sul (Silva Jr et Marques et al., 2016; Marques et al., 2017). Cunha and al., 2009), Paraíba (Santana et al., 2008), Pernambuco Nascimento (1978) report T. pallidus inhabiting the (Franco and Ferreira 2002), Alagoas (Guedes et al., humid ground on forests and feeding on frogs and insect 2014), Bahia (Marques et al., 2013; Marques et al., larvae. About reproduction, previously, the reports to 2017) and Sergipe (Carvalho et al., 2005) states. this specie have been only information about ovarian Previously, affirmed that T. pallidus exhibiting a disjunct distribution in northeastern Brazil. Further, Franco and Ferreira (2002) corroborate and confirm the occurrence

1 Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, CEP 58059-900, João Pessoa – PB, Brazil; 2 Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Rod. Rondon s/nº, CEP 49100-00, São Cristóvão - SE, Brazil; 3 Núcleo de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Rod. Rondon s/nº, CEP 49100-00, São Cristóvão - SE, Brazil; Figure 1. Hatchlings of Thamnodynastes pallidus (C4509 4 Faculdades Integradas de Sergipe, Largo Glicério Cerqueira to C4512) from rural area of Carlos Torres in Salgado 387, Centro, Tobias Barreto 35690-000, Sergipe, Brazil. municipality, state of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. Photo by * Corresponding author email: [email protected] Daniel Oliveira Santana. 590 Daniel O. Santana et al.

Table 1. Morphometry (in mm) and mass (in g) of the hatchlings and female of Thamnodynastes pallidus in rural area of Carlos 1 Torres in Salgado municipality, state of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. The Mean and Standard Deviation refer only to the hatchlings.  Snout-vent length = SVL, Tail length = TL, Tail width = TW, Head width = HW, Ocular width = OW, Nasal width = NW, 1 Ocular-nasalTable 1. Morphometry distance (in = mm) OND, and massHead (in length g) of the= HL,hatchlings Snout-labial and female distance of Thamnodynastes = SLD and pallidus Ventral-sinfsal in rural area ofdistance Carlos Torres= VSD; in Salgado *Stillborn; municipality, state of 2 Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. The Mean and Standard Deviation refer only to the hatchlings. Snout-vent length = SVL, Tail length =TL, Tail width = TW, Head width =HW, 3 **Female.Ocular width = OW, Nasal width = NW, Ocular-nasal distance =OND, Head length = HL, Snout-labial distance = SLD and Ventral-sinfsal distance = VSD; *Stillborn; 4 **Female. 5 Voucher SVL HL HW OW NW OND VSD SLD TL TW mass (g) C4509 158.41 9.2 4.84 5.16 1.77 1.54 8.2 5.3 61.37 2.48 1.75 C4510 162.91 9.11 4.73 5.27 1.86 1.47 7.53 5.26 63.37 2.3 1.75 C4511 149.74 8.85 4.76 5.01 1.69 1.69 7.49 5.27 58 2.11 1.4 C4512 164.16 9.08 5.2 5.53 1.93 1.41 7.56 5.51 63.99 2.45 1.6 C4514* 150.36 9.03 5.25 5.29 1.91 1.5 7.03 5.43 60.72 2.34 1.5 C4513** 412 11.7 8.11 7.73 2.75 2.66 11.1 9.25 167 5.05 14 Mean 157.12 9.05 4.96 5.25 1.83 1.52 7.56 5.35 61.49 2.34 1.60 Standard Deviation 6.80 0.13 0.25 0.19 0.10 0.11 0.42 0.11 2.38 0.15 0.15 6 7 8

follicles, eggs and embryos in development. Cunha and (CHUFS - C4509 to C4514) and were collected under Nascimento (1981) verified in an analysis of collected the collecting permit #10504-1; Granted by the Instituto specimens, four females observed with eggs (3, 4, 5 and Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais 6 eggs respectively), and also found a gravid female with Renováveis – IBAMA. seven well-developed neonates close to being expelled. Body size is a basic characteristic of organisms, which In another study Marques et al. (2014) examined two has direct implications on physiology, ecology, and gravid females, where they observed the presence of social interactions (Schäuble, 2004). In studies with two eggs in one female and ten ovarian follicles in the snakes, for example, morphological data are frequently other female. However, the morphometric information used to describe and compare biological assemblages of neonates have not be known until now. (Martins and Oliveira, 1998; França et al., 2008) or On 17 February 2015, we collected a female T. even to investigate variations within the same species pallidus at the rural area of Carlos Torres in Salgado subject to differences in the supply of certain resources municipality, state of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil (- (Shine 1987; Boback, 2006). However, there is a 11.0269°S, -37.4189°W; DATUM SAD-69; 55 m above notable deficiency of juvenile data especially newborn. sea level). The was gravid and had a ventral This is the first description of morphometry and mass expansion. On 24 February 2015, while in captivity, it of hatchlings of Thamnodynastes pallidus and this gave birth to four alive offspring (Figure 1) and on 25 information adds to the limited data currently available on February 2015 to one stillborn offspring. The hatchlings wild reproduction in this species. We hope that this data snakes showed the same coloration as the mother and can be used in a comparative way for juveniles of other were immediately measured and weighed. For each congeners and even of other species of snakes helping snake, we registered the snout-vent length (SVL), the to clarify systematic aspects, morphological variations tail length (TL), the tail width (TW), the head width in geographic scale and phenotypic plasticity. (HW), the ocular width (OW), the nasal width (NW), Acknowledgements. We thank Msc. Rafaela Cândido de França the ocular-nasal distance (OND), the head length (HL), for critically reviewing the manuscript and confirmation of the the snout-labial distance (SLD), the ventral-sinfsal observed species. The Federal University of Sergipe for logistic. distance (VSD) with a digital calliper (precision of 0.1 The CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de mm). The body mass was registered using an electronic Nível Superior) and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento balance (precision of 0.1 g). Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the fellowships granted to The mean snout-vent length (SVL) of T. pallidus authors. hatchlings was 157.10 ± 6.8 mm and the mean body mass was 1.60 ± 0.15 g (Table 1). Voucher specimens References were deposited in the Collection of the Herpetological Bailey, J.R. (1967): The synthetic approach to colubrid Collection of the Universidade Federal de Sergipe classification. Herpetologica 23: 155-161. Morphometry of hatchlings of Thamnodynastes pallidus 591

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Accepted by Anamarija Zagar