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

Abstract

Abstract:This study aimed to analyze the microhabitat use and diet of the lizard Gymnophthalmidae Anotosaura vanzolinia (Dixon 1974) in the Complexo Aluízio Campos (7° 16' 34" S, 35° 53' 7" W), an area of the Caatinga in the Campina Grande, Paraíba. We studied a total of 12 transects by active searching during the daytime. In each sample, habitat and microhabitat types occupied by the specimen were categorized, together with solar incidence and soil type. For all individuals, morphometric measurements were performed, as well as dissection for stomach content analysis. We collected a total of 46 individuals, with a snout-vent length ranging between 19 and 45 mm, collected over all habitats, with prevalence in soil and earthy litter microhabitats near rocky outcrops.The dietary analysis showed a use of items of soil fauna and identified 14 types of prey, mainly insects such as termites and ants. It was observed that smaller individuals (SVL < 30 mm) fed mainly on Hymenoptera (Family Formicidae), whereas larger individuals (SVL > 30 mm) selected Isoptera. Resumo: O presente trabalho objetivou analisar o uso do microhabitat e a dieta do lagarto Gymnophthalmidae Anotosaura vanzolinia (Dixon 1974) no Complexo Aluízio Campos (7° 16' 34" S, 35° 53' 7" W), uma área de Caatinga do município de Campina Grande, Paraíba. Foram estudados ao todo 12 transectos utilizando a metodologia de busca ativa diurna. Em cada expedição foram categorizados os tipos de habitat e microhabitat ocupado pelo espécime, além de dados de incidência solar e tipagem do solo. Para os indivíduos coletados, foram tomadas medidas morfométricas além da dissecação para análise do conteúdo estomacal. Foi coletado um total de 46 indivíduos, com um comprimento rostro-cloacal variando entre 19 e 45 mm, coletados ao longo de todos os habitats, com prevalência nos microhabitats com serrapilheira e solo terroso próximo a afloramentos rochosos. A análise da dieta evidenciou uma utilização de itens da fauna edáfica, sendo identificados 14 tipos de presas, principalmente insetos como cupins e formigas. Foi observado que indivíduos menores (CRC < 30 mm) alimentam-se principalmente de Hymenoptera (Família Formicidae) enquanto os indivíduos maiores (CRC > 30 mm) selecionaram Isoptera. Palavras-chave: lagartos fossoriais, ecologia alimentar, lagartos gimnoftalmídeos, forrageio. Biota Neotrop., vol. 13, no. 3 For the study, 12 quadrants of 100 m 2 were selected, which covered different types of vegetation and habitats. The lizards were caught during the dry season (March-April 2011) and the rainy season (July-August 2011) by an active diurnal search method (from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.). At each site, rocks, timber, or other surface debris that might serve as lizard refuge sites, were lifted/rolled-over, in addition to making shallow excavations in the soil. To record the type of habitat and microhabitat where the specimens were found, we used the classification proposed by Delfim & Freire (2007). The habitats included: sparse shrubby vegetation, dense shrubby vege...

Autoecology of Dryadosaura nordestina (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Atlantic forest fragments in Northeastern Brazil

“…Dryadosaura nordestina is found in the northeastern portion of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, from Rio Grande do Norte state to northeastern costal Bahia state (RODRIGUES et al 2005, CAMACHO & RODRIGUES 2007, DELFINO & SOEIRO 2012, DE OLIVEIRA & PESSANHA 2013. Our data confirms the geographic pattern suggested for the species in its description (RODRIGUES et al 2005) and provides a considerable increase in known localities for the species.…”

“…Our data adds Gastropoda, Dermaptera, Chilopoda, Araneae, and insect egg and larvae as part of the species diet. Bachia bresslaui (Amaral, 1935) (COLLI et al 1998), Proctoporus species (DOAN 2008), N. ablephara (SANTOS et al 2012), Anotosaura vanzolinia Dixon, 1974(DE OLIVEIRA & PESSANHA 2013, Potamites ecpleopus (Cope, 1876) and Potamites juruazensis (Ávila-Pires & Vitt, 1998) (VITT & ÁVILA-PIRES 1998), although presenting ants and insect larvae in their diets, do not show volumetric importance for those prey categories (VITT & ÁVILA-PIRES 1998). Likewise, D. nordestina also presents a not volumetrically important high number of ants but indeed a relatively notable volumetric importance of insect larvae.…”

“…In Brazil there are 84 Gymnophthalmidae species distributed in 32 genera. Dryadosaura is a monospecific genus occurring in the Northeastern part of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, from Rio Grande do Norte to Bahia (RODRIGUES et al 2005, CAMACHO & RODRIGUES 2007, DELFINO & SOEIRO 2012, DE OLIVEIRA & PESSANHA 2013. Dryadosaura nordestina Rodrigues et al, 2005 is characterized by individuals with short limbs and robust bodies (Fig.…”

Autecology of the lizard Colobosauroides cearensis (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Brazilian semiarid Caatinga

“…Colobosauroides cearensis feeds on both sedentary and active prey, as do other species of the Ecpleopodini tribe (Teixeira and Fonseca 2003, Maia et al 2011, Oliveira et al 2018. However, the higher rate of ant consumption in C. cearensis is unexpected, because the Autecology of the Brazilian lizard Colobosauroides cearensis frequency of Formicidae usually is low in gymnophthalmids, indicating that ants are a relatively unimportant part of their diets (Mesquita et al 2006, Doan 2008, Anaya-Rojas et al 2010, Maia et al 2011, Santos et al 2012, Oliveira and Pessanha 2013, Dal Vechio et al 2014, Oliveira et al 2018. Ants are avoided by most lizards, owing to the harder exoskeletons and wide range of defense mechanisms of ants (Abensperg-Traun and Csiro 1997).…”

“…Like other gymnophthalmids, Colobosauroides cearensis feeds on a variety of small arthropods (Doan 2008, Oliveira and Pessanha 2013, Garda et al 2014, Oliveira et al 2018; however, there are interspecific differences of the relative importance of prey consumed. Thus, Leposoma scincoides Spix, 1825 consumes primarily Aranae and Isopoda, whereas Micrablepharus maximiliani (Reinhardt and Lütken, 1862) prefers Orthoptera and Blattaria (Teixeira andFonseca 2003, Dal Vechio et al 2014).…”