Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 479-486 (2017) (published online on 13 September 2017) Snakes from the Municipality of São José do Barreiro, State of São Paulo, Brazil Flora Roncolatto Ortiz1, Herbert Serafim de Freitas2, Angelita Pereira Rodrigues2, Arthur Diesel Abegg1,* and Francisco Luís Franco1 Abstract. The municipality of São José do Barreiro is located in the Paraíba Valley, São Paulo, Brazil, and is characterized by topographic complexity, wide altitudinal variation, and remarkable climatic diversity, which contribute to a high diversity of species. Studies that provide basic data about herpetofauna are important for understanding the structure and composition of communities. The present study aims to describe a snake inventory in the municipality of São José do Barreiro for characterizing the richness and abundance of species. Data were collected from scientific collections (207 specimens) and via fieldwork (48 specimens) through active surveys, incidental encounters, and pitfall traps. A total of 255 individual snakes belonging to 33 species from four families were recorded: Colubridae (N = 5), Dipsadidae (N = 130), Elapidae (N = 5), and Viperidae (N = 112). The most abundant species was Crotalus durissus terrificus (n = 58), followed by Bothrops jararaca (N = 25) and Atractus zebrinus (N = 24). Viperidae was the family with the highest number of individuals and the second highest number of species. The abundance of viperids may be because of the fact that Butantan Institute suppliers collect more venomous animals because of their risk. When compared to other Atlantic Forest regions where herpetofauna inventories have been carried out, São José do Barreiro has a high species richness, emphasizing the importance of conserving natural remnants of habitat in the region. Keywords: Atlantic rainforest, inventory, reptiles, Serra da Bocaina Introduction 2008). Currently, the Atlantic Forest is characterized by a mosaic of vegetation fragments of different sizes and The Atlantic Forest Phytogeographical Domain is degrees of conservation (Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica considered one of the top twenty-five hotspots of and INPE, 2008). diversity globally due to its high species richness and Anthropogenic landscape change negatively affects the large number of endemic species, but the high the structure of communities, as habitat loss is degree of threat due to human economic activities considered the main threat to biodiversity (Primack and also makes it a priority area for conservation (Myers et al., 2000; Mittermeier et al., 2004). Originally, the Atlantic Forest covered 1.48 million km2, totalling 17% of Brazil’s land area. However, only 160,000 km2 of forest remain, which corresponds to 11-12% of its original size (Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica and INPE, 1 Instituto Butantan, Laboratório Especial de Coleções Zoológicas, Avenida Vital Brazil, CEP 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil 2 Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo – Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, 321, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil * Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] Figure 1. Location map of São José do Barreiro (SP). 480 Flora Roncolatto Ortiz et al. Rodrigues, 2006). Vitt and Vangilder (1983) emphasize The municipality covers low altitude valley areas down that rapid modification of natural environments and to approximately 500 meters, and areas of high altitude, loss of habitat may prevent the discovery of the natural as the highest point is the Pico do Tira Chapéu, reaching fauna. Areas altered by anthropic action normally 2088 meters in altitude (MMA/IBAMA, 2004). The have lowered species richness and an increase in the great topographic complexity of the region has resulted abundance of a few species. In addition, species vary in great climatic variety, covering areas of hot and humid in their adaptive plasticity and in their ability to persist climate with periods of higher rainfall in summer (cwa in altered environments (Primack and Rodrigues, 2006). de Koppen), and high-altitude areas of tropical climate, These scenarios have become increasingly common for with cold winter months reaching temperatures below Brazilian snakes (Bernarde et al., 2012). 0 °C (MMA/IBAMA, 2004). Currently, there are 392 species of snakes known from Brazil, representing about 10% of the world’s Sampling ophidian fauna (Uetz et al., 2016). Of these, 219 can be Primary data.—Three 19 day expeditions were carried found in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, distributed in six out between the years of 2013 and 2014, totalling 57 biogeographic sub regions (Moura et al., 2016). For the sampling days. The field methodologies were pitfall State of São Paulo, 142 species are known (Zaher et al., traps, active survey by foot and by car, and incidental 2011). This richness is probably underestimated due to encounters. the scarcity of herpetofaunal inventories in some regions Three lines of pitfalls were installed, totalling 20 (Avila-Pires et al., 2007), and as new studies are carried buckets of 30 litres each. One of the lines was 100 meters out, new species are recorded (Bernarde, 2012). Basic long and had 10 buckets, while the other two were 50 knowledge about herpetofauna contains many gaps, such meters long with five buckets each. The preparation of as data on levels of endemism, population dynamics, these traps followed the method of Cechin and Martins diversity, and species geographic distribution. Species (2000). lists have become important tools for conservation The active survey by foot consisted of four collectors, decision making. Thus, works providing information who inspected the leaf litter, fallen logs, rocks and water on the composition and structure of communities, bodies. The survey period lasted approximately three such as the present study, are fundamental, aiding the hours per day for the application of this methodology, development of appropriate conservation measures totalling 171 man-hours. The active survey by car (Droege et al., 1998). was performed daily during the collection period, Although the State of São Paulo is one of the most for approximately one hour/day, totalling 57 man- well-represented in Brazilian states in herpetological hours. Snakes found outside of the stipulated survey collections, snake inventories in the Paraíba Valley are periods were included as incidental encounters. These scarce, and most have been carried out in areas of low encounters occurred in the course of the tracks between altitudes, near the coast (Cicchi et al., 2007; Hartmann the collection points, as well as on the route between the et al., 2009a). Thus, to fill this gap and to promote lodging and the sampling areas. greater knowledge about the snake species richness Collected animals (SISBio permit 11216-1) were and distribution in São José do Barreiro, State of São euthanized with five to 10 mL of Thiopental (Thipentax), Paulo, we present the results of the inventory from the according to specimen body mass. Subsequently, municipality. they were fixed in 10% formalin, stored in 70% ethyl alcohol, and placed in the Herpetological Collection of Material and methods the Instituto Butantan (IBSP). Secondary data.—Data available in the literature Study area and from the herpetological material deposited in the São José do Barreiro (-22.6333ºS, -44.5666ºW) scientific collections of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (Fig. 1) is part of the phytogeographical domain of were used to elaborate a detailed list of the snake fauna the Atlantic Forest, in the Paraíba Valley region, State from the municipality of São José do Barreiro. The of São Paulo, Brazil. The vegetation of the area is scientific collections consulted for the preparation of composed of remnants of high-altitude meadows, semi- this list, with the acronyms of the scientific collections deciduous seasonal forest, mixed ombrophilous forest, according to Sabaj-Pérez (2014), were: Instituto and dense ombrophilous forest (Veloso et al., 1991). Butantan (IBSP), Museu de Zoologia da Universidade Snakes from the Municipality of São José do Barreiro, Brazil 481 Table 1. Snake species registered in the municipality of São José do Barreiro. Sampling method: ASC= active survey by car; ASF= active survey by foot; IE= incidental encounters; Environment: IDO = Inner Dense Ombrophylous Forest Alto Montana; BDO = Border Dense Ombrophylous Forest Alto Montana; BSD = Border Semi Decidual Seasonal Forest. Taxon Field Sampling Environment Collection Total method Colubridae Chironius bicarinatus (Wied, 1920) 1 ASC - 2 3 Spilotes pullatus anomalepis (Linnaeus, 1758) - - 2 2 Dipsadidae Atractus francoi Passos, Fernandes, Bérnils & Moura- - - - 1 1 Leite, 2010 Atractus zebrinus (Jan, 1862) 7 ASF IDO 10 17 Clelia sp. 1 IE BDO 5 6 Echinanthera cephalostriata Di Bernardo, 1996 2 IE - 5 7 Elapomorphus quinquelineatus (Raddi, 1820) 2 ASC BDO, BSD 7 9 Erythrolamprus aesculapii (Linnaeus, 1758) 1 ASC - 9 10 Erythrolamprus jaegeri jaegeri (Günther, 1858) 1 ASC - 3 4 Erythrolamprus miliaris orinus (Cope, 1868) 1 IE BSD - 1 Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus schotti (Schlegel, 1837) - Erythrolamprus typhlus brachyurus (Cope, 1887) 1 - - 3 4 Helicops modestus Günther, 1861 - 2 2 Oxyrhopus clathratus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 2 ASF IDO, BSD 4 6 Oxyrhopus guibei Hoge & Romano, 1978 1 IE - - 1 Philodryas olfersii (Lichtenstein, 1823) 1 ASC BSD 1 2 Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard, 1858) 4 ASC, IE - 13 17 Taeniophallus cf. affinis (Günther, 1858) 1 ASF - - - Taeniophallus gr. occipitalis (Jan,