Seasonal and daily activity patterns of Liophis poecilogyrus (Serpentes: Colubridae) on the north coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

The seasonal and daily activity patterns of Liophis poecilogyrus and the variation in these patterns due to sexual differences and reproductive maturity were investigated based on 174 captures of snakes on the North Coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The seasonal activity pattern was unimodal with a higher frequency of active snakes during the hot months. The daily activity pattern was bimodal along most of the year (except during the colder months) with higher frequency of active snakes in early morning and late afternoon. During the colder months, most of the active snakes were found in the hottest periods of the day. There was no signi cant difference regarding activity of the total males and females, mature males and females, immature males and females and mature and immature snakes. The temperature seems to be the most important factor in determining the seasonal and daily activity patterns of this population.Zusammenfassung. Die jahres-und tageszeitlichen Aktivitätsmuster von Liophis poecilogyrus sowie geschlechtsund altersspezi sche Unterschiede in dieser Aktivitätsrhythmik wurden an der Nordküste von Rio Grande do Sul, Brasilien, an Hand von 174 Schlangenfängen untersucht. Das jahreszeitliche Aktivitätsmuster war eingipfelig mit einer höheren Anzahl aktiver Schlangen während der heißen Monate. Die tageszeitliche Aktivität war (außer in den kälteren Monaten) im größten Teil des Jahres zweigipfelig mit einer höheren Anzahl aktiver Schlangen am frühen Morgen und am späten Nachmittag. In der kälteren Jahreszeit waren die meisten Schlangen in den heißesten Tagesstunden aktiv. Keine signi kanten Unterschiede ergaben sich bei Betrachtung der Aktivitäten aller männlichen und weiblichen Tiere, geschlechtsreifer Männchen und Weibchen, nicht geschlechtsreifer Männchen und Weibchen sowie geschlechtsreifer und nicht geschlechtsreifer Tiere. Die Temperatur scheint der wichtigste determinierende Faktor für die jahres-und tageszeitlichen Aktivitätsmuster dieser Population zu sein.

Richness, abundance, and mass in snake assemblages from two Atlantic Rainforest sites (Ilha do Cardoso, São Paulo) with differences in environmental productivity

“…This activity trend during warmer and/ or wetter periods has also been reported for some snake species in other neotropical areas (e.g. Marques 1998, Martins & Oliveira 1998, Rocha et al 2000, Marques et al 2000, Marques et al 2001, Hartmann et al 2002, Pizzato & Marques 2002, Maciel et al 2003. In tropical and subtropical areas of South America activity of snakes is usually seasonal being comparatively higher during the rainy season.…”

Comments on the diet of juvenile Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus caesius (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) in the Paraguayan Chaco

“…Maciel (2003) mentioned that is active the entire year (except August); here we report activity of the snakes in August, when we found indivuals active during morning and late afternoon. Our observations also agree with Prieto (2012) that is a batracophagous specialist with feeding habits that seem to be conservative because their diet does not vary much geographically.…”

Daily and seasonal activity patterns of free range South-American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus)

“…In in tropical areas of South America, snake assemblages have shown activity peaks during the warmer, rainy season (mid-spring to early autumn; Marques et al 2000, Maciel et al 2003. The rattlesnake Crotalus durissus, however, exhibits a peak of activity in the dry/colder season (autumn) (Salomão et al 1995).…”