Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 429-431 (2017) (published online on 25 August 2017)

First record of predation on Trilepida sp. (Serpentes, Leptotyphlopidae) by Athene cunicularia (Strigiformes, Strigidae) in the Brazilian Cerrado

Vinícius Cláudio1,*, Luisa Beltrame1 and Fábio Maffei2

The leptotyphlopids are known as thread snakes or Pinto, 2006), and T. Koppesi (Amaral, 1955) (Pinto wormsnakes and include the thinnest and smallest species and Fernandes, 2012; Thomassen et al., 2016). The of snakes, all of which are burrowers (Adalsteinsson et swallowing lasted less than a minute, and after the event al., 2009). In Brazil they are represented by 17 species the owl continued to stand at the nest site. of the genera Epictia (7 spp.), Siagonodon (3 spp.) Athene cunicularia is distributed from North America and Trilepida (7 spp.) (Costa and Bérnils, 2015). The to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, and occurs widely genus Trilepida is widely distributed in the Amazon in Brazil (Sick, 1997; Motta-Junior et al., 2015). The Forest (Adalsteinsson et al., 2009), Cerrado (Recoder available information on the diet of the Burrowing and Nogueira, 2007; Sawaya et al., 2008; Valdujo et al., Owl stems majorly from pellets, and the species is 2009), Caatinga (Guedes et al., 2014), Atlantic Forest considered to be a generalistic and opportunistic feeder (Thomassen et al., 2016) and Pantanal biomes (Pinto (Cadena-Ortíz et al., 2013). Although invertebrates and Curcio, 2011). The species contained in the genus account for the majority of prey items, the biomass have fossorial habits, are both nocturnal and diurnal, contribution of this group to the owl’s diet is small in and feed mostly on arthropods (Sawaya et al., 2008; comparison to the vertebrate prey. The greatest amount Pinto and Curcio, 2011). of ingested biomass is related to predation on rodents On 9 September 2016 at 09:57 h, on a roadside in the (Motta-Junior, 2006; Motta-Junior et al., 2015; Cadena- rural municipality of Rifaina, state of São Paulo, south- Ortíz et al., 2016). Though less common, snakes are eastern Brazil (20°7’37”S 47°23’9”W, 635 m altitude), often registered as a constituent of the Burrowing we observed two individuals of the Burrowing Owl Owl’s diet, for example, Erythrolampus poecilogyrus (Athene cunicularia [Molina, 1782]) standing next to (Wied-Neuwied, 1825) (Aravena, 1928), Philodryas the entrance of the nest site. One of them was handling chamissonis (Wiegmann, 1835) (Torres-Contreras et al., its prey, an individual of Trilepida sp. (approximately 1994), Bothrops pauloensis Amaral, 1925 (Valdujo and 180 mm total length) that was already partly eaten and Nogueira, 2000), Bothrops alternatus Duméril, Bibron missing the extremities (Fig. 1), which are relevant and Duméril, 1854 (Martins et al., 2003), Oxyrhopus taxonomic characters. Therefore, we couldn’t identify rhombifer Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854, Tantilla the snake species, but species of the genus that are melanocephala (Linnaeus, 1758) (Sawaya et al., 2008), known to occur in the area are Trilepida brasiliensis Chironius sp., Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard, (Laurent, 1949), T. fuliginosa (Passos, Caramaschi and 1858) (Vieira and Teixeira, 2008), and Epctia australis (Freiberg and Orejas-Miranda, 1968) (Formoso et al., 2010). Other records were obtained from photographs published on WikiAves (www.wikiaves.com.br): Oxyrhopus trigeminus (Lima, 2010; Rocha, 2013) and 1 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Centro de Ciências Sibynomorphus mikanii (Marcelo, 2015). Biológicas e da Saúde, Rodovia Washington Luiz Km 235, Birds, mainly raptors, are great predators of snakes São Carlos, SP, Brazil. (Sparkman et al., 2013). According to Endler (1986) 2 Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Avenida Engenheiro a predation event can be divided in five stages Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru, SP, Brazil. (detection, identification, approach, subjugation, and * Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] consumption), and the snakes’ defensive tactics could 430 Vinícius Cláudio et al.

Figure 1. Predation event on Trilepida sp.: A and B - The individual of Athene cunicularia handling the Trilepida sp.; C and D - The swallowing. Photos by Vinícius C. Cláudio.

possibly interrupt any of these stages and stop the event. relationships between owls and snakes. This single Snakes exhibit a wide range of defensive behaviour, record does not allow us to consider Trilepida sp. as a from avoiding detection to preventing being approached regular prey item of A. cunicularia, and therefore, we or subjugated. The latter two include mouth gaping, recommend a larger number of site observations and the thrashing the body, false strikes, strikes, bites and study of owl pellets, feces and vestiges on nest sites to constriction (Greene, 1988; Martins, 1996). Head and better evaluate the dietary breadth. tail resemble each other in leptotyphlopids, which may be a defensive adaptation to protect the head as a vital Acknowledgments. Thanks to “Programa de Pós Graduação part of the organism. Our observation shows that both em Conservação da Fauna” and “Fundação Parque Zoológio ends of the body of the Trilepida specimen had been de São Paulo” for MSc. studentship for VC. and LB. Paulo attacked by the owl. Similar behaviour has been recorded Roberto Machado-Filho for the pre-peer review and valuable at other opportunities (Valdujo and Nogueira, 2000; suggestions. Martins et al., 2003). The body shape and coloration of leptotyphlopids resemble an annelid and may favour the References predation by birds. The present record adds information Adalsteinsson, S.A., Branch, W.R., Trape, S.,Vitt, L.J., Hedges, S.B. on the diet of the Burrowing Owl, indicating that direct (2009): Molecular phylogeny, classification, and biogeography observations may help to complement the deficient data of snakes of the Family Leptotyphlopidae (Reptilia, Squamata). many owl species and to elucidate the prey-predator Zootaxa 2244: 1–50. First record of predation on Trilepida sp. by Athene cunicularia in Brazil 431

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