We gathered the available information about the anurofauna in Brazilian sand coastal plains ("restingas") published since the 1966, which is the date of the first study we found that was conducted exclusively about anurans in these ecosystems. We made a compilation of available data found in publications and sought to finding a pattern on anuran communities of Brazilian sandy coastal plains. We found 63 published studies about anurans in remaining restingas along the Brazilian coast. We record the occurrence of 14,010 individuals, comprised of 145 amphibian species from 12 families. The species were distributed latitudinally in a peculiar way, and here, we discuss this distribution regarding the characteristics of the species. Our results showed that the available existing base still does not allow us to define the structural patterns of the anuran communities in sandy coastal plains in Brazil. The relative lack of studies about the anurofauna in "restingas" and the high rate of degradation are negative factors that can cause extinctions in these environments even before we understand the patterns and processes that act on anuran communities in restinga environments.
How to cite:OlIVeIRA JCF, PeReIRA-RIBeIRO J, WINCK gR AND ROCHA CFD. 2019. lizard assemblages on sandy coastal plains in southeastern Brazil: An analysis of occurrence and composition, and the role of habitat structure. An Acad Bras Cienc 91: e20170403.Abstract: Data on the structure of lizard communities in the different biomes and ecosystems of Brazil are still limited. In this study, we related the species richness, abundance and the spatial occurrence of lizards to the structure of the vegetation found on the coast of the state of espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil, to determine whether habitat influences the structure of lizard communities. We conducted fieldwork in 2012, 2013 and 2014, collecting data in standardized samples. We analyze whether variables of vegetation structure influenced species richness and abundance, using Generalized Linear Models (glMs). We recorded 12 lizard species from eight families. In general, species richness and abundance were similar among sites. locally, we recorded the highest species richness in shrubby vegetation, open Clusia vegetation, and the restinga forest zone. Bromeliads explained the occurrence of teiids, although there was no systematic relationship between species richness and vegetation structure. Our results provide important insights into the characteristics of the lizard communities found on sandy coastal plains and contribute to the conservation of these species in these ecosystems.
Haddadus binotatus is an endemic anuran of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and currently, there is no information about the diet of this species. We analyzed the diet of two populations of this anuran in two states in southeast Brazil. Samplings were carried out in 2004 in the state of Rio de Janeiro and in 2009 and 2010 in the state of Espírito Santo. Haddadus binotatus presented a rich diet composition, preying 19 prey types. Orthoptera, Coleoptera, and Blattodea were the most important preys in the Rio de Janeiro population, and Orthoptera, Araneae and Hemiptera were the most important in the Espírito Santo population. The diet composition differed numerically between the two localities, but not in terms of volume, which can reflect local differences in the prey availability in the two habitats. The jaw width limited the size of prey, which is expected for predators who swallow the preys without chewing. The proportion of individuals with empty stomachs was higher in the Rio de Janeiro population (39.2%) than in the Espírito Santo population (17.9%), suggesting that the former could be in a lower energy balance. The females of the species were larger than the males, which may result from the production of larger eggs.
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