DOCSLIB.ORG

Erythrolamprus Miliaris (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes: Dipsadidae): Report on an Unusual Event of Necrophagy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 417-419 (2017) (published online on 16 August 2017) Erythrolamprus miliaris (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes: Dipsadidae): report on an unusual event of necrophagy Daniel Faustino Gomes1,2, Rodrigo Castellari Gonzalez2 and Thiago Silva-Soares3,* The water-snake Erythrolamprus miliaris (Linnaeus, found an individual of Erythrolamprus miliaris (adult 1758) is a medium-sized aglyph snake of the family female, SVL 394 mm, TL 94 mm) on the Funchal road Dipsadidae (Giraudo, 2001), which is active at both (also known as Guapiaçu rd.) leading to the Guapiaçu day and night (Marques et al., 2004). It is commonly Ecological Reserve (REGUA). The snake was feeding found in aquatic environments such as rivers and lakes on a road-killed tree frog (Scinax sp.), which was not in forested or open areas, where it preys mainly on intact but smashed and torn apart into several pieces on anurans and fish (Sazima and Haddad, 1992; Pombal, the road. The snake localized each one of the tree frog’s 2007), although some Gymnophiona (Lema et al., fragments through tongue-darting, and collected and 1983), lizards (Machado et al., 1998) and even snakes swallowed most of the pieces (Figure 1). It was a rainy (Bonfiglio and Lema, 2006) were also reported as prey night and the 12-km road that connects REGUA to the of E. miliaris. It is a voracious species, for which there main road RJ-122 was full of amphibians and snakes are reports of feeding on fish in mangroves and even crossing it, several of them road-killed. Eleven other within the sea (Marques and Souza, 1992). E. miliaris were sighted on that night on Funchal road, Necrophagy is not common amongst snakes, as seven out of them were road-killed. The snake specimen they prefer live prey (Sazima and Strüssmann, 1990; is deposited at the Museu Nacional, Universidade Parker and Grandison, 1997; Greene, 1997), and Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, under the number MNRJ literature records on necrophagic snakes are rather 20726. rare: e.g. Bothrops jararaca (Wied, 1824), E. miliaris, Marques et al., (2017) listed the presence of necrophagy Helicops modestus Günther, 1861, Hydrodynastes gigas in about 40 snake species, including some that search (Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854) and Micrurus for dead prey. Although these numbers represent only surinamensis (Cuvier, 1817) (Sazima and Strüssmann, about 1% of the world’s snake diversity (Uetz et al., 1990), and Micrurus frontalis (Duméril, Bibron and 2016), several studies suggest that scavenging may be Duméril, 1854) (Marques et al., 2017). more common amongst snakes, especially in aquatic/ On October 16th, 2011, in the municipality of Cachoeiras semi-aquatic species (Sazima and Strüssmann, 1990; de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil Marques et al., 2017). (-22.519148, -42.727685; 45 m elev.; WGS 84), we This is not the first report of scavenging for Erythrolamprus miliaris (Sazima and Strüssmann, 1990), but it is the first report of scavenging on non- intact prey. Eating non-intact prey is very rare amongst snakes as they have no masticatory specialisations for 1 Universidade Veiga de Almeida, Tijuca, Rua Ibituruna 108, chewing their prey. 20271-020, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. Only a few species naturally eat prey in pieces: e.g. 2 Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional, the Crab-eating Water Snake Fordonia leucobalia Departamento de Vertebrados, Setor de Herpetologia, Quinta (Schlegel, 1837) hunts for living crabs, but it has to da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20940-040, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, break them into pieces before swallowing (Jayne et al., Brasil. 2002). 3 Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica, Museu de Biologia Prof. Mello Leitão, Laboratório de Zoologia, Av. José Ruschi 4, During seizing prey, snakes expose themselves to Centro, 29650-000, Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo, Brasil. injury risk, especially with aggressive prey (e.g. rats; * Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] Martins et al., 2002). On the other hand, carcasses pose 418 Daniel Faustino Gomes et al. Figure 1. Erythrolamprus miliaris (MNRJ 20726) feeding on a torn apart road-killed Scinax sp. on Guapiaçu road, Cachoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. no risk or resistance at all (Marques et al., 2017), and Jayne, B.C., Voris, H.K., Peter, K.L. (2002): Snake circumvents finding a carcass might be an excellent opportunity for constraints on prey size. Nature 418.6894: 143–143. a meal with low risk and energy expenditure (Sazima Lema, T., Leitão-de-Araújo, M., Azevedo, A.C.P. (1983): Contribuição ao conhecimento da alimentação e do modo and Strüssmann, 1990). This would classify such alimentar de serpentes do Brasil. Comunicações do Museu de events more as opportunistic (Marques et al., 2017), Ciências da PUCRS 26: 41–121. than preference. Although Erythrolamprus miliaris is a Machado, R.A., Bernardes, P.S., Morato, S.A.A. (1998): Natural very common and well-studied species in Southeastern history notes: Liophis miliaris (commom water snake). Prey. Brazil, many aspects of its biology still remain unknown. Herpetological Review 29: 45. We emphasize the importance of field studies that bring Marques, O.A.V., Souza, V.C. (1992): Nota sobre a atividade to light this type of observation, which we would hardly alimentar de Liophis miliaris no Ambiente marinho (Serpentes, obtain in the laboratory. Colubridae). Revista Brasilera de Biologia 53: 645–548. Marques, O.A., Coeti, R.Z., Braga, P.A., Sazima, I. (2017): A rotten choice: feeding attempt by a coral snake (Micrurus frontalis) on References a dead pitviper (Bothrops jararaca) that had swallowed a bulky Bonfiglio, F., Lema, T. (2006): Ofiofagia em Liophis miliaris rodent. Herpetology Notes 10: 137–139. (Serpentes, Colubridae). Biociências 14: 221–222. Marques, O.A.V., Eterovic, A., Sazima, I. (2004): Snakes of the Giraudo, A. (2001): Serpientes de la Selva Paranaense y del Chaco Brazilian Atlantic Forest: An illustrated field guide for the Serra Húmedo. Buenos Aires, ARG, LOLA. do Mar Range. Holos Editora, Ribeirão Preto. Greene, H.W. (1997): Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature. Martins, M., Marques, O.A.V., Sazima, I. (2002): Ecological Berkeley CA. and phylogenetic correlates of feeding habits in Neotropical Erythrolamprus miliaris: report on an unusual event of necrophagy 419 pitvipers of the genus Bothrops. In: Biology of the Vipers, p. 307–328. Schuett, G.W., Hoggren, M., Douglas, M.E., Eds, Eagle Mountain Pub Lc, Utah. Parker, H.W., Grandison, A.G.C. (1997): Snakes - a natural history. British Museum (Natural history) and Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London. Pombal-Jr, J.P. (2007): Notas sobre predação em uma taxocenose e anfíbios anuros no sudeste do Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 24: 841–843. Sazima, I., Strussman, C. (1990): Necrofagia em serpentes brasileiras: exemplos e Previsões. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 50: 463–468. Sazima, I., Haddad, C.F.B. (1992): Répteis da Serra do Japi: notas sobre história natural. In: História Natural da Serra do Japi. Ecologia e Preservação de uma área florestal no sudeste do Brasil, p. 212–231. Morellato, L.P.C., Ed., Campinas, BRA, Editora da Unicamp/FAPESP. Uetz, P., Freed, P., Hošek, J. (eds.) (2016): The Reptile Database. Available at: http://www.reptile-database.org, [Accessed Apr. 4, 2017]. Vitt, L.J., Vangilder, L.D. (1983): Ecology of a snake community in northeastern Brazil. Amphibia-Reptilia 4: 273–296. Accepted by Hendrik Müller.
Recommended publications
  • Is the Martinique Ground Snake Erythrolamprus Cursor Extinct?

    Is the Martinique Ground Snake Erythrolamprus Cursor Extinct?

    Is the Martinique ground snake Erythrolamprus cursor extinct? S TEPHANE C AUT and M ICHAEL J. JOWERS Abstract The Caribbean Islands are a biodiversity hotspot throughout Martinique during the th and th centuries where anthropogenic disturbances have had a significant (Moreau de Jonnès, ). It was last observed on the impact, causing population declines and extinction of en- Martinique mainland in , when a single individual demic species. The ground snake Erythrolamprus cursor is was caught near Fort-de-France. There are two potential a dipsadid endemic to Martinique; it is categorized as reasons for its decline: people may have mistaken it for Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is known the venomous lancehead Bothrops lanceolatus, which may only from museum specimens. The snake was common on have led to its eradication, and the small Indian mongoose Martinique during the th and th centuries but there Herpestes javanicus auropunctatus, an invasive predator, have been no reliable sightings since , suggesting it was introduced to the West Indies at the end of the th cen- may have gone extinct, probably as a result of the introduc- tury, resulting in declines and extirpations of reptile species tion of the small Indian mongoose Herpestes javanicus aur- (Henderson, ). opunctatus. However, the islet known as Diamond Rock, To the south-west of Martinique, c. km from the coast, south-west of Martinique, is mongoose-free and the last re- lies a volcanic islet (spanning . ha, with a maximum ele- ported sighting of E. cursor there was in . The islet was vation of m; Fig. a; Plate ) known as Diamond Rock.
  • Squamata: Tropiduridae) Predation by Erythrolamprus Poecilogyrus (Colubridae

    Squamata: Tropiduridae) Predation by Erythrolamprus Poecilogyrus (Colubridae

    Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 133-134 (2021) (published online on 22 January 2021) First record of Tropidurus hispidus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) predation by Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus (Colubridae) Monique Celião de Oliveira1,*, Rivanilda Gonçalves Duarte2, Érica Gomes da Silva2, Diêgo Alves Teles3, João Antonio de Araujo Filho3, and Waltécio de Oliveira Almeida4 The genus Erythrolamprus currently comprises 51 in its stomach. The lizard was identified at the species species (Murphy et al., 2019; Uetz et al., 2020), 35 level according to the literature of Rodrigues (1987). of which occur in Brazil (Costa and Bérnils, 2015). According to this author Tropidurus hispidus are easily Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus (Wied-Neuwied, 1825) identified through the covered and interwoven dorsal is widely distributed in South America, including scales and by the absence of a differentiated middle regions of Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and dorsal crest. Brazil, (occurring in moist forest, Amazonian forest, Tropidurus hispidus is distributed throughout the the Cerrado and semi-arid regions, such as the Caatinga Caatinga (a semi-arid environment), being quite [Uetz et al., 2020]). abundant, occupying a great variety of microhabitats, Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus (Fig. 1) has nocturnal such as rocks, trunks, foliage and bromeliads (Vanzolini and diurnal habits, being a terrestrial and oviparous et al., 1980). species that feeds mainly on fish, birds, small rodents Lizards of the genus Tropidurus are known as sit and and amphibians (Silva-Junior et al., 2003), among wait foragers with opportunistic eating habits (Passos them Bufonidae (Bufo granulosus, B. paracnemis) and et al., 2016). Although their diet is primarily composed Leptodactylidae (Leptodactylus fuscus, L. ocellatus and of arthropods, several species of tropidurids also feed Physalaemus cuvieri) (Norman and Naylor, 1994).
  • Aberrant Colourations in Wild Snakes: Case Study in Neotropical Taxa and a Review of Terminology

    Aberrant Colourations in Wild Snakes: Case Study in Neotropical Taxa and a Review of Terminology

    SALAMANDRA 57(1): 124–138 Claudio Borteiro et al. SALAMANDRA 15 February 2021 ISSN 0036–3375 German Journal of Herpetology Aberrant colourations in wild snakes: case study in Neotropical taxa and a review of terminology Claudio Borteiro1, Arthur Diesel Abegg2,3, Fabrício Hirouki Oda4, Darío Cardozo5, Francisco Kolenc1, Ignacio Etchandy6, Irasema Bisaiz6, Carlos Prigioni1 & Diego Baldo5 1) Sección Herpetología, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Miguelete 1825, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay 2) Instituto Butantan, Laboratório Especial de Coleções Zoológicas, Avenida Vital Brasil, 1500, Butantã, CEP 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil 3) Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Travessa 14, Rua do Matão, 321, Cidade Universitária, 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil 4) Universidade Regional do Cariri, Departamento de Química Biológica, Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioprospecção Molecular, Rua Coronel Antônio Luiz 1161, Pimenta, Crato, Ceará 63105-000, CE, Brazil 5) Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET-UNaM), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Felix de Azara 1552, CP 3300, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina 6) Alternatus Uruguay, Ruta 37, km 1.4, Piriápolis, Uruguay Corresponding author: Claudio Borteiro, e-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received: 2 April 2020 Accepted: 18 August 2020 by Arne Schulze Abstract. The criteria used by previous authors to define colour aberrancies of snakes, particularly albinism, are varied and terms have widely been used ambiguously. The aim of this work was to review genetically based aberrant colour morphs of wild Neotropical snakes and associated terminology. We compiled a total of 115 cases of conspicuous defective expressions of pigmentations in snakes, including melanin (black/brown colour), xanthins (yellow), and erythrins (red), which in- volved 47 species of Aniliidae, Boidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, Leptotyphlopidae, Typhlopidae, and Viperidae.
  • A Morphological and Molecular Study of Hydrodynastes Gigas (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), a Widespread Species from South America

    A Morphological and Molecular Study of Hydrodynastes Gigas (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), a Widespread Species from South America

    A morphological and molecular study of Hydrodynastes gigas (Serpentes, Dipsadidae), a widespread species from South America Priscila S. Carvalho1,2, Hussam Zaher3, Nelson J. da Silva Jr4 and Diego J. Santana1 1 Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil 2 Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio preto, São Paulo, Brazil 3 Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil 4 Escola de Ciências Médicas, Farmacêuticas e Biomédicas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil ABSTRACT Background. Studies with integrative approaches (based on different lines of evidence) are fundamental for understanding the diversity of organisms. Different data sources can improve the understanding of the taxonomy and evolution of snakes. We used this integrative approach to verify the taxonomic status of Hydrodynastes gigas (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854), given its wide distribution throughout South America, including the validity of the recently described Hydrodynastes melanogigas Franco, Fernandes & Bentim, 2007. Methods. We performed a phylogenetic analysis of Bayesian Inference with mtDNA 16S and Cytb, and nuDNA Cmos and NT3 concatenated (1,902 bp). In addition, we performed traditional morphometric analyses, meristic, hemipenis morphology and coloration pattern of H. gigas and H. melanogigas. Results. According to molecular and morphological characters, H. gigas is widely Submitted 19 May 2020 distributed throughout South America. We found no evidence to support that H. Accepted 9 September 2020 gigas and H. melanogigas species are distinct lineages, therefore, H. melanogigas is a Published 25 November 2020 junior synonym of H.
  • Micrurus Lemniscatus (Large Coral Snake)

    Micrurus Lemniscatus (Large Coral Snake)

    UWI The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago Behaviour Micrurus lemniscatus (Large Coral Snake) Family: Elapidae (Cobras and Coral Snakes) Order: Squamata (Lizards and Snakes) Class: Reptilia (Reptiles) Fig. 1. Large coral snake, Micrurus leminiscatus. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/lvulgaris/6856842857/, downloaded 4 December 2012] TRAITS. The large snake coral has a triad-type pattern, i.e. the black coloration is in clusters of three. The centre band of the triad is wider than the outer ones and is separated by wide white or yellow rings (Schmidt 1957). The red band is undisturbed and bold and separates the black triads. The snout is black with a white crossband (Fig. 1). The triad number may vary from 9-13 on the body and the tail may have 1-2. The physical shape and the structure of the body of the large coral snake show a resemblance to the colubrids. It is the dentition and the formation of the maxillary bone that distinguishes the two, including the hollow fangs. The largest Micrurus lemniscatus ever recorded was 106.7 cm; adults usually measure from 40-50 cm (Schmidt 1957). The neck is not highly distinguishable from the rest of the body as there is modest narrowing of that area behind the neck giving the snake an almost cylindrical, elongated look. Dangerously venomous. UWI The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago Behaviour ECOLOGY. The large coral snake is mostly found in South America, east of the Andes, southern Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, the Guianas and Brazil, it is uncommon in Trinidad.
  • First Record of Micrurus Lemniscatus Carvalhoi Roze, 1967 (Serpentes: Elapidae) from Espírito Santo State, Southeastern Brazil

    First Record of Micrurus Lemniscatus Carvalhoi Roze, 1967 (Serpentes: Elapidae) from Espírito Santo State, Southeastern Brazil

    Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 391-393 (2017) (published online on 06 July 2017) First Record of Micrurus lemniscatus carvalhoi Roze, 1967 (Serpentes: Elapidae) from Espírito Santo State, Southeastern Brazil Thiago Marcial de Castro1,*, Jane C. F. de Oliveira2, Rodrigo Castellari Gonzalez3, Felipe Franco Curcio4 and Darlan Tavares Feitosa5 Micrurus lemniscatus (Linnaeus, 1758) is a triad- In Brazil, Micrurus lemniscatus is the most widely patterned coral snake species widespread in most distributed triad coral snake (Silva Jr. et al., 2016). Brazilian biomes (to the exception of Pantanal wetlands; Micrurus l. carvalhoi ranges predominantly throughout see Silva Jr. et al., 2016), and also known from western central-eastern Brazil, with records from the states of Argentina and eastern Paraguay. The nominal species Alagoas, Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas contains three subspecies (M. l. lemniscatus, M. l Gerais, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do carvalhoi, and M. l. helleri; see Pires et al., 2014 and Norte, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Silva Jr. et al., 2016) defined on the basis of colouration São Paulo, Sergipe, and Tocantins (Campbell and features and triads counts. Micrurus l. carvalhoi can be Lamar, 1989; Giraudo and Scrochii, 2002; Pires, 2011; distinguished from M. l. lemniscatus by the presence of irregular black spots on the red rings, black spots on the tips of dorsals of the white rings, which may occasionally form incomplete transversal bands, as well as a lower number of subcaudals (Roze, 1967; Pires et al., 2014). Micrurus l.carvalhoi differs from M. l. helleri by the number of dorsal and ventral scales (see Table 1 for comparative meristics data).
  • MAINTENANCE of RED-TAIL CORAL SNAKE (Micrurus Mipartitus)

    MAINTENANCE of RED-TAIL CORAL SNAKE (Micrurus Mipartitus)

    ACTA BIOLÓGICA COLOMBIANA http://www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/actabiol SEDE BOGOTÁ FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS ARTÍCULODEPARTAMENTO DE DE INVESTIGACIÓN/RESEARCH BIOLOGÍA ARTICLE MAINTENANCE OF RED-TAIL CORAL SNAKE (Micrurus mipartitus) IN CAPTIVITY AND EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL VENOM VARIABILITY Mantenimiento en cautiverio de la coral rabo de ají (Micrurus mipartitus) y evaluación en la variabilidad individual de su veneno Ana María HENAO DUQUE1; Vitelbina NÚÑEZ RANGEL1,2. 1 Programa de Ofidismo/Escorpionismo, Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Alimentarias. Universidad de Antioquia UdeA. Carrera 50A nº. 63-65. Medellín, Colombia. 2 Escuela de Microbiología. Universidad de Antioquia UdeA; Calle 70 nº. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia. For correspondence. [email protected] Received: 8th July 2015, Returned for revision: 30th November 2015, Accepted:17th January 2016. Associate Editor: Martha Lucia Ramírez. Citation/Citar este artículo como: Henao Duque AM, Núñez Rangel V. Maintenance of red-tail coral snake (Micrurus mipartitus) in captivity and evaluation of individual venom variability. Acta biol. Colomb. 2016;21(3):593-600. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15446/abc.v21n3.51651 ABSTRACT Red-tail coral snake (Micrurus mipartitus) is a long and thin bicolor coral snake widely distributed in Colombia and is the coral that causes the majority of accidents in the Andean region, so it is important to keep this species in captivity for anti-venom production and research. However, maintaining this species in captivity is very difficult because it refuses to feed, in addition to the high mortality rate due to maladaptation syndrome. In this study a force feeding diet, diverse substrates for maintenance and a milking technique were evaluated.
  • Summary Report of Freshwater Nonindigenous Aquatic Species in U.S

    Summary Report of Freshwater Nonindigenous Aquatic Species in U.S

    Summary Report of Freshwater Nonindigenous Aquatic Species in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4—An Update April 2013 Prepared by: Pam L. Fuller, Amy J. Benson, and Matthew J. Cannister U.S. Geological Survey Southeast Ecological Science Center Gainesville, Florida Prepared for: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia Cover Photos: Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix – Auburn University Giant Applesnail, Pomacea maculata – David Knott Straightedge Crayfish, Procambarus hayi – U.S. Forest Service i Table of Contents Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................ vi INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Overview of Region 4 Introductions Since 2000 ....................................................................................... 1 Format of Species Accounts ...................................................................................................................... 2 Explanation of Maps ................................................................................................................................
  • By a Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus Novemcinctus) in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica

    By a Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus Novemcinctus) in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica

    Edentata: in press Electronic version: ISSN 1852-9208 Print version: ISSN 1413-4411 http://www.xenarthrans.org FIELD NOTE Predation of a Central American coral snake (Micrurus nigrocinctus) by a nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica Eduardo CarrilloA and Todd K. FullerB,1 A Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Apdo. 1350, Heredia, Costa Rica. E-mail: [email protected] B Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA. E-mail: [email protected] 1 Corresponding author Abstract We describe the manner in which a nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) killed a Cen- tral American coral snake (Micrurus nigrocinctus) that it subsequently ate. The armadillo repeatedly ran towards, jumped, flipped over in mid-air, and landed on top of the snake with its back until the snake was dead. Keywords: armadillo, behavior, food, predation, snake Depredación de una serpiente de coral de América Central (Micrurus nigrocinctus) por un armadillo de nueve bandas (Dasypus novemcinctus) en el Parque Nacional Santa Rosa, Costa Rica Resumen En esta nota describimos la manera en que un armadillo de nueve bandas (Dasypus novemcinc- tus) mató a una serpiente de coral de América Central (Micrurus nigrocinctus) que posteriormente comió. El armadillo corrió varias veces hacia adelante, saltó, se dio vuelta en el aire y aterrizó sobre la serpiente con la espalda hasta que la serpiente estuvo muerta. Palabras clave: armadillo, comida, comportamiento, depredación, serpiente Nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinc- The ~4-kg nine-banded armadillo is distributed tus) feed mostly on arthropods such as beetles, ter- from the southeast and central United States to Uru- mites, and ants, but also consume bird eggs and guay and northern Argentina, Granada, Trinidad “unusual items” such as fruits, fungi, and small verte- and Tobago, and the Margarita Islands (Loughry brates (McBee & Baker, 1982; Wetzel, 1991; Carrillo et al., 2014).
  • Climbing Behaviour in Micrurus Altirostris (Cope, 1860) (Serpentes, Elapidae) from an Atlantic Rainforest in Southern Brazil

    Climbing Behaviour in Micrurus Altirostris (Cope, 1860) (Serpentes, Elapidae) from an Atlantic Rainforest in Southern Brazil

    Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 437-439 (2018) (published online on 24 May 2018) Climbing behaviour in Micrurus altirostris (Cope, 1860) (Serpentes, Elapidae) from an Atlantic rainforest in southern Brazil Manoela Alberton Getelina1,*, Gilcinéia dos Santos2, Ivanice Busatto2, Rodrigo Ceratto Bortoluzzi3 and Marcelo Carvalho da Rocha3 Coralsnakes are the only neotropical representatives in Derrubadas Municipality, Rio Grande do Sul State, of the family Elapidae (Campbell and Lamar, 2004) and Brazil. The individual was sitting immobile on the the genus Micrurus Wagler 1824 is the most diverse forest floor. The animal was captured to verify the sex of the family (Roze, 1996; Uetz, 2014). Micrurus and released immediately after the verification. The M. altirostris (Cope, 1860) is a fossorial coralsnake altirostris started fleeing into the forest and, when it was (Giraudo, 2001) that occurs in southern Brazil (Paraná, touched again, started climbing into the low branches of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul States), Uruguay, nearby Piperaceae and Bambusaceae bushes (2.5 cm off northeastern Argentina (Misiones, Corrientes and Entre the ground). After climbing to a height of ~83 cm, the Rios Provinces) and eastern Paraguay (Silva and Sites, M. altirostris waited in the branches until the “menace 1999) and uses subterranean galleries for foraging of attack” stopped (about 1 minute), then started moving and shelter. It is active both at night and during the slowly back to the ground. day (Bernarde, 2012) and like many other fossorial Machado et al. (2005) reported a M. altirostris actively elapids, is commonly found before rains (Campbell and foraging in a tree 1.5 m above the ground.
  • Marine Reptiles Arne R

    Marine Reptiles Arne R

    Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Study of Biological Complexity Publications Center for the Study of Biological Complexity 2011 Marine Reptiles Arne R. Rasmessen The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts John D. Murphy Field Museum of Natural History Medy Ompi Sam Ratulangi University J. Whitfield iG bbons University of Georgia Peter Uetz Virginia Commonwealth University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/csbc_pubs Part of the Life Sciences Commons Copyright: © 2011 Rasmussen et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Downloaded from http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/csbc_pubs/20 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for the Study of Biological Complexity at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Study of Biological Complexity Publications by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Review Marine Reptiles Arne Redsted Rasmussen1, John C. Murphy2, Medy Ompi3, J. Whitfield Gibbons4, Peter Uetz5* 1 School of Conservation, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2 Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, 3 Marine Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, 4 Savannah River Ecology Lab, University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina, United States of America, 5 Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America Of the more than 12,000 species and subspecies of extant Caribbean, although some species occasionally travel as far north reptiles, about 100 have re-entered the ocean.
  • A New Colour Morph of Calliophis Bibroni (Squamata: Elapidae) and Evidence for Müllerian Mimicry in Tropical Indian Coralsnakes

    A New Colour Morph of Calliophis Bibroni (Squamata: Elapidae) and Evidence for Müllerian Mimicry in Tropical Indian Coralsnakes

    Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 209-217 (2017) (published online on 25 April 2017) A new colour morph of Calliophis bibroni (Squamata: Elapidae) and evidence for Müllerian mimicry in Tropical Indian coralsnakes Dileep Kumar Raveendran1, V. Deepak2, Eric N. Smith3 and Utpal Smart3,* Abstract. Meristic and molecular data provide evidence for an exceptional multi-chromatic defensive strategy in an Indian coralsnake, Calliophis bibroni from the state of Kerala. We propose a mimicry hypothesis involving a combination of an ontogenetic colour shift at maturity, from initial Müllerian mimicry with a subtropical Indian coralsnake Sinomicrurus macclellandii, to one of two very different adult dorsal colours: 1) an aposematic pattern resembling that of the sympatric tropical Indian coralsnake Calliophis castoe or 2) a cryptic dark brown colouration. To this end, we succinctly juxtapose the rich body of work on mimicry in New World elapids to that of their Old World counterparts in an attempt to address the exciting yet unexplored prospect of investigating mimicry, crypsis and aposematism in Old World coralsnakes. Key Words. Aposematism, crypsis, Indian coralsnakes, genetic distance, meristics, mimicry Introduction Müllerian co-mimics benefit from sharing the same signal since this reduces the number of individuals that Animal colouration provides many functions; the most have to be sacrificed per prey species to educate local important among them is probably predator avoidance predators of a given aposematic colouration (Müller, and deterrence. Camouflage, or crypsis, blends animals 1879). Furthermore, possibly to balance prey-predator into their environment while deimatism surprises and dynamics, some mimics may replicate the colours confuses predators with the display of startling colour or patterns of dangerous models which lack bright, patterns.