Seasonal Activity of Bothrops jararaca (Serpentes, Viperidae): Optimizing Foraging while Avoiding Predators

Siqueira, Lucas Henrique Carvalho; Banci, Karina Rodrigues da Silva; Marques, Otávio A. V.

doi:10.2994/sajh-d-19-00117.1

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Another point to consider is the unknown abundance of these viperids in different regions of São Paulo. Furthermore, epidemiological data indicates that envenomations by B. jararaca are more common in the warmer months 26 , coinciding with an increase in its activity 26,37,[46][47][48] and the vacation period that leads to higher influx of people to the coastal region for leisure events. Another relevant factor is that some municipalities, especially in the upland areas such as the São Paulo city, are highly urbanized, making encounters with snakes less common among the population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Study of defensive behavior of a venomous snake as a new approach to understand snakebite

Alves-Nunes,

Fellone,

Almeida-Santos

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Snakebites affect millions of people worldwide. The majority of research and management about snakebites focus on venom and antivenom, with less attention given to snake ecology. The fundamental factor in snakebites is the snakes’ defensive biting behavior. Herein we examine the effects of environmental variables (temperature, time of day, and human stimulus) and biological variables (sex and body size) on the biting behavior of a medically significant pit viper species in Brazil, Bothrops jararaca (Viperidae), and associate it with the epidemiology of snakebites. Through experimental simulations of encounters between humans and snakes, we obtained behavioral models applicable to epidemiological situations in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. We found a significant overlap between behavioral, morphological, environmental, and epidemiological data. Variables that increase snakebites in epidemiological data also enhance the tendency of snakes to bite defensively, resulting in snakebites. We propose that snakebite incidents are influenced by environmental and morphological factors, affecting the behavior of snakes and the proportion of incidents. Thus, investigating behavior of snakes related to snakebite incidents is a valuable tool for a better understanding of the epidemiology of these events, helping the prediction and, thus, prevention of snakebites.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The confrontations were carried out between October and November 2021, which is a period when snakebites by B. jararaca increase 57 . It is also a period of higher daily activity for snakes 48 . We set up a 2.025 m 2 arena (1.5 m length × 1.35 m width × 1 m height), with an aluminum plate as the base and Styrofoam walls.…”

Section: Behavioral Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of defensive behavior of a venomous snake as a new approach to understand snakebite

Alves-Nunes,

Fellone,

Almeida-Santos

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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“…Furthermore, rainfall is subject to more abrupt fluctuations in the interior Atlantic Forest throughout the calendar year, and snake activity there is mostly driven by environmental factors prone to milder fluctuations, such as temperature and relative humidity (Figure 3 ). Water availability directly or indirectly influences the incidence of prey (Siqueira et al, 2021 ; Zanella & Cechin, 2009 ) and helps snakes to cool themselves (Kearney et al, 2013 ). Most snake species from Viçosa feed on anurans (Costa et al, 2010 ), whose phenology overlaps with that of their predators (Pires & Feio, 2017 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental drivers of tropical forest snake phenology: Insights from citizen science

Jesus

Guedes

Moura

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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“…In addition, B . insularis is more diurnal than the two other species, which are predominantly nocturnal [ 47 , 48 ]. Both B .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overcoming the phantoms of the past: Influence of predatory stimuli on the antipredator behavior of island pitvipers

Alves-Nunes,

Fellone,

Sazima

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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The reduction of predation is a potentially important factor for the evolution of the traits of an island animal species. By relaxed selection, insular animals tend to lose their antipredator behaviors. A monophyletic group of pitvipers (genus Bothrops) in southeastern Brazil, which have high genetic affinity and dwell on the mainland and adjacent islands, provide an appropriate setting to study the evolution of antipredator behavior and how different predatory stimuli can influence this behavior. The mainland Bothrops jararaca has several terrestrial and aerial predators, whereas B. insularis and B. alcatraz, restricted to two small islands, Queimada Grande and Alcatrazes, respectively, have a smaller range of aerial predators. Terrestrial predators are absent on Queimada Grande, but one potential snake predator occurs on Alcatrazes. We observed that the defensive repertoire of island snakes has not been lost, but they display different frequencies of some antipredator behaviors. The type of predatory stimuli (terrestrial and aerial) influenced the defensive response. Bothrops insularis most often used the escape strategies, especially against terrestrial predatory stimuli. Bothrops alcatraz displayed the highest rate of strike for both terrestrial and aerial stimuli. Our results indicate that even though relaxed selection may occur in island environments as compared to mainland environments, these pitvipers still retain their antipredator behaviors but with different response degrees to the two predator types.

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Seasonal Activity of Bothrops jararaca (Serpentes, Viperidae): Optimizing Foraging while Avoiding Predators

Cited by 7 publications

References 59 publications

Study of defensive behavior of a venomous snake as a new approach to understand snakebite

Study of defensive behavior of a venomous snake as a new approach to understand snakebite

Environmental drivers of tropical forest snake phenology: Insights from citizen science

Overcoming the phantoms of the past: Influence of predatory stimuli on the antipredator behavior of island pitvipers

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