Os Lagartos Gimnoftalmídeos (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) Do Cariri Paraibano E Do Seridó Do Rio Grande Do Norte,nordeste Do Brasil: Considerações Acerca Da Distribuição Geográfica E Ecologia

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).…”

“…Thus, in terms of microhabitat use, A. vazolinia is similar to other gymnophthalmids of the Amazon and Atlantic rainforest (Vitt et al 2007, Maia et al 2011). However, the results of this study show the use of other habitats by the species in the Caatinga, since the work of Delfim & Freire (2007) for gymnophthalmid lizards recorded only arboreal dense vegetation or dense shrubby-arboreal vegetation as a habitat. The occupation of Biota Neotrop.,vol.…”

“…13,no. 3 sites with shrubby vegetation is shared with other lizards of the family, such as Acratosaura mentalis (Amaral 1933) (Delfim & Freire 2007). The abundance of A. vanzolinia was greatest in the leaf litter around rocky outcrops, covered by hyper-xerophile vegetation.…”

“…Currently, information concerning microteiid distribution in this ecosystem, suggests that they can be found in patches of relictual forests, with deciduous broad-leaved trees that provide an accumulation of leaf litter (Rodrigues 1986, Gogliath et al 2010. Delfim & Freire (2007) also identify the absence of this specie in studies carried out in the Caatinga, possibly due to cryptic and fossorial habits. Further studies are necessary to clarify this issue and to identify possible distribution determinants of the species in this ecosystem.…”

“…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 vegetation, sparse arboreal vegetation, dense arboreal vegetation, sparse shrubby-arboreal vegetation and dense shrubby-arboreal vegetation.…”