WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNALTABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS IRCF REPTILES • VOL15, &NO AMPHIBIANS 4 • DEC 2008 189 • 23(1):46–50 • APR 2016 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES Predation. Chasing Bullsnakes (Pituophis Attempt catenifer sayi) in Wisconsin: by the Cuban Racer, On the Road to Understanding the Ecology and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190 . The Shared History of Treeboas (Corallus grenadensis) and Humans on Grenada: CubophisA Hypothetical cantherigerus Excursion ............................................................................................................................ (Squamata:Robert Dipsadidae)W. Henderson 198 on theRESEARCH Cuban ARTICLES Giant Anole, Anolis equestris . The Texas Horned Lizard in Central and Western Texas ....................... Emily Henry, Jason Brewer, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204 . The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) in Florida buidei ............................................. (Squamata:Brian J. Camposano, Kenneth L. Krysko, Kevin M.Dactyloidae), Enge, Ellen M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212 CONSERVATION ALERT a. World’s Threatened Mammals in Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................. Endemic Subspecies 220 . More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 Tomás. The M. “Dow Rodríguez-Cabrera Jones Index” of Biodiversity1, ...........................................................................................................................................Javier Torres López2, Ruben Marrero3, and José A. Podio Martínez 225 4 HUSBANDRY1Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos, Pepito Tey, Cienfuegos, CP 59290, Cuba ([email protected]) 2Departamento de. BiologíaCaptive Care Animal of the y Central Humana, Netted Facultad Dragon .......................................................................................................de Biología, Universidad de la Habana, La Habana, CP Shannon 10400, Plummer Cuba ([email protected])226 3División de Zoología de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, La Habana, CP 11900, Cuba ([email protected]) PROFILE4Servicios Ambientales de Matanzas, Varadero, Cárdenas, Matanzas, CP 10800, Cuba ([email protected]) . Kraig Adler: A Lifetime Promoting Herpetology ................................................................................................ Michael L. Treglia 234 COMMENTARY . The Turtles Have Been Watching Me ........................................................................................................................ Eric Gangloff 238 nakes swallow their prey whole, so gape limits the size of When they hit the ground, the snake had bitten the right Sthe prey they canBOOK consume REVIEW (e.g., Rodríguez-Robles et al. forearm of the lizard (Fig. 4A). The snake rapidly laid one 1999; Vincent et al. 2006).. Threatened Nevertheless, Amphibians of the most World snakesedited by S.N.are Stuart,able M. Hoffmann,coil around J.S. Chanson, the N.A. pelvic Cox, region of the lizard (Fig. 4B) and R. Berridge, P. Ramani, and B.E. Young .............................................................................................................. Robert Powell 243 to capture, subdue, and kill large potential prey, but in some remained in that position for about 45 sec. During this time, instances such an animal CONSERVATION is too large RESEARCH for the snake REPORTS: and Summariescannot of Publishedthe Conservationsnake tried Research repeatedly Reports ................................. to swallow 245the forearm of the lizard be swallowed (e.g., CaramaschiNATURAL HISTORY and Niemeyer RESEARCH REPORTS2012; Fong: Summaries et of Publisheduntil itReports reached on Natural the History scapular ................................. region, 247 after which it released NEWBRIEFS ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 248 al. 2013; Vargas-Salinas EDITORIAL and Aponte-Gutierrez INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 2013; Torres the coil (Fig. 4C). The snake maintained 251 the bite for 2 min et al. 2014b). On otherFOCUS occasions, ON CONSERVATION the potential: A Project prey You can Can beSupport ...............................................................................................and 25 sec, during which it frequently 252 readjusted its jaws. swallowed but exceeds the snake’s stomach capacity and is Subsequently, the snake released the lizard, which remained later regurgitated (with the consequent waste of energy) or motionless, with eyes closed, and with a drab olive-yellow the snake might even die (e.g., Caramaschi and Niemeyer coloration (Figs. 4D–F). The snake immediately searched for 2012). Regardless, the eventual resultFront Cover. is Shannonunsuccessful Plummer. or the headBack Cover. of the Michael lizard Kern and commenced swallowing (Fig. 4D). Totat et velleseque audant mo Totat et velleseque audant mo failed predation. This phenomenonestibus has inveliquo been reported velique rerchil twice Afterestibus aboutinveliquo avelique minute rerchil and a half, the snake ceased trying to in Cuban snakes, and both cases involvederspienimus, the quos Cubanaccullabo. IlibusGiant erspienimus,swallow quos the accullabo. lizard, Ilibus but remained alongside it for about four aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum Trope, Tropidophis melanurus (Tropidophiidae;fugiatis maionsequat eumqueFong et al. fugiatis maionsequat eumque 2013; Torres et al. 2014). However,moditia few ererecases nonsedis of “failed ma sectiatur pre - moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as dation” have been reported in otheraccullabo. than constricting snakes (e.g., Vargas-Salinas and Aponte-Gutierrez 2013). Herein we report “failed predation” by a Cuban Racer, Cubophis cantherigerus cantherigerus (Dipsadidae), on a Cuban Giant Anole, Anolis equestris buidei (Dactyloidae; Fig. 1). This is the first report of “failed predation” by a colubroid snake in the West Indies, and the first report of a snake attempting to prey on an anole of the crown-giant ecomorph in Cuba. At 1250 h on 7 April 2004, an adult Cubophis c. can- therigerus (ca. 750 mm SVL, 37 mm head length) and an adult female Anolis equestris buidei (ca. 165 mm SVL, 51 mm head length) fell from the thatched roof of a small rustic wooden gazebo (Fig. 2) in the protected area “Varahicacos” Fig. 1. An adult male Cuban Giant Anole (Anolis equestris buidei) from (23º11’39”N, -81º09’11”W; WGS 84) on the Hicacos the protected area “Varahicacos,” Matanzas Province, Cuba. Photograph Peninsula (Fig. 3), Cárdenas, Matanzas Province, Cuba. by Raimundo López-Silvero. Copyright © 2016. Tomás M. Rodríguez-Cabrer. All rights reserved. 46 RODRÍGUEZ ETAL. IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 23(1):46–50 • APR 2016 Fig. 2. Rustic wooden gazebo (A) at the protected area “Varahicacos” where we observed the predation attempt. (B) Inside view of the roof where the lizard was presumably resting. Photographs by Tomás M. Rodríguez-Cabrera. Fig. 3. Map of the Hicacos Peninsula depicting the location (triangle) where we observed the predation attempt by a Cuban Racer (Cubophis cantherigerus cantherigerus) on a Cuban Giant Anole (Anolis equestris buidei). more minutes, opening its mouth and readjusting the jaws or failed predation.” Unsuccessful predation has two potential (Fig. 4E). The snake then bit the lizard before abandoning outcomes for the prey. It might be captured and killed or it is it (Fig. 4F). We examined the lizard immediately and found captured but not killed by the potential predator. In the first that it had died. Whether the snake abandoned the lizard case, the potential prey can be consumed by detritivores and because of an insufficient gape size, because of the photogra- enter the decomposer chain directly (see Begon et al. 2006). pher’s proximity, or some combination of both is uncertain. In the second instance, the potential prey remains alive and “True predators” (sensu Begon et al. 2006) kill and con- no alteration in the flux of energy occurs except for the energy sume their prey more or less immediately after attacking it, wasted by both individuals involved in the predation attempt. which ensures the flow of energy and matter from one tro- West Indian anoles of the crown-giant ecomorph are phic level to the next. Thus, an instance in which an animal among the largest species in the genus Anolis, with snout-vent captures and kills another without ingestion and the subse- lengths sometimes exceeding 190 mm (e.g., Losos 2009). quent energetic reward should be classified as “unsuccessful This ecomorph comprises 12 species distributed in Cuba 47 RODRÍGUEZ ETAL. IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 23(1):46–50 • APR 2016 (6), Hispaniola (3), Jamaica (1), and the Greater Puerto Rico of these anoles are very aggressive and have a powerful bite (see Bank (2; e.g., Henderson and Powell 2009; Losos 2009; Henderson and Powell 2009 for a review). Nonetheless,