:The popular knowledge about snakes, including the practices adopted in cases of snakebite, was analysed in this ethnozoological study performed in Araponga region and vicinities of Serra do Brigadeiro (Brigadeiro Mountain Range), Atlantic Forest of Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil. Between August and November 2008, interviews were conducted with 50 residents of rural areas of Araponga, and 20 employees of the Serra do Brigadeiro State Park (PESB). In relation to social and cultural profile, these two groups differed only on the level of education (higher among the park staff), with the same distributions for age and religion. There was also a lower level of education among older individuals, a possible reflection of improvements in the social conditions in that region, which would have provided greater access to schools in recent decades. In general, both groups demonstrated adequate knowledge about prevention and procedures in cases of snakebite (78.2% reported seeking medical attention in case of snakebite). The use of folk medicine for treatment of snakebite proved to be a practice falling into disuse, reported by approximately 21% of respondents. Most respondents (57.14%) said they did not know the difference between a poisonous and a non-poisonous snake, and 66.67% showed adequate knowledge of the season when snake encounters are more likely to happen. The "Araponga" group was more hostile concerning to possible encounters with snakes, with 43% of people saying they would kill the animal, against 5% in the "PESB" group. The educational level of the respondents was decisive in determining the kind of attitude taken against snakes, and those with higher levels of education showed to be the less hostile ones. People with lower educational levels were more likely to consider all snakes as dangerous, and they also proved to be more hostile to these animals. More contact with scientific and environmental education activities seems to have been decisive for the higher tolerance to snakes by the "PESB" group. The implementation of activities of environmental education for the population of Araponga can increase the awareness of the importance of snakes, instructing those who still consider them intrinsically harmful. Resumo: O conhecimento popular sobre as serpentes, incluindo as práticas adotadas em casos de acidentes ofídicos, foi abordado neste estudo etnozoológico realizado na região de Araponga e entorno da Serra do Brigadeiro, Mata Atlântica do Estado de Minas Gerais, região Sudeste do Brasil. Entre agosto e novembro de 2008 foram realizadas entrevistas com 50 moradores da zona rural de Araponga e 20 funcionários do Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro (PESB). Em relação ao perfil cultural e social, os grupos avaliados diferiram entre si somente quanto ao nível de escolaridade (maior entre os funcionários do parque), apresentando as mesmas distribuições em relação a idade e religião. Também se verificou menor nível de escolaridade entre os indivíduos mais velhos. Em geral, ambos os grupos d...

Brachycephalus is a frog genus endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and characterized by the bright yellow-orange aposematic colors and the high degree of miniaturization. Herein, we describe a new species of Brachycephalus from Serra do Brigadeiro, Municipality of Ervália, Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. Specimens were collected at high altitudes (i.e., 1266-1498 m above sea level) amidst the leaf litter. The new species is characterized by the presence of black connective tissue covering all dorsal muscles, body completely yellow-orange in life, presence of skull and post-cranial plates, large size (SVL of adults: 14.8-18.5 mm), bufoniform body, absence of metacarpal and metatarsal tubercles, and presence of harmonics in its advertisement call.

Apresentamos uma lista de anfíbios e répteis de uma região ao norte do complexo serrano da Mantiqueira, sob denominação local de Serra do Brigadeiro. Esta região compreende um remanescente de Mata Atlântica com destaque para o Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, unidade de conservação com aproximadamente 15 mil ha nos municípios de Araponga, Divino, Ervália, Fervedouro, Miradouro, Muriaé, Pedra Bonita e Sericita, estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil. Através da adoção de métodos complementares como o uso de armadilhas de interceptação e queda e postos de coleta, além de métodos convencionais de busca ativa, encontros ocasionais e registros em coleção científica, a presente lista amplia o conhecimento sobre a herpetofauna dessa região. Nós registramos 98 espécies da herpetofauna, sendo 57 de anuros, um gimnofiono, nove lagartos, uma anfisbênia, 29 serpentes e um quelônio. Embora nenhuma espécie de anfíbio encontrada seja considerada ameaçada de extinção em Minas Gerais, no Brasil ou pela IUCN, 11 espécies (18,96%) são consideradas como Deficiente de Dados. Verifica-se um alto número de espécies exclusivas da Mata Atlântica (46,55%) ou de distribuição restrita (20,68%). Destaca-se o encontro da perereca Gastrotheca ernestoi e a rã Megaelosia apuana, respectivamente o primeiro e segundo registro desses gêneros para Minas Gerais. A cecília Luetkenotyphlus brasiliensis também é redescoberta. Entre os répteis, pode-se destacar a presença do cágado Hydromedusa maximiliani, que aparece como vulnerável nas listas vermelhas de Minas Gerais e da IUCN. Sessenta por cento das espécies de répteis apresentam ampla distribuição na Mata Atlântica, e a presença das serpentes Echinanthera melanostigma e E. undulata, são importantes como, respectivamente, o segundo e terceiro registro dessas espécies para Minas Gerais.

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Based on morphological, bioacoustics, and morphological traits, the genus Scinax has been subdivided into two major clades: S. catharinae and S. ruber. The first clade includes S. catharinae and S. perpusillus groups, whereas the second clade includes S. rostratus and S. uruguayus groups. Chromosome morphology, NOR and C-banding patterns of variation support these clades. This study aims the cytogenetic characterization of five species currently included in the S. perpusillus group: Scinax sp. (gr. perpusillus), S. arduous, S. belloni, S. cosenzai, and S. v-signatus, including standard cytogenetic techniques and repetitive DNA FISH probes. All species had 2n = 24 chromosomes. Nucleolar organizing regions occurred in chromosome pair 6 in all species, but differed in their locations among some species, suggesting a putative synaponomastic character for the clade. In S. belloni, the first chromosome pair was a metacentric, contrasting with the submetacentric first pair reported in all other species of the genus. Scinax sp. (gr. perpusillus) and S. v-signatus had similar karyotypic formulae, suggesting they are related species. Scinax cosenzai had a divergent C-banding pattern. Repetitive DNA probes hybridized more frequently in chromosomal subtelomeric regions in all species indicating recent cladogenesis in these species. Karyotypic evidence indicates unreported high levels of stabilization within S. perpusillus and in S. catharinae clade, resulting in a wealth of characters potentially informative for higher phylogenetic analyses.

Bovine mastitis is a major threat to animal health and the dairy industry. Staphylococcus aureus is a contagious pathogen that is usually associated with persistent intramammary infections, and biofilm formation is a relevant aspect of the outcome of these infections. Several biological activities have been described for snake venoms, which led us to screen secretions of Bothrops jararacussu for antibiofilm activity against S. aureus NRS155. Crude venom was fractionated by size-exclusion chromatography, and the fractions were tested against S. aureus. Biofilm growth, but not bacterial growth, was affected by several fractions. Two fractions (15 and 16) showed the best activities and were also assayed against S. epidermidis NRS101. Fraction 15 was identified by TripleTOF mass spectrometry as a galactose-binding C-type lectin with a molecular weight of 15 kDa. The lectin was purified from the crude venom by D-galactose affinity chromatography, and only one peak was observed. This pure lectin was able to inhibit 75% and 80% of S. aureus and S. epidermidis biofilms, respectively, without affecting bacterial cell viability. The lectin also exhibited a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on both bacterial biofilms. The antibiofilm activity was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy. A pre-formed S. epidermidis biofilm was significantly disrupted by the C-type lectin in a time-dependent manner. Additionally, the lectin demonstrated the ability to inhibit biofilm formation by several mastitis pathogens, including different field strains of S. aureus, S. hyicus, S. chromogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Escherichia coli. These findings reveal a new activity for C-type lectins. Studies are underway to evaluate the biological activity of these lectins in a mouse mastitis model.

No abstract

We performed a survey of lizards and amphisbaenians from municipality of Viçosa, in Atlantic Forest from state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, based on data of the herpetological collections of Museu de Zoologia João Moojen, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, and Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo. One hundred and forty six specimens of 14 species were analyzed, belonging to the following families: Amphisbaenidae, Anguidae, Gekkonidae, Gymnophthalmidae, Leiosauridae, Polychrotidae, Scincidae, Teiidae and Tropiduridae. We hope to supply basic that helps to understand species distribution of this group in the Atlantic Forest of Minas Gerais and southeastern Brazil.