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Drymoluber Dichrous) in Northern Bolivia Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 571-572 (2020) (published online on 26 July 2020) Predation on a strabomantid frog (Pristimantis reichlei) by a Northern woodland racer (Drymoluber dichrous) in Northern Bolivia Cord B. Eversole1,*, Randy L. Powell2, Dennis Lizarro3,4, and Gonzalo Calderón Vaca5 Monitoring and understanding species interactions genus have made it useful as an ecological indicator are an essential component of ecosystem ecology across many of the habitats that it occupies (López- and natural history. By documenting the interactions Rojas et al., 2015). between reptiles and amphibians, particularly in regard The Northern woodland racer (Drymoluber dichrous) to diet and predation, scientists can elucidate trends is a terrestrial medium-sized snake species that occurs in activity patterns, habitat use, and population status. across many habitat types in the neotropics (Franca et More specifically, predator-prey interactions among al., 2012). This species is a known generalist predator species are critical food web linkages that drive the flow of small vertebrates, particularly amphibians (Palmutti of nutrients and energy and promote ecosystem function et al., 2009). Although there have been several notes and and stability (Zipkin et al., 2020). Particularly in the investigations documenting the diet of this species, no Neotropics, information and studies on these topics are information exists in the scientific literature specifically lacking, therefore greatly reducing our understanding of documenting the prey items. More specifically, P. species autecology in these areas. Herein, we describe a reichlei has not been previously reported as a diet item predation event on Pristimantis reichlei Padial and De of D. dichrous. la Riva, 2009 (Anura: Stabomantidae) by Drymoluber On 08 June 2019 at 01:22 h, during a herpetofaunal dichrous (Peters, 1863) (Serpentes: Colubridae). survey of the the Estación Biológica Tahuamanu Pristimantis reichlei is a neotropical anuran that (Departamento de Pando, Provincia de Nicolás Suárez, was described in Bolivia. This species belongs to one Bolivia), we captured a (♀, 29.9 + 11.3 cm total length; of the largest genera of vertebrates in the Neotropics live weight 7.75 g) D. dichrous at a height of 70 cm in (>500 species; Hedges et al., 2008; Melo-Sampaio and a tree along a trail in primary rainforest (-11.40594˚S, Barbosa de Souza, 2010; Frost, 2020); however, little 069.01304˚W; Datum WGS84). Subsequent to capture, is known of its natural history, ecology, or specific the individual was contained overnight in a specimen predators. Species of the Pristimantis genus undergo container. Prior to processing the following morning, direct development in terrestrial habitats and are highly we discovered the snake had regurgitated a recent affected by microhabitat features (López-Rojas et al., diet item (Fig. 1). Upon examination we determined 2015). The unique natural history characteristics of this that it consisted of the remains of an individual frog (P. reichlei; specimen identification based on size, location, coloration, and finger characteristics; item weight 0.32 g). The individual D. dichrous (CIRA-772) and the regurgitated P. reichlei (CIRA-772-A) were 1 Department of Biology and Chemistry, Texas A&M deposited into the Herpetological Collection of Centro International University, Laredo, Texas, USA. de Investigación de Recursos Acuáticos in Trinidad, 2 Department of Biology, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Bolivia (TAMUK IACUC approval #2018-05-22; Kingsville, Texas, USA. TAMIU IACUC #2018-3; permitted by the Dirección 3 Centro de Investigación de Recursos Acuáticos (CIRA), General de Biodiversidad y Áreas Protegidas Bolivia). Trinidad, Bolivia. To our knowledge, this is the first report specifically 4 Universidad Autónoma del Beni “José Ballivián”. Trinidad, Beni, Bolivia. documenting predation of P. reichlei by D. dichrous. 5 Universidad Amazonica de Pando. Cobija, Pando, Bolivia. This report adds to the limited knowledge of diet and * Corresponding author. E-mail: cord.eversole�gmail.com natural history of both of these species. 572 Cord B. Eversole et al. Figure 1. Predation of a strabomantid frog Pristimantis reichlei by the Northern woodland racer Drymoluber dichrous. This event was documented following the regurgitation of the individual P. reichlei by the snake collected during a herpetofaunal survey of the Estación Biológica Tahuamanu (Departamento del Pando, Provincia de Nicolás Suárez, Bolivia). Acknowledgements. We thank El Museo Ictícola, Centro de López-Rojas, J.J., Souza, M.B., Morato, E.F. (2015): Influence of Investigación de Recursos Acuáticos, Universidad Autónoma habitat structure on Pristimantis species (Anura: Craugastoridae) del Beni “José Ballivián”, and Universidad Amazónica de in a bamboo-dominated forest fragment in southwestern Pando for logistical support. Funding was provided by Texas Amazonia. Phyllomedusa 14: 19–31. A&M International University. We thank Dr. Steffen Reichle for Melo-Sampaio, P.R., Barbosa de Souza, M. (2010): Amphibia, providing a pre-review of this manuscript. Anura, Strabomantidae, Pristimantis reichlei Padial and De la Riva, 2009: First Record from Brazil, southwestern Amazonia. References Checklist 6: 385–386. Palmutti, C.F.S., Cassimiro, J., and Bertoluci, J. (2009): Food habits Franca, R.C., de Souza Germano, C.E., and Franca, F.G.R. (2012): of snakes from the RPPN Feliciano Miguel Abdala, an Atlantic Composition of a snake assemblage inhabiting and urbanized Forest fragment of southeastern Brazil. Biota Neotropica 9: area in the Atlantic forest of Paraíba state, Northeast Brazil. 263–269. Biota Neotropica 12: 183–195. Zipkin, E.F., DiRenzo, G.V., Ray, J.M., Rossman, S., Lips, K.R. Frost, D.R. (2020): Amphibian species of the world: an online (2020): Tropical snake diversity collapses after widespread reference. Version 6.1 (assessed 19 March 2020). amphibian loss. Science 367: 814–816. Hedges, S.B., Duellman, W.E., Heinicke, S.B. (2008): New world direct developing frogs (Anura: Terrarana): Molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography, and conservation. Zootaxa 1737: 1–182. Accepted by Gonçalo Rosa.
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