New Records of Micrurus Corallinus (Merrem, 1820) Preying on the Anomalepidid Snake Liotyphlops Ternetzii (Boulenger, 1896) in the Atlantic Forest of Southern Brazil

Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 809-812 (2021) (published online on 26 May 2021)

New records of Micrurus corallinus (Merrem, 1820) preying on the anomalepidid snake Liotyphlops ternetzii (Boulenger, 1896) in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil

1,* 2 3 Diego Henrique Santiago , Dirley Bortolanza-Filho , and Ricardo Lourenço-de-Moraes

The genus Micrurus Wagler, 1824 is widely distributed Estadual de Maringá (UEM). Liotyphlops ternetzii was in North, Central and South America, with 36 species in identified using three characters: five scales in the first Brazil (Uetz et al., 2021) that are distributed throughout vertical row, three scales contacting the posterior border several biomes such as Atlantic Forest, Amazon Forest, of the prefrontal, and the second supralabial contacting Pantanal, Caatinga, and Cerrado (Campbell and Lamar, the posterior part of the nasal (Dixon and Kofron, 1983). 2004). Micrurus corallinus (Merrem, 1820) is a Micrurus corallinus is easily identified because of its medium-sized snake typical of the Atlantic Forest that monadic colour pattern (Silva Jr. et al., 2016). Herein has a tricolour monadic pattern and semi-fossorial habits we present both a literature review (Table 1) and a novel (Silva Jr. et al., 2016), and a varied diet that includes direct observation of M. corallinus diet. amphisbaenians, caecilians, lizards, and other snakes As others have demonstrated, M. corallinus and other (Marques and Sazima, 1997; Silva Banci et al., 2017). coral snakes mostly feed on elongate-bodied prey with Anomalepididae is a primitive family of blindsnakes terrestrial or cryptozoic activity patterns (Greene, 1973, (Miralles et al., 2018), composed of four genera, with 1984; Marques and Sazima, 1997; Silva Banci et al., seven species present in Brazil (Costa and Bérnils, 2017), with a small number of semi-arboreal lizards 2018). Liotyphlops ternetzii (Boulenger, 1896) is a (e.g., Hemidactylus sp.). The literature shows that small snake with a vermiform appearance and fossorial M. corallinus feed on snakes (52%), amphisbaenians and nocturnal habits (Parpinelli and Marques, 2008). (21%), lizards (15%), and caecilians (12%) (Table 1). On 08 November 2018, at 15:00 h, we found an M. Snakes and amphisbaenians appear to be the main prey. corallinus (snout-vent length [SVL] = 32 cm) run Softer-bodied caecilians might be underrepresented, as over by an automobile on the road within the Reserva these animals might more rarely leave identifiable parts Biológica das Perobas in Tuneiras do Oeste, Paraná in the stomach contents of predators (Sazima and Abe, State, Brazil (23.8541ºS, 52.7347ºW; Datum WGS84, 1991; Marques and Sazima, 1997). Other blindsnakes elevation 333 m), which had preyed on a Liotyphlops reported include Liotyphlops cf. wilderi, Amerotyphlops ternetzii (SVL = 20 cm) (Fig. 1). Specimens were brongersmianus, and unidentified typhlopids (Marques collected, preserved in 70% ethanol, and identified and Sazima, 1997). in the laboratory via examination of the head scales Both M. corallinus and most of their prey, including L. beneath a dissecting microscope in the Universidade ternetzii, have fossorial and nocturnal habits, facilitating the encounter between them. This is the second report of predation by M. corallinus on blindsnakes of the genus Liotyphlops and the first for the species L. 1 Instituto Federal do Paraná, Campus Umuarama, Rodovia PR ternetzii, expanding our knowledge about the diet of M. 323, Km 310, Umuarama 87507-014, Paraná, Brazil. 2 Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Campus Maringá, Avenida corallinus. Colombo 5790, Maringá 87020-900, Paraná, Brazil. 3 Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus IV, Litoral Norte, Acknowledgements. We thank the Cataneo family for Av. Santa Elizabete s/n, Centro, Rio Tinto 58297-000, accommodations on their property during our field work at Paraíba, Brazil. Reserva Biológica das Perobas. We thank CAPES (Coordenação * Corresponding author. E-mail: de Aperfeiçoamento Pessoal de Nivel Superior) for a scholarship to [email protected] DBF. This study was financed in part by this agency (Finance Code © 2021 by Herpetology Notes. Open Access by CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 001). We also thank the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação 810 Diego Henrique Santiago ��

Figure 1. (A) Micrurus corallinus run over by an automobile. (B) Liotyphlops ternetzii preyed on by M. corallinus. Photos by Diego Henrique Santiago.

Table 1. Dietary composition of Micrurus corallinus, incorporating records from the literature and current observation. The nomenclature followsTable Uetz 1. Dietaryet al. (2021). composition of Micrurus corallinus, incorporating records from the literature and current observation. The nomenclature follows Uetz (2021).

Prey Number of prey Species References group consumed Chthonerpeton aff. braestrupi 1 Gonzales et al., 2018 Luetkenotyphlus brasiliensis 1 Kleinteich et al., 2008 Siphonops hardyi 1 Alves et al., 2018 Caecilians Siphonops sp. 9 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Amphisbaena dubia 2 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Amphisbaena roberti 1 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Amphisbaena sp. 11 Marques and Sazima, 1997 unidentified amphisbaenids 1 Lema et al., 1983 unidentified amphisbaenids 4 Palmuti et al., 2009 Leposternon microcephalum 48 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Leposternon microcephalum 1 Silva Banci et al., 2017 Amphisbaenians Leposternon wuchereri 1 Zamprogno and Sazima, 1993 Leposternon wuchereri 1 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Leposternon sp. 1 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Cercosaura sp. 3 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Hemidactylus sp. 3 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Ophiodes striatus X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002

Lizards Ophiodes sp. 4 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Unidentified gymnophthalmids 2 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Amerotyphlops brongersmianus 1 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Apostolepis assimilis X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002 Atractus reticulatus X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002 Atractus sp. 1 Amaral, 1978 Atractus sp. X Marques and Sazima, 1997 Dipsas mikanii X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002 Dipsas mikanii 1 Silva Banci et al., 2017 Dipsas neuwiedi X Marques and Sazima, 1997 Dipsas neuwiedi X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002 Erythrolamprus miliaris X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002 Erythrolamprus miliaris 1 Silva Banci et al., 2017

Snakes Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus 1 Serapicos and Merusse, 2002 Erythrolamprus typhlus X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002 Helicops modestus X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002 Liotyphlops ternetzii 1 Present study Liotyphlops cf. wilderi 1 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Oxyrhopus guibei X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002 Tantilla melanocephala 1 Pinto, 2008 unidentified colubrids 4 Marques and Sazima, 1997 unidentified typhlopids 1 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Xenodon neuwiedii 1 Marques and Sazima, 1997

Table 1. Dietary composition of Micrurus corallinus, incorporating records from the literature and current observation. The nomenclature follows Uetz (2021).

Prey Number of prey Species References group consumed Chthonerpeton aff. braestrupi 1 Gonzales et al., 2018 Luetkenotyphlus brasiliensis 1 Kleinteich et al., 2008 Siphonops hardyi 1 Alves et al., 2018 Caecilians Siphonops sp. 9 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Amphisbaena dubia 2 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Amphisbaena roberti 1 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Amphisbaena sp. 11 Marques and Sazima, 1997 unidentified amphisbaenids 1 Lema et al., 1983 unidentified amphisbaenids 4 Palmuti et al., 2009 Leposternon microcephalum 48 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Leposternon microcephalum 1 Silva Banci et al., 2017 Amphisbaenians Leposternon wuchereri 1 Zamprogno and Sazima, 1993 Leposternon wuchereri 1 Marques and Sazima, 1997 New records of Micrurus Leposternoncorallinus sp. preying on Liotyphlops1 ternetzii, BrazilMarques and Sazima, 1997 811 Cercosaura sp. 3 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Table 1. Continued.Table 1. DietaryHemidactylus composition sp. of Micrurus corallinus, 3incorporating recordsMarques from and theSazima, literature 1997 and current observation. OphiodesThe nomenclature striatus follows Uetz (2021). X Serapicos and Merusse, 2002

Lizards Ophiodes sp. 4 Marques and Sazima, 1997 Prey Number of prey Species References group Unidentified gymnophthalmids consumed 2 Marques and Sazima, 1997 AmerotyphlopsChthonerpeton aff.brongersmianus braestrupi 1 GMonzalesarques andet al., Sazima, 2018 1997 ApostolepisLuetkenotyphlus assimilis brasiliensis X1 SerapicosKleinteich and et al., Merusse, 2008 2002 AtractusSiphonops reticulatus hardyi X1 SerapicosAlves et al., and 2018 Merusse, 2002 Caecilians AtractusSiphonops sp. sp. 91 MarquesAmaral, 1978and Sazima, 1997 AmphisbaenaAtractus sp. dubia X2 MMarquesarques and Sazima, 1997 AmphisbaenaDipsas mikanii roberti X1 SerapicosMarques and and Sazima, Merusse, 1997 2002 AmphisbaenaDipsas mikanii sp. 111 MarquesSilva Banci and et Sazima, al., 2017 1997 unidentifiedDipsas neuwiedi amphisbaenids X1 MLemaarques et al.,and 1983 Sazima, 1997 Dipsasunidentified neuwiedi amphisbaenids X4 SPalmutierapicos et andal., 2009Merusse, 2002 ErythrolamprusLeposternon microcephalum miliaris 4X8 SMarqueserapicos and and Sazima, Merusse, 1997 2002 ErythrolamprusLeposternon microcephalum miliaris 1 Silva Banci et al., 2017 Amphisbaenians Snakes LeposternonErythrolamprus wuchereri poecilogyrus 1 ZamprognoSerapicos and and Merusse, Sazima, 2002 1993 ErythrolamprusLeposternon wuchereri typhlus X1 SMerapicosarques and and Sazima, Merusse, 1997 2002 LeposternonHelicops modestus sp. X1 SMarqueserapicos and and Sazima, Merusse, 1997 2002 LiotyphlopsCercosaura sp.ternetzii 13 PMresentarques study and Sazima, 1997 LiotyphlopsHemidactylus cf. sp. wilderi 13 MMarquesarques and Sazima, 1997 OxyrhopusOphiodes striatus guibei X SSerapicoserapicos and Merusse, 2002

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Accepted by Andrew Durso