Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 439-441 (2017) (published online on 25 August 2017)

Death and life on the roadway: scavenging behaviour of the green racer patagoniensis (Girard, 1858) (Dipsadidae)

João Ucha1 and Tiago G. dos Santos1,*

Roads may have direct and indirect negative effects , and (Uetz and Hošek, 2016). on wildlife and pose significant threat to vertebrates P. patagoniensis is a terrestrial snake (Sazima and at the global level (Forman et al., 2003). Besides Haddad, 1992; Marques et al., 2001) and is considered causing direct mortality, roads may have other impacts a generalist predator of small invertebrates, small including the partial occupation and transformation of vertebrates, as well as cannibalistic (Hartmann landscapes, alteration of surrounding habitats, dispersal and Marques, 2005; Lopes and Giraudo, 2008; Carreira of physicochemical pollutants, habitat fragmentation and Maneyro, 2013). Our observations were made and they may reduce habitat connectivity (Forman et al., during field activities of our roadkill monitoring 2003; Colino-Rabanal and Lizana, 2012). The mortality project on 07 November 2015, at km 355 (30°47’ 33”S, rate of on roads may depend on season, traffic 55°39’42”W, 318m a.s.l.) of BR 293 Road, which density and the behaviour of species involved (Bhupathy crosses the “Área de Proteção Ambiental do Ibiratpuitã” et al., 2011). Carcasses of road killed animals can be – the largest conservation unit in the Pampa Biome - in removed and consumed by scavengers (Gillingham and the municipality of Santana do Livramento, Rio Grande Baker, 1981; Antworth et al., 2005). The scavenging do Sul State, . At approximately 15:30 h we behaviour of not associated with road killed observed an adult P. patagoniensis (total length ca. 100 animals has been widely reported worldwide (see review cm) on the asphalt that then proceeded to remove a dead by De Vault and Krochmal, 2002; Marques et al., 2017), rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus, Furnariidae) from the based on observations of carrion consumption in situ centre of road (Fig.1). The dead bird presented visible (e.g. Paten and Banta, 1980; Sazima and Strüssmann, rigor mortis, flattened body, partially open wings and 1990; Otto and Miller, 2004; Trembath et al., 2007; Platt scruffy plumage. The snake moved from the road edge, and Rainwater, 2011; Sweeting, 2011; Ayres, 2012) and gripping the dead bird by the head. The snake carried in captivity (Gillingham and Baker, 1981; Shivik and the carcass (lifted off the ground) from the asphalt to Clark, 1997), from the examination of stomach contents the grassy vegetation by the roadside when approached (Capula et al., 1997), and presentation of dead prey items by one of the authors (J.U.), the snake then attempted during staged encounters (Sazima and Strüssmann, to swallow the bird (Fig. 1). The observation lasted 1990; Marques and Sazima, 1997). approximately 20 min, after which the snake moved Herein, we report for the first time the scavenging into dense vegetation. behaviour of the Neotropical green racer snake Scavenging by snakes has been traditionally Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard, 1858) (Dipsadidae), discounted or ignored (De Vault and Krochmal, 2002), a species typical of open areas such as savannahs and and most records in the Neotropical region include grasslands (Marques et al., 2001; Giraudo, 2004; López in situ observations or staged encounters (not carcass and Giraudo, 2008) of , , Brazil, removal from roadways) (see Sazima and Strüssmann, 1990; Marques and Sazima, 1997; Marques et al. 2017): Helicops modestus, Hydrodynastes gigas, Erythrolamprus miliaris, jararaca, Micrurus corallinus and M. frontalis. Indeed, carcass removal 1 Universidade Federal do Pampa, Campus São Gabriel. Av. Antônio Trilha, 1847. CEP: 97300-000. São Gabriel, Rio from roadways has been reported in at least six snake Grande do Sul state, Brazil species around the world; a rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) * Corresponding author: [email protected] which was recorded eating a rodent in the USA (Patten 440 João Ucha & Tiago G. dos Santos

Figure 1. Schematic summary of an adult of Philodryas patagoniensis carrying the carcass of Furnarius rufus after removing it from BR 293 Road, Conservation Unit “Área de Proteção Ambiental do Ibiratpuitã”, municipality of Santana do Livramento, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.(1) Location of the dead bird on the road; (2) initial location of the snake when it was seen, and (3) point where the snake attempted to swallow the bird.

and Banta, 1980), a banded cat-eyed snake (Leptodeira in Australia (Trembath et al., 2007), a Montpellier annulata) eating a road killed frog in Costa Rica snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) scavenging on a (Mora-Benavides, 1999), a Cape cobra (Naja nivea) bird in Spain (Ventura, 2012) and the Common Kukri scavenging on snakes in South Africa (Phelps, 2006), snake (Oligodon arnensis) scavenging on a lizard in a python (Antaresia childreni) scavenging on a lizard India (Pandirkar et al., 2015). Aquatic or semi-aquatic Death and life on the roadway: scavenging behaviour of Philodryas patagoniensis 441 piscivorous snake species are more often observed Marques, O.A.V., Eterovic, A., Sazima, I. (2001): Serpentes da scavenging than arboreal or predominantly terrestrial Mata Atlântica: Guia Ilustrado para a Serra do Mar. Editora species (Sazima and Strüssmann, 1990), such as P. Holos, Ribeirão Preto. Marques, O.A.V., Coeti, R.Z., Braga, P.A., Sazima, I. (2017): Rotten patagoniensis. Roadways can be a predictable food choice: feeding attempt by a coral snake (Micrurus frontalis) on source for snakes (De Vault and Krochmal, 2002), a dead pitviper () that had swallowed a bulky and further studies on the subject are needed since rodent. Herpetology Notes 5: 137–139. scavengers can bias estimates of road-killed vertebrates. Marques, O.A.V., Sazima, I. (1997): Diet and feeding behavior of Moreover, if widespread and recurrent, scavenging the coral snake, Micrurus corallinus, from the Atlantic Forest of behaviour can be an underestimated cause of snake Brazil. Herpetological Natural History 5: 88–93. mortality on roads. Mora-Benavides, J.M. (1999): Leptodeira annulata (Culebra Destenida, Banded Cat-eyed Snake): Diet. �������������� Review 30: 102. Acknowledgements. TGS thanks the National Council for Otto, C.R., Miller, G.J. (2004): Philodryas viridissimus (Green Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for the Palm Snake). Feeding attempt. 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