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The Blind Snake Trilepida Koppesi (Amaral, 1955) As Prey of Armadillo Euphractus Sexcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758), with a Review of Scolecophidia Predators

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The Blind Snake Trilepida Koppesi (Amaral, 1955) As Prey of Armadillo Euphractus Sexcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758), with a Review of Scolecophidia Predators Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 49-55 (2020) (published online on 30 January 2020) The blind snake Trilepida koppesi (Amaral, 1955) as prey of armadillo Euphractus sexcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758), with a review of Scolecophidia predators Silara Fatima Batista1,2,*, Kátia Gomes Facure3, and Otavio A. V. Marques1,2 Snakes are consumed by several predators, including Cláudio et al., 2017). Herein we present a new record vertebrates (e.g. Costa et al., 2009) and invertebrates of predation on this species and summarize records of (e.g. Borges et al., 2016). Subterranean snakes live predation on several other scolecophids (Table 1). underground for much of the time making it hard for In August 28, 2010, an individual of yellow armadillo predators to access them. Among all living snakes, (Euphractus sexcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758), body mass: the Scolecophidia are the most specialized to live 6.0kg), was collected during a field trip, ran over, on the underground (Greene, 1997). This group of snakes, access road (MGC 461, 19°11’57.2”S; 49°47’01.9”W) usually named blind snakes, is traditionally divided in to Gurinhatã, MG and destining the didactic collection Anomalepididae, Leptotyphlopidae and Typhlopidae (Greene, 1997; Vidal et al., 2010). The leptotyphlopid snakes are known as threadsnakes or wormsnakes due to their small and fine body (Adalsteinsson et al., 2009). In Brazil, it currently comprises three genera (Epictia, Siagonodon and Trilepida) and 18 species (Costa & Bérnils et al., 2018). The blind snake Trilepida koppesi (Amaral, 1955) occurs in the Brazilian Cerrado (Passos et al., 2006). The few data of natural history indicate that it begins its activity after the sunset mainly in the rainy period, and feeds primarily on ant larvae and pupae (Sawaya et al., 2008). There is only one predation data of this blind snake by Labyrinth frog (Vaz-e-Silva et al., 2003), but leptotyphlopids can be predated by several groups (McCormick and Polis, 1982; Greene, 1988; 1 Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Rua Cristovão Colombo, 2265, Jardim Nazareth, CEP 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil. 2 Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Avenida Vital Brasil, 1.500, Butantã, CEP 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. 3 Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais do Pontal, Rua 20, 1600, Tupã, CEP Figure 1. The specimen of Trilepida koppesi (total length = 38304-402 Ituiutaba, MG, Brazil. 362 mm) found in the stomach of Euphractus sexcinctus, in * Corresponding author: [email protected] dorsal (A) and ventral (B) view. 50 Table 1. Scolecophidia predation records available in the literature and in Schalk and Cove (2018). Table 1. Scolecophidia predation records available in the literature and in Schalk and Cove (2018). Snake species Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibian Arthropod Reference Unidentified Scolecophidia Micrurus altirostris Rodriguez et al., 2018 (snake) Anomalepididae Madatyphlops cuneirostris Echis pyramidum (snake) Spawls et al., 2004 Madatyphlops punctatus Polemon fulvicollis Kusamba et al., 2013 graueri (snake) Liotyphlops beui . Apostolepis assimilis Barbo, 2008 (snake) Liotyphlops beui Micrurus altirostris Rodriguez et al., 2018 (snake) Liotyphlops albirostris Rhinella marina (anurans) Kelehear, 2014 Liotyphlops albirostris Micrurus nigrocinctus Ray et al., 2012 (snake) Liotyphlops albirostris Micrurus dissoleucus Arévalo-Paez et al., 2015 (snake) Typhlopidae Anilios guentheri Rhinella marina (anurans) Pizzatto et al., 2012 Antillotyphlops platycephalus Borikenophis Rodriguez-Robles and Leal, 1993 portoricensis (snake) Amerotyphlops brongersmianus Micrurus altirostris Rodriguez et al., 2018 (snake) Amerotyphlops brongersmianus Leptodactylus Vaz-Silva et al., 2003 labyrinthicus (anurans) Silara Fatima Batista Batista Fatima Silara Amerotyphlops brongersmianus Megascops choliba (owl) Martinelli, 2009 Indotyphlops braminus Varanus indicus (lizard) Dryden, 1965 Indotyphlops braminus Duttaphrynus Hahn, 1976 melanostictus (anurans) Indotyphlops braminus Duttaphrynus O'Shea et al., 2013 melanostictus (anurans) et al. et Indotyphlops braminus Rhinella marina (anurans) Krysko et al., 2010 The blindsnake Table 1. Continued. Snake species Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibian Arthropod Reference Epictia munoai Micrurus altirostris Carreira-Vidal, 2002 (snake) koppesi Trilepida Epictia striatula Apostolepis multicincta Embert and Reichle, 2003 (snake) Epictia tenella Leptodactylus Toledo and Marais, 2013 labyrinthicus (anurans) Epictia tenella Micrastur gilvicollis Watkins-Colwell et al., 2006 (falcon) aspreyofarmadillo Rena dulcis Dasypus novemcinctus Kalmbach, 1944 (armadillo) Rena dulcis Bassariscus sp. Taylor, 1954 (Procionids) Rena dulcis Micrurus fulvius (snake) Greene, 1984 Rena dulcis Hypsiglena torquata Setser and Goode, 2004 Euphractus sexcinctus (snake) Rena humilis Hadrurus sp. (scorpion) Anderson, 1956 Rena humilis Unidentified coral snake Greene, 1973 Rena humilis Micruroides euryxanthus Vitt and Hulse, 1973 (snake) Rena humilis Smeringurus mesaensis Polis, 1979 (scorpion) Rena humilis Hadrurus arizonensis McCormick and Polis, 1982 (scorpion) Rena humilis Antrozous pallidus (bat) Mata-Silva and Johnson, 2011 Rena humilis Hypsiglena torquata Setser and Goode, 2004 (snake) Rena maxima Aspidoscelis deppii Chavez-Martinez and Ramirez- (lizard) Bautista, 1998 Epictia sp. Uranoscodon Martins, 1996 superciliosus (lizard) 51 52 Table 1. Continued. Snake species Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibian Arthropod Reference Epictia sp. Bothrops atrox (snake) Bernarde & Abe, 2010 Leptotyphlops longicaudus Aparallactus capensis Spawls et al., 2004 (snake) Leptotyphlops scutifrons Otocyon megalotis (canid) Spawls et al., 2004 Leptotyphlops scutifrons Vulpes chama (canid) Spawls et al., 2004 Leptotyphlops scutifrons Canis mesomelas (canid) Spawls et al., 2004 Leptotyphlops scutifrons Genetta sp. (genet) Spawls et al., 2004 Leptotyphlops scutifrons Atractaspis irregularis Spawls et al., 2004 (snake) Siagonodon borrichianus Rhinella arenarum (frog) Quiroga et al., 2007 Trilepida sp. Athene cunicularia (owl) Claúdio et al., 2017 Trilepida koppesi Euphractus sexcinctus This study (armadillo) Trilepida koppesi Leptodactylus Vaz-Silva et al., 2003 labyrinthicus (anurans) Silara Fatima Batista Batista Fatima Silara et al. et The blind snake Trilepida koppesi as prey of armadillo Euphractus sexcinctus 53 (according IN No 03, de 01 de setembro de 2014). The References analysis of this stomach revealed an entire specimen of Adalsteinsson, S.A., Branch, W.R., Trape, S., Vitt, L.J., Hedges, S.B. Trilepida koppesi (SVL: 337mm; TL: 25mm, female) (2009): Molecular phylogeny, classification, and biogeography (Figure 1). In addition, contents of the armadillo stomach of snakes of the Family Leptotyphlopidae (Reptilia, Squamata). also included termites [Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae (n = Zootaxa 2244: 1–50. 16) and Kalotermitidae (n = 4 individuals)]. The snake is Anacleto, T.C.S. (2007): Food Habits of Four Armadillo Species housed on Coleção Herpetológica do Instituto Butantan in the Cerrado Area, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Zoological Studies 46(4): 529–537. (IBSP 91.417). Anderson, J.D. (1956): A blind snake preyed upon by a scorpion. Armadillos feed mainly on ants and termites, but they Herpetologica 12: 327. may also eat others small animals, carrion and some Arévalo-Páez, M., Montes-Correa, A.C., Rada-Vargas, E., Sabóya- fruit or other types of vegetal matter (Emmons and Feer, Acosta, L.P., Renjifo, J.M. (2015): Notes on the diet of the Pigmy 1997). The yellow armadillo is a common species found Coral Snake Micrurus dissoleucus (Cope, 1860) in northern in savannah habitats in most of South America (Redford Colombia (Serpentes: Elapidae). Herpetology Notes 8: 39–41. and Wetzel, 1985). Although insects are common in the Barbo, F.E. (2008): Composição, História Natural, Diversidade e Distribuição das Serpentes no Município de São Paulo, SP. diet of E. sexcinctus, vertebrates, and more specifically Master dissertation, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo. snakes, are not so frequent (Dalponte and Tavares- Bernarde, P.S., Abe, A.S. (2010): Hábitos alimentares de serpentes Filho, 2004; Anacleto, 2007). This species, unlike other em Espigão do Oeste, Rondônia, Brasil. Biota Neotropica 10(1): species of armadillos, excavates new burrows, preferring 167–173. them in detriments of old burrows (Redford and Wetzel, Borges, L.M., Rosa, C.M., Dri, G.F., Bertani, R. (2016): Predation 1985). This foraging behavior may favor the encounter of the snake Erythrolamprus almadensis (Wagler, 1824) by the of fossorial snakes such as T. koppesi (Anacleto, 2007). tarantula Grammostola quirogai Montes De Oca, D’Elía & Pérez-Miles, 2016. Herpetology Notes 9: 321–322. It is also possible that the snake was captured during Campbell, J.A., Lamar, W.W. (2004): The Venomous Reptiles of foraging activities in termite nests, since this snake the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, species forages on ant larvae and termites (Sawaya et Ithaca and London. 1032pp. al., 2008), as well as the yellow armadillo. Carreira Vidal, S. (2002): Alimentación de los ofídios de Knowledge about the natural history of scolecophidians Uruguay. Asociación Herpetológica Española, Monografias de is sparse, usually obtained in the description and/or Herpetología 6: 126p. revision of the taxon, or in specific studies on the natural Casper, G. (1985): Prey
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