Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 219-220 (2017) (published online on 25 April 2017)

Comments on the diet of Bothrops alternatus Duméril, Bibron& Duméril,1854

Hugo Cabral1,2,*, Viviana Rojas1, Tatiana Galluppi1, Edder Ortiz1 and Marcos Baez1

Bothrops alternatus is a large, nocturnal and terrestrial (Redford & Eisenberg, 1992), also a typical habitat of B. lancehead reptile (Campbell and Lamar,1989; 2004; alternatus (Martins et al., 2002). Apparently the rodent Caccialli, 2009) distributed in northern Argentina, was eaten from the head judging from the position of its central and southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay extremities. The prey’s head width is almost the same as (Giraudo, 2002; Campbell and Lamar, 2004; Cacciali, the snake’s, however the rodent’s head height is larger 2009; Cacciali et al., 2016). This species is associated than the snake’s. with swampy, humid and open areas (Giraudo 2002; This is a large prey item for Bothrops alternatus, as Campbell & Lamar 2004; Cacciali 2009) and is often it represents 30% of the total length of the pitviper. found near habitats deteriorated by humans (Cacciali Snakes, and specially vipers and constrictors have 2009). Bothrops species feed mainly on mammals, frogs the ability to prey on larger items they are capable of and lizards, but also birds, snakes and centipedes can be eating (Cundall 2002). Bothrops alternatus is a diet found in its diet (Martins et al., 2002). specialized, that feeds on mammals (Andrade & Abe, Martins et al. 2002 described and correlated Bothrops 1999; Martins et al. 2002; Zanela & Cechin 2009), but feeding habits with ecological aspects, and stated that also can feed on anurans and birds (Bellini et al. 2015). Bothrops alternatus is a mammal specialist, this was also Asher et al. (2004) stated that B. alternatus can be a reported by Andrade & Abe (1999), Zanella & Cechin potential predator for Cavia aperea, hence we present (2009), however the information of the mammals species here the first record the Bothrops alternatus preying on preyed by this species is not available. Hence we report new data on the diet of an adult of B. alternatus. Our observation took place October 15th, 2016 in the department of Paraguarí in a secondary road (-26.2039°S, -57.2631°W 140 m high),6.3 km from the Nacional route I Mcal. Francisco Solano Lopez. At 10:50 am. We observed on the road a freshly killed Bothrops alternatus with part of his body dissected with the prey on the side (Fig 1). Pictures and measurements of the snake and prey were taken and, are described in Table 1. The prey was identified as Cavia aperea (Erxleben, 1777) a large rodent found mainly in open habitats

1 Asociación Guyra Paraguay ,+595 21 223 567, Av. Cnel. Carlos Bóveda, Parque Asunción Verde, Viñas Cué, Paraguay. Figure 1. Dorsal view of the head and body of a freshley killed 2 Instituto Investigación Biológica del Paraguay, Del Escudo Bothrops alternatus with the prey on the side. Noticed the 1607, Asunción, Paraguay. anterior and posterior limbs pointed backwards, this indicate * Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] that was eaten by the head first. 220 Hugo Cabral et al.

a large C. aperea, expanding the information about prey vipers, p 307–328 pp. Schuett, G.W., Höggren, M., Douglas, items of this snake in Paraguay. M.E., Greene, H.W., Ed., Eagle Mountain: Eagle Mountain Publishing. Redford, K., Eisenberg, J.F. �1992): Mammals of the neotropics– the southern cone: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay. 2nd Edition. Chicago, USA, University of Chicago Press. Zanella, N., Cechin, S.Z. (2009): Influência dos fatores abióticos e 1 Table 1.Measurements in milimeters of Bothrops alternatus and Cavia aperea. da disponibilidade de presas sobre comunidade de serpentes do Table 1. Measurements in milimeters of Bothrops alternatus Planalto Médio do Rio Grande do Sul. Iheringia, Série Zoología 2 Figure legends. and Cavia aperea. 9: 111–114.

Body measurements Bothrops alternatus Cavia aperea Snout-ventlength 1114 270 Tail lentg 102 - Total length 1216 372 Head width 39.1 42.6 Head height 28.2 42.1 Bodywidth - 67 Bodyheigth - 69 3

Acknowledgments. We would like to thank the National Science and Technology Council(CONACYT) for funding support for the 14-INV-063project; also HC and VR would like to thank CONACYT for funding support through the PRONII program.

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