Although Tropidurus is a widely distributed lizard genus in South America and the Galapagos Islands, studies on space use and spatial distribution are scarce. We studied the home range structure of the saxicolous lizard Tropidurus torquatus based on the inland population of a rock outcrop in Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. Lizards were individually marked and observed during reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. Using the minimum convex polygon method, we found that average total range size of males during the reproductive season was larger than that of females, and that both had similar total range sizes in the nonreproductive season. The harmonic mean method showed that males have a larger home range size than that of females during both seasons. As expected for a polygynous species, the average number of males whose total ranges overlapped those of females tended to be higher in the reproductive season than in the nonreproductive season. Intrasexually, the number of females whose total ranges were associated with those of other females was also higher in the reproductive season than in the non-reproductive season. For males, this number remained low in both seasons, suggesting that males use more exclusive areas, whereas the smaller total ranges of females apparently sustain a higher density of individuals during the reproductive season. Frequency of microhabitat use in relation to vegetation increased in the non-reproductive season and the activity patterns of lizards shifted from bimodal in the reproductive season (rainy period) to unimodal in the non-reproductive season (dry period). Thus, the range structure, microhabitat use, and activity patterns of the T. torquatus observed here were all influenced by the time frame affecting their spatial ecology.

ABSTRACT.This study aimed to analyze the seasonal variation in diet composition and foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) and T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825), as well as measurement of the foraging intensity (number of moves, time spent stationary, distance traveled and number of attacks on prey items) in a caatinga patch on the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Hymenoptera/Formicidae and Isoptera predominated in the diet of both species during the dry season. Opportunistic predation on lepidopteran larvae, coleopteran larvae and adults, and orthopteran nymphs and adults occurred in the wet season; however, hymenopterans/Formicidae were the most important prey items. The number of food items was similar between lizard species in both seasons; however the overlap for number of prey was smaller in the wet season. Preys ingested by T. hispidus during the wet season were also larger than those consumed by T. semitaeniatus. Seasonal comparisons of foraging intensity between the two species differed, mainly in the wet season, when T. hispidus exhibited less movement and fewer attacks on prey, and more time spent stationary if compared to T. semitaeniatus. Although both lizards are sit-and-wait foragers, T. semitaeniatus is more active than T. hispidus. The diet and foraging behavior of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus overlap under limiting conditions during the dry season, and are segregative factors that may contribute to the coexistence of these species in the wet season.KEYWORDS. Diet, foraging strategies, lizards, semiarid, sympatric species. RESUMO. Ecologia trófica e comportamanto de forrageamento deTropidurus hispidus e Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) em uma área de caatinga do nordeste do Brasil. Este estudo objetivou analisar a variação sazonal na composição da dieta e no comportamento de forrageamento de Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) e T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825) e medir a intensidade de forrageamento (número de movimentos, tempo gasto parado, distância percorrida e número de ataques sobre itens-presa) destas espécies em uma área do bioma caatinga no estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Hymenoptera/Formicidae e Isoptera predominaram na dieta de ambas as espécies durante a estação seca. A predação oportunística de larvas de Lepidoptera, larvas/adultos de Coleoptera e ninfas/adultos de Orthoptera ocorreu na estação chuvosa, contudo as formigas foram os itens-presa mais importantes. O número de itens alimentares foi similar entre as espécies de lagartos em ambas as estações; no entanto a sobreposição para o número de presas foi menor na estação chuvosa. As presas ingeridas durante a estação chuvosa por T. hispidus foram maiores do que aquelas de T. semitaeniatus. As comparações sazonais da intensidade de forrageamento entre as duas espécies mostraram diferenças, principalmente na estação chuvosa, quando T. hispidus apresentou menos movimentos e ataques sobre presas, e mais tempo gasto parado comparado a T. semitaeniatus. Embora ambos os lagartos sejam forrageadores ...

This study assessed the reproductive and fat body cycles of Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) and T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825) in an area of caatinga in the Seridó of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, from October 2006 to May 2008. In both species, the females were reproductively active from the middle of the dry season to the beginning of the rainy season. Female reproductive activity was infl uenced by precipitation, whereas males exhibited spermatozoa in their testes throughout the year, and their reproductive activity was not related to any of the climatic variables analyzed. Mean clutch size (± SD) was 8.1 ± 2.0 and 2.1 ± 0.6 eggs in T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus, respectively, and was signifi cantly related to female body size only in T. hispidus. The fat stock varied inversely with reproductive activity in the two species, and there was no difference in fat body mass between females and males. The effects of precipitation on the length of the breeding season of these two Tropidurus species suggest that their reproductive cycles are related to the microclimatic conditions suitable for embryo development, as well as for the neonates' emergence and survival especially during the rainy season, which may offer greater food availability to the hatchlings.Key words: body size-fecundity, clutch size, minimum size at maturity, reproduction, semiarid. RESUMENEste estudio evaluó los ciclos reproductivos y de grasa corporal de Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) y T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825) en una área de caatinga en el Seridó de Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, de octubre de 2006 a mayo de 2008. En ambas especies, las hembras se encontraron reproductivamente activas a partir de mediados de la estación seca para el inicio de la temporada de lluvias. La actividad reproductiva de las hembras fue infl uenciada por las precipitaciones, mientras que los machos presentaron espermatozoides en los testículos durante todo el año, y su actividad reproductiva no fue relacionada con ninguna de las variables climáticas analizadas. El tamaño medio (± DE) de la nidada fue de 8.1 ± 2.0 y 2.1 ± 0.6 huevos en T. hispidus y T. semitaeniatus, respectivamente, y se relacionó signifi cativamente con el tamaño corporal de la hembra solo en T. hispidus. La reserva de grasa varió inversamente con la actividad reproductiva en las dos especies, y no hubo diferencia en la cantidad de grasa corporal entre hembras y machos. Los efectos de la precipitación sobre la duración de la temporada reproductiva de estas dos especies de Tropidurus sugieren que sus ciclos reproductivos están relacionados con las condiciones microclimáticas adecuadas para el desarrollo del embrión, así como para la emergencia de los recién nacidos y su supervivencia, especialmente durante la temporada de lluvias, que es la que puede ofrecer una mayor disponibilidad de alimentos para las crías.Palabras clave: relación tamaño corporal y fecundidad, reproducción, tamaño de la postura, tamaño mínimo de madurez, semiárido.

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. Mating behavior and female accompaniment in the whiptail lizard Cnemidophorus ocellifer (Squamata, Teiidae) in the Caatinga region of northeastern Brazil. Biota Neotrop. 11(4): http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v11n4/en/abstract?shortcommunication+bn01611042011Abstract: We report here a set of observations on mating behavior and female accompaniment by the whiptail lizard Cnemidophorus ocellifer in an area of Caatinga (xerophilous open forests) in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil. We observed a stationary male lizard performing repeated vibratory movements of the pelvis and tail base upon the sandy soil. Since that male was in front of a burrow in which a female of the same species was sheltered, we hypothesize that this behavior may be part of a courtship display. We continued the observation and later, when the female emerged from the burrow, the male climbed on her and the copulation occurred. The incident of accompaniment observed was characterized by one male continuously accompanying a female during foraging. Plausible functional explanations for a male accompany a female include mating guarding, post-copulatory courtship, and sperm loading. By accompanying females, males would be guaranteeing insemination by multiple copulation and stimulation of the female, and protecting their paternity by chasing away other males, diminishing the chances of extra-pair copulations. Keywords : behavior, courtship, mating, reproduction, teiids, Caatinga. RIBEIRO, L.B., GOGLIATH, M., SALES, R.F.D. & FREIRE, E.M.X. Comportamento de acasalamento e acompanhamento da fêmea no lagarto-da-cauda-de-chicote Cnemidophorus ocellifer (Squamata, Teiidae) na Caatinga, nordeste do Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 11(4): http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v11n4/pt/abstract?shortcommunication+bn01611042011Resumo: Nós relatamos uma série de observações sobre o comportamento de acasalamento e acompanhamento da fêmea no lagarto-da-cauda-de-chicote Cnemidophorus ocellifer em uma área de Caatinga no estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Nós observamos um macho estacionário realizando movimentos vibratórios da pélvis e base da cauda sobre o solo arenoso. Uma vez que o macho estava em frente à abertura de uma toca onde uma fêmea se encontrava abrigada, nós sugerimos que esse comportamento faz parte da exibição de corte. Continuamos a observação e posteriormente, quando a fêmea saiu da toca, o macho engajou-se em montá-la e progrediu para uma cópula. A ocasião de acompanhamento da fêmea foi caracterizada por um macho continuamente acompanhando uma fêmea durante o forrageamento. Explicações funcionais plausíveis para uma fêmea ser acompanhada por um macho incluem guarda de parceiro, corte pós-copulatória e fornecimento de estoque de esperma. Ao acompanhar as fêmeas, os machos estariam garantindo a inseminação através de múltiplas cópulas e estimulação pós-copulatória da fêmea, e protegendo a paternidade afugentando outros machos, diminuindo as chances de cópulas extra-par. Palavras-chave : comportamento, corte, acasalamento, reprod...

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Abstract:The Atlantic Forest of the state of Minas Gerais, as well as the remnants of this domain in the rest of Brazil, suffers a marked reduction in size and anthropogenic alteration. This habitat degradation is directly reflected in the decrease of species richness within these natural environments. In this sense, the inventory of extant species is necessary to understand the species composition of regions under threat. Despite the great richness of existing reptile species in Minas Gerais, the level of knowledge about the fauna in this state is considered unsatisfactory and very fragmented. The aim of this study was to record the composition of the reptile fauna of the municipality of Juiz de Fora through the revision of specimens housed at the Herpetological Collection of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (CHUFJF-Reptiles) and published papers. Better documentation of the reptilian fauna for the region not only expands the knowledge of the herpetofauna of Minas Gerais, but also contributes to regional conservation planning, such as "Biota Minas" program in the states of the Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 41 reptile species (two freshwater turtles, two amphisbaenians, 13 lizards and 24 snakes) belonging to 12 families were recorded. We highlight the record of the freshwater turtle Hydromedusa maximiliani, which is considered a species sensitive to anthropogenic impact and currently is seen only in protected areas in Juiz de Fora, as well as Ecpleopus gaudichaudii, Enyalius brasiliensis, Heterodactylus imbricatus, Placosoma glabellum and Micrurus corallinus, that are dependent on well-preserved forest areas. The reptile composition is more similar to Viçosa and other surrounding regions, despite the presence of many species that are not shared between these locations. This fact demonstrates the importance of the collection in terms of representativeness of the local and regional fauna as well as providing a valuable source of information for future studies of Brazilian herpetofauna in general.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of water salinity on semen quality, and on the morphology and apoptosis of germinal epithelial cells in prepubertal Morada Nova male lambs. Thirty-two lambs were allocated into four treatments with different amounts of sodium chloride (NaCl) added to the drinking water to simulate different water salinities; consequently, the concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) were as follows: 640 (control), 3188; 5740 and 8326 mg/L TDS. After 78 days, sperm was collected for analysis. The animals were slaughtered and histological and morphometric analyses and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay were performed on the testis tissue. The thickness of the germinal epithelium and diameter of the seminiferous tubules were measured. A quadratic effect (P < 0.05) was observed in regard to semen volume and sperm abnormalities. There was an increase in the sperm count in the treatment containing 3188 mg/L TDS, compared with the control (640 mg/L TDS); however, this treatment did not differ (P > 0.05) from the other salinity treatments. Moreover, treatments with 3188 mg/L or 5740 mg/L TDS showed a higher (P < 0.05) spermatic vigour than did the other treatments. There was an increase (P < 0.05) in the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the treatment with the highest salinity (8326 mg/L TDS) compared with the control and other treatments. In conclusion, water used for drinking should contain between 3188 and 5740 mg/mL TDS so as to improve the concentration, vigour, motility and volume of semen, and to decrease sperm abnormalities in germinal cells of seminiferous tubule of Morada Nova ram lambs.