Corallus Hortulanus) in a Daytime Retreat on Batatas Island in the Parnaíba Delta, Brazil
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WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNALTABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANSIRCF REPTILES • VOL15, N &O 4AMPHIBIANS • DEC 2008 189 • 21(3):86–92 • SEP 2014 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES Natural. Chasing Bullsnakes History (Pituophis catenifer sayi) in Wisconsin: Observations of Amazon 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: TreeboasA Hypothetical (Corallus Excursion ............................................................................................................................ hortulanus) on RobertThree W. Henderson 198Islands RESEARCHin ARTICLES the Parnaíba Delta, Brazil . 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 1 2 .............................................PedroBrian J. da Camposano, Costa KennethSilva L. and Krysko, Robert Kevin M. W.Enge, Henderson Ellen M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212 1Núcleo de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia, BIOTEC, Universidade Federal do Piauí, CONSERVATION ALERT Campus Ministro Reis Vellozo, Parnaíba, Piauí. Cep: 64202-020, Brazil . World’s Mammals2Milwaukee in Crisis Public ............................................................................................................................................................. Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, USA ([email protected]) 220 . More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 . The “Dow Jones Index” of Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................... 225 Photographs by the senior author except where indicated. HUSBANDRY . Captive Care of the Central Netted Dragon ....................................................................................................... Shannon Plummer 226 PROFILE n June of 2010, the. seniorKraig Adler: author A Lifetime initiated Promoting surveys Herpetology of ................................................................................................ Amazon MichaelStudy L. Treglia Area 234 2 ITreeboas (CorallusCOMMENTARY hortulanus; Fig. 1) along waterways of the The Parnaíba Delta is an area of 2,700 km , comprised of more Parnaíba Delta. Since. Thethen, Turtles he Have has Been logged Watching 1,440 Me ........................................................................................................................ survey hours than 70 islands and islets divided Eric Gangloff between 238 the Brazilian states that resulted in 1,320 encounters with C. hortulanus. of Piauí and Maranhão. Surveys were conducted in three areas BOOK REVIEW . Threatened Amphibians of the World edited by S.N. Stuart, M. Hoffmann, J.S. Chanson, N.A. Cox, R. Berridge, P. Ramani, and B.E. Young .............................................................................................................. Robert Powell 243 CONSERVATION RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Conservation Research Reports ................................. 245 NATURAL HISTORY RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Reports on Natural History ................................. 247 NEWBRIEFS ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 248 EDITORIAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 251 FOCUS ON CONSERVATION: A Project You Can Support ............................................................................................... 252 Front Cover. Shannon Plummer. Back Cover. Michael Kern Totat et velleseque audant mo Totat et velleseque audant mo estibus inveliquo velique rerchil estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque fugiatis maionsequat eumque moditia erere nonsedis ma sectiatur moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as accullabo. Fig. 1. An Amazon Treeboa (Corallus hortulanus) in a daytime retreat on Batatas Island in the Parnaíba Delta, Brazil. Copyright © 2014. Pedro da Costa Silva. All rights reserved. 86 DA COSTA SILVA AND HENDERSON IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 21(3):86–92 • SEP 2014 Fig. 2. Maps depicting the three islands, their creeks, and their geographic location in Brazil. known to be used by foraging treeboas (Fig. 2): Camaleões lunatum, Pumpwoods (Cecropia sp.), Oil Palm (Elaeis guine- Creek on Ilha das Batatas, Baixão Creek on Ilha Grande, and sis), Java-plum (Syzygium cumini), Jenipapeiro (Jenipa ameri- Guirindó Creek on Canárias (Fig. 3). The three islands are cana), Inga de paca (Inga vera), Monguba (Pachira aquatic), characterized by vegetation that occurs on wetlands adjacent Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), and Black Mangrove to rivers and creeks and comprised mainly by an aquatic mac- (Avicennia germinans). The area also is used for agriculture, rophyte (Montrichardia linifera), thorn-laden Machaerium including rice (planted in the wetlands adjacent to creeks), Fig. 3. Habitat along Guirindó creek. 87 DA COSTA SILVA AND HENDERSON IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 21(3):86–92 • SEP 2014 Methods Surveys by canoe (Fig. 4) along each creek were conducted monthly from June 2010 until April 2014. The creeks range from 1–5 km in length, although only 1.5 km were acces- sible by canoe. Treeboas were observed and photographed; an infrared monocular (Yukon nightfall), an LED flashlight, and a camera with night vision capability (Sony CCD TRV 128) were used to observe and record treeboa behavior. Treeboa encounters usually started at dusk (~1830 h) and continued to 2355 h. If necessary, additional surveys were made from 0010 h to 0500 h. Results Dorsal ground colors recorded on the three islands were dark gray (65%), dark orange (30%), and yellow (5%) on Camaleões and Baixão creeks, and dark gray (50%), dark orange (40%), and yellow (10%) on Guirindó Creek. Minimum and maximum nocturnal boa perch heights var- ied according to high and low tides; some individuals were observed at 1.2–2.5 m on moonless nights, but perch heights were 2.3–7.0 m during the full moon. During the dry season, air temperature ranged between 29 ºC and 26 ºC between 1759 h and 2350 h, and from 26 ºC to 24 ºC during 0030 Fig. 4. The senior author with a spectacular yellow Amazon Treeboa h to 0445 h. During the rainy season, air temperatures were (Corallus hortulanus). Photograph by Mr. Boiteau. between 28 ºC and 26 ºC from 1759 h to 2359 h, and between 26 ºC and 22 ºC during 0002 h and 0500 h. bananas, beans, and cane sugar on the uplands in the interior Activity.—In 1,320 encounters with C. hortulanus, of the islands. Average annual rainfall exceeds 1,200 mm, fall- approximately 30% were adults (1,000–1,500 mm SVL), ing mainly during January to May (IBAMA, 1998). 50% subadults (800–1,000 mm SVL), 15% juveniles (500– Fig. 5. Corallus hortulanus beginning to swallow a Purple Gallinule (Prophyrio martinica). 88 DA COSTA SILVA AND HENDERSON IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 21(3):86–92 • SEP 2014 600 mm SVL), and 5% neonates (270–350 mm SVL). Seven Most individuals were foraging (moving) in the shad- hundred ninety-five encounters occurred during moonless ows of trees and usually about 3 m above the ground. The nights (new moon and first quarter), and three boas had cap- high number of C. hortulanus restricting their activities to tured prey: A Great Ani (Crotophaga major; da Costa Silva moonless nights is likely attributable to the risk of becoming and Henderson 2010), a Purple Gallinule (Prophyrio martin- prey (although they may remain visible to predators such as ica; da Costa Silva and Henderson 2013b; Fig. 5), and a Black Barn Owls, Tyto alba; da Costa Silva and Henderson 2013a). Myotis (Myotis nigricans). Three other boas were observed During the rainy season, boa encounters decreased, although stalking two different prey species, a Spiny Rat (Makalata sp.; 53 observations were made during rainless intervals. When da Costa Silva and Henderson 2012) and two Green Iguanas raining, C. hortulanus was frequently coiled under shelter pro- (Iguana iguana), without success. In addition, 48 adults and vided by the leaves of the macrophyte Montrichardia linifera. two neonates were coiled in resting postures with obvious On 26 April 2014, at 1830 h after 35 minutes of heavy rain, bulges in their bodies indicating a recently ingested meal. two boas were observed; at 1901 h our search was interrupted Mating C. hortulanus were observed copulating in the after- by heavy rain and lightning. At 1930 h, the rain had stopped, noon during September and during the night of 27 June. the survey resumed, and another 13 treeboas were observed Three hundred encounters were recorded during moon- by 2030 h (for a total of ten adults ~1.30–1.50 m and five lit nights (full moon and last quarter). Individual boas had juveniles to 500 mm); all were active.