Observações sobre o comportamento de Liolaemus occipitalis em cativeiro (Sauria, Tropiduridae)

Bujes, Clóvis Souza; Verrastro, Laura

doi:10.1590/s0101-81751998000400008

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The dominance of semifossorial (L. occipitalis) and cryptic (C. schreibersii) species was also observed for lizards. The sandy substrate possible favors L. occipitalis, which buries itself in the sand and builds shelters (Santos et al 2010, Bujes & Verrastro 1998. In contrast, C. schreibersii, instead of burying itself, uses logs and stones as shelter (Doan 2003, pers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity and habitat use by snakes and lizards in coastal environments of southernmost Brazil

2012

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This study examined species composition differences among snake and lizard assemblages from coastal dunes and restinga habitats in southernmost Brazil. Animals were collected between April 2009 and March 2010 using pitfall traps, artificial shelters, and time-constrained searches in grasslands areas susceptible to flooding. Species richness was higher in the restinga, but lower than the observed in other Brazilian biomes, possibly associated with more unstable microclimate conditions and low habitat complexity (vertical and horizontal distribution of the vegetation) in this habitat. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the most abundant species of both snakes and lizards have fossorial habits. The assemblage of snakes is apparently mainly determined by abiotic characteristics of the habitat, while the assemblage of lizards, by vegetation cover.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity and habitat use by snakes and lizards in coastal environments of southernmost Brazil

2012

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“…Some studies show that habitat characteristics confer different probabilities of predation of lizards (Shepard 2007). Although L. occipitalis is associated with open environments like sand dunes, the presence of shrubs, even sparse ones, provides shelter and protection against predators (Bujes & Verrastro 1998). In addition, the cryptic coloration and the ability of digging burrows are probably its main strategies against predation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Santos, personal observation), which might decrease the time of exposure to visually-oriented predators. Apparently, when a predator is detected, the main active defense strategy of L. occipitalis is to escape and the capacity of burying (Bujes & Verrastro 1998). However, the capacity of escape, especially the speed, depends on body temperature as well as reproductive conditions (Shine 1980, Plummer 1997, Miles et al 2000.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Playing dead to stay alive: death-feigning in Liolaemus occipitalis (Squamata: Liolaemidae)

et al. 2010

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Predation is the major selective force that drives the development of a series of defense mechanisms by the species. These mechanisms are efficient in that it limits the ability of predators to detect, recognize and subdue their prey. In lizards for example, the tail loss and locomotor escape are the most common defensive behavior reported on the literature. Additionally, in response to external stimuli, some lizards exhibit a peculiar defensive behavior: death-feigning or thanatosis. Here we describe the first record of death-feigning in a population of Liolaemus occipitalis in a coastal sand dune habitat in Southernmost Brazil. A total of 86 individuals were tested. During handling 75.6% of lizards feigned death. The duration of this behavior was longer when the observer remained closer to the lizards, suggesting the ability of L. occipitalis to evaluate the predation risk. Resumo: A pressão exercida pela predação é a principal força seletiva que direciona o estabelecimento de uma série de mecanismos de defesa por parte das espécies. Esses mecanismos são eficientes na medida em que limitam a capacidade dos predadores em detectar, reconhecer ou subjugar suas presas. Em lagartos, por exemplo, os comportamentos defensivos mais frequentemente citados na literatura são a autotomia caudal e a fuga. Além disso, em resposta a estímulos externos, alguns lagartos podem exibir um comportamento peculiar: fingem-se de mortos (tanatose). Neste estudo descrevemos o primeiro registro de tanatose em uma população de Liolaemus occipitalis em área de dunas costeiras no extremo Sul do Brasil. MethodsThe data presented in this study was collected between November 2009 and January 2010 in the municipality of Rio Grande, RS, in an area known as Balneário Cassino, southernmost Brazil (32º 07' 54.65'' -32º 17' 35.07'' S and 52º 06' 38.80'' -52º 20' 53.36'' W) located at sea level. The area consists of well preserved wet habitats formed by meadows with a mosaic of dunes, sand dune vegetation and temporary lagoons. The climate is classified as subtemperate (Maluf 2000), with an average annual maximum temperature of 23.3 °C and average annual minimum temperature of 12.7 ºC. The seasons are well defined, with rainfall homogeneously distributed along the year and averaging 1252 mm between 1931and1990 (INMET 2010). During field surveys of the regional herpetofauna, we captured 86 individuals of Liolaemus occipitalis using pitfall traps with drift fences (Brasileiro et al. 2005). The lizards remained a maximum of eight hours in buckets containing water and shelter to protect them against the sunlight, minimizing the stress on captured animals. All lizards were handled carefully during measurements (body size and mass), sex determination, and assessment of the reproductive condition of females by palpation (Fitch 1987). While being held, some individuals feigned death (Figure 1). The animals that exhibited this behavior were immediately placed on the ground and observed from two distances, 1 and 7 m, whose order was set at random....

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Thermal biology, activity, and population parameters of Cnemidophorus vacariensis (Squamata, Teiidae), a lizard endemic to southern Brazil

Caruccio

Vieira

Verrastro

et al. 2011

Iheringia, Sér. Zool.

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ABSTRACT. We investigated the following aspects of the biology of a population of Cnemidophorus vacariensis Feltrim & Lema, 2000 during the four seasons: thermal biology, relationship with the thermal environment, daily and seasonal activity, population structure and growth rate. Cnemidophorus vacariensis is restricted to rocky outcrops of the "campos de cima da serra" grasslands on the Araucaria Plateau, southern Brazil, and is currently listed as regionally and nationally threatened with extinction. Data were collected from October 2004 through September 2007 in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Sampling was conducted randomly from 08:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The capture-mark-recapture method was employed. The lizards were captured by hand, and their cloacal temperature, sex, snout-ventral length (SVL), mass, and the temperature of their microhabitat (substrate temperature and air temperature) were recorded. Individuals were then marked by toe-clipping and released at the site of capture. Body temperatures were obtained for 175 individuals, activity data for 96 individuals, and data on population structure and growth for 59 individuals. All data were obtained monthly, at different times of the day. Cnemidophorus vacariensis average body temperature was 23.84°C, ranging between 9.6 and 38.2°C. Temperatures ranged between 21 and 29°C. The correlation between external heat sources, substrate and air were positive and significant and there was a greater correlation between lizard's temperature and the temperature of the substrate (tigmothermic species). The relatively low body temperatures of individuals are associated with the climate of their environment (altitude up to 1,400 m), with large variations in temperature throughout the day and the year, and low temperatures in winter. The average body temperature observed for C. vacariensis was low when compared with that of phylogenetically related species, suggesting that the thermal biology of this species reflects adaptations to the temperate region where it lives. The monthly rates of activity of lizards were related to monthly variations in the ambient temperatures. Our data suggest that the daily and seasonal activity of C. vacariensis result from the interaction between two factors: changes in the environment temperature and the relationship between individuals and their thermal environment. The population structure of C. vacariensis varied throughout the study period, with maximum biomass in January and maximum density in February (recruitment period). The sex ratio diverged from the expected 1:1. The growth analysis showed a negative relationship between the growth rate of individuals and the SVL, revealing that young individuals grow faster than adults, a typical pattern for short-lived species. The population studied showed a seasonal and cyclical variation associated with the reproductive cycle. The life strategy of C. vacariensis seems to include adaptations to the seasonal variations in temperature, typical of its environment. KEYWORDS.Body temperature, grow...

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Observações sobre o comportamento de Liolaemus occipitalis em cativeiro (Sauria, Tropiduridae)

Cited by 4 publications

References 2 publications

Diversity and habitat use by snakes and lizards in coastal environments of southernmost Brazil

Diversity and habitat use by snakes and lizards in coastal environments of southernmost Brazil

Playing dead to stay alive: death-feigning in Liolaemus occipitalis (Squamata: Liolaemidae)

Thermal biology, activity, and population parameters of Cnemidophorus vacariensis (Squamata, Teiidae), a lizard endemic to southern Brazil

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