Estudo ecológico e zoogeográfico sobre a fauna de lagartos (Sauria) das dunas de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte e da Restinga de Ponta de Campina, Cabedelo, Paraíba, Brasil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. ECOLOGIC ANO ZOOGEOGRAPHIC STUDY ON A FAUNA OF LlZARDS (SAURlA) FROM DUNAS OF NATAL, RIO GRANDE DO NORTE ANO FROM RESTINGA DE PONTA DE CAMPINA , CABEDELO, PARArnA, BRAZLL. An inventory ofthe fauna of lizards was made in the dunes ofNatal (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil) and in the "restingas" (sandbanks with its associated vegetation) ofPonta de Campina (Cabedelo, Paraíba, Brazil) from October/84 to March/86. The objective was to know the composition and structure of these communities as well as to evaluate the zoogeographical importance ofthe spots. The sam pies were collected and the observations were made ai ong oftransects which were established to enable the sampling ofthe habitats under study in both areas . Each transect was crossed one day per month, during 14 months. The collect oflizards was made manually or through the use of a small gun, calibre 22, with ammunition of the type mustard lead. Observations were made on the habitats utilized by the species (open areas or forests) and on the species distribution by microhabitat. The fauna of lizards in the area under study is formed by species ecologically connected with open tormations and also by species ofthe Atlantic Rain Forest. The majority ofthe species collected in the open areas is part ofthe fauna ofthe great diagonal of open fOlmations which come from the Northeast of Argentina and go up to the state ofMaranhão. There is, however, a great influence of the caatinga fauna, specially in the dunes of Natal. The species found in the forest ofthe dunes, in spite ofbeing pari ofthe Atlantic Forest, are morphologically differentiated. Gymnodactylus darwinii (Gray, 1845) and G. geckoides Spix, 1825 are sympatrics, but not syntopics, in the dunes ofNata!. KEY WORDS. Sauria, lizards, ecology, restinga, BrazilAs dunas e restingas da costa brasi leira são formações arenosas recentes edificadas diretamente ou a partir de depósitos marinhos retrabalhados. As sucessivas flutuações do nível do mar no Quaternário são responsáveis pela configuração e distribuição da maior parte deste tipo de ecossistema na costa atual (SOUZA 1945; LACERDA et aI. 1982;HALLEGOUET 1984). As dunas e restingas não têm, certamente, a expressão de domínio morfoclimático, entretanto, recebem a influência florís-tica de alguns desses domínios, como o da Mata Atlântica, ao longo de praticamente toda a costa leste e, no seu extremo norte, o das Caatingas.As primeiras referências sobre restingas ' datam dos séculos XVI e XVII e incluem descrições dos naturalistas sobre a flora, a fauna e as paisagens naturais do

Microhabitat use and diet of Anotosaura vanzolinia(Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) in a Caatinga area, Brazil

“…The preference for a substrate rich in organic matter facilitates the movement and burrowing habit as compared to a clayey or more compacted substrate. These data corroborate those of Freire (1996) and Delfim & Freire (2007), where A. vanzolinia is characterized by a substrate with these characteristics, in contrast to other species of the same family, which were found on different substrates, such as Vanzosaura rubricauda (Boulenger, 1902), which inhabited sandy or clayey soil. The morphology is primarily correlated with its fossorial habit and consequently with the type of microhabitat that the species chooses to utilize, suggesting they use more of the physical properties among substrates (Grizante 2009).…”

Natural history of Micrablepharus maximiliani (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) in a Cerrado region of northeastern Brazil

“…Preference for open habitats in this species is well established (VANZOLINI 1988, MESQUITA et al 2006, NOGUEIRA et al 2009). In fact, even in the Atlantic Forest, M. maximiliani is usually found in association with open formations such as restingas (FREIRE 1996, SILVA et al 2006 or forest edges (RODRIGUES 1996), being rarely found inside rainforests (NOGUEIRA et al 2009, MOURA et al 2010.…”

“…Vanzosaura rubricauda (Boulenger, 1902) a related species, also shows multiple clutches of two eggs, with a continuous reproduction cycle in the Caatinga (VITT 1982), but a seasonal one in the Chaco (CRUZ 1994). A fixed clutch size of two eggs is a recurring pattern in many species of Gymnophthalmidae (FITCH 1970, TELFORD 1971, SHERBROOKE 1975, VITT 1982, ÁVILA-PIRES 1995, PIANKA & VITT 2003, BALESTRIN et al 2010.…”

Geographic distribution model for Mabuya agmosticha (Squamata: Scincidae) in northeastern Brazil

“…Another limiting biotic factor is the presence of competitors, such as Mabuya macrorhyncha Hoge, 1946, sister taxon of M. agmosticha (MIRALLES & CARRANZA 2010), which has similar ecological attributes, including bromelicolous habit (FREIRE 1996). Recent research (DIAS & ROCHA 2013), however, reported the presence of M. agmosticha in an Atlantic Forest restinga in Bahia, associated with tank bromeliads (Aechmea sp.)…”