Reptilia, Scincidae, Mabuya frenata: distribution extension

Non

Diet of <i>Leptodactylus ocellatus</i> (Anura: leptodactylidae) from coastal lagoons of Southeastern Brazil

Estudamos a dieta de Leptodactylus ocellatus ao longo de três lagoas costeiras no Município de Anchieta, ES, sudeste do Brasil. Cinquenta e sete exemplares foram coletados, variando de 18,5 a 100,4 mm no comprimento rostro-uróstilo. Leptodactylus ocellatus consumiu uma grande variedade de itens alimentares. Besouros adultos foram as presas mais frequentes, seguidos por larvas de besouros e formigas. Cupins foram os itens predominantes em termos numéricos, enquanto ortópteros foram os ítens dominantes em termos de massa. Foi observada a presença de vertebrados na dieta de L. ocellatus, incluindo um jovem da mesma espécie. A dieta desta rã variou ontogeneticamente quanto ao tipo e ao tamanho das presas.We studied the diet of Leptodactylus ocellatus along three coastal lagoons in the Municipality of Anchieta, ES, Southeastern Brazil. Fifty-seven specimens were collected, ranging from 18.5 to 100.4 mm in snout-urostyle length. Leptodactylus ocellatus consumed a great variety of food items. Adult beetles were the most frequently consumed prey, followed by beetle larvae and ants. Termites were the numerically predominant food items, whereas orthopterans dominated the diet in terms of mass. The presence of vertebrates, including a conspecific individual, was observed in the diet of L. ocellatus. This frog´s diet changed ontogenetically both in terms of prey type and prey size.Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA

Predation on a tropical house gecko, <i>Hemidactylus mabouia</i> by a juvenile colubrid snake, <i>Chironius bicarinatus</i>, in a Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest area

Snakes in the Neotropical genus Chironius are mainly batrachophagous, and tend to consume relatively small prey. We present a report of a juvenile Chironius bicarinatus that had ingested a house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) corresponding to ca. 62% of its preserved body mass. The ingestion of such a large prey item is unusual for a snake of the genus Chironius, as is the consumption of lizards. Consumption of unusually large prey items may be more common in young snakes than in adults, possibly due to a lower availability of prey of appropriate size and/ or to a lower capacity to evaluate the size of potential prey.Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA

The amphibians of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: an updated and commented list

The amphibian fauna of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in southeatern Brazil, is characterized by high species richness and rates of endemism, and is still insufficiently known. A first list of amphibian species with occurrence in the state was published in 2004 and reported 166 taxa, but since then many new records, descriptions of new taxa, and revalidations and synonymizations of species have consistently improved the knowledge about the state’s amphibian biodiversity. Thus, a review and update of that list was deemed necessary. We herein present an updated and commented list of amphibian species occurring in the state of Rio de Janeiro based on a survey of the literature. We recorded the occurrence of a total of 201 species of amphibians (197 anurans and four caecilians) in Rio de Janeiro, with 54 of them (ca. 27%) considered to be endemic of the state. Our study presents an increase in species richness of 21% since the publication of the previous list, indicating a consistent advance in knowledge of the composition of the amphibian fauna in the state. In spite of its relatively small territorial extension (total area ca. 43,800 km²), the state of Rio de Janeiro contains nearly 20% of the amphibian species known to occur in Brazil and around 40% of those occurring in the Atlantic Forest biome. Thus, that state constitutes an important reservoir of amphibian biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest biome and in Brazil, as a whole

Diet of <i>Leptodactylus ocellatus</i> (Anura: leptodactylidae) from coastal lagoons of Southeastern Brazil

Estudamos a dieta de Leptodactylus ocellatus ao longo de três lagoas costeiras no Município de Anchieta, ES, sudeste do Brasil. Cinquenta e sete exemplares foram coletados, variando de 18,5 a 100,4 mm no comprimento rostro-uróstilo. Leptodactylus ocellatus consumiu uma grande variedade de itens alimentares. Besouros adultos foram as presas mais frequentes, seguidos por larvas de besouros e formigas. Cupins foram os itens predominantes em termos numéricos, enquanto ortópteros foram os ítens dominantes em termos de massa. Foi observada a presença de vertebrados na dieta de L. ocellatus, incluindo um jovem da mesma espécie. A dieta desta rã variou ontogeneticamente quanto ao tipo e ao tamanho das presas.We studied the diet of Leptodactylus ocellatus along three coastal lagoons in the Municipality of Anchieta, ES, Southeastern Brazil. Fifty-seven specimens were collected, ranging from 18.5 to 100.4 mm in snout-urostyle length. Leptodactylus ocellatus consumed a great variety of food items. Adult beetles were the most frequently consumed prey, followed by beetle larvae and ants. Termites were the numerically predominant food items, whereas orthopterans dominated the diet in terms of mass. The presence of vertebrates, including a conspecific individual, was observed in the diet of L. ocellatus. This frog´s diet changed ontogenetically both in terms of prey type and prey size.Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA

Non-Avian Reptiles of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: status of knowledge and commented list

We assessed the current knowledge on non-avian reptile species composition in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), southeastern Brazil. We used published data in indexed journals and verified voucher specimens housed in two herpetological collections of the Museu Nacional (UFRJ), and the Laboratory of Reptiles (ZUFRJ). We also confirmed vouchers from Instituto Vital Brazil (IVB) and from the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ). We compiled a list containing 149 species of reptiles, distributed among Testudines (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;15), Crocodylia (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;1) and Squamata (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;133; six amphisbaenians, 38 lizards and 89 snakes). Our results add 20 species to the previous list known for the state. Four species recorded are endemic to the state of Rio de Janeiro (Anolis neglectus, Glaucomastix littoralis, Leposternon scutigerum, and Liolaemus lutzae). We identified that 21 reptile species recorded in RJ state (nearly 15% of the total) are included in some threat category either in the IUCN, Brazilian (ICMBio) or state lists of endangered species. We also report that seven of the reptiles recorded are non-indigenous to the state: Cnemidophorus aff. lemniscatus (=&nbsp;Cnemidophorus cryptus), Anolis sagrei, Trachemys scripta, Trachemys dorbigni, Hemidactylus mabouia, Crotalus durissus terrificus, and Rhinoclemmys punctularia. The checklist presented here provides a comprehensive database for further research on the herpetofauna of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Reptilia, Scincidae, Mabuya frenata: distribution extension

None

Amphibia, Anura, Hylodidae, Hylodes lateristrigatus (Baumann, 1912): filling distribution gap

The known geographic distribution of Hylodes lateristrigatus (Anura, Hylodidae) encloses a large portion of southeastern Brazil, but is somewhat disjunct, with no records between southern Rio de Janeiro and central Espírito Santo states. Here, we present a record of H. lateristrigatus from a site in southern Espírito Santo, filling a gap in the species’ distribution. It is likely that other areas within this range (from southern Rio de Janeiro to northern Espírito Santo) are also suitable for its occurrence, and new inventories are needed to confirm it

The Herpetofauna from Ilha Grande (Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): updating species composition, richness, distribution and endemisms

Ilha Grande is a large continental island (total area of 19,300 ha) situated at the southern coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in southeast Brazil, within the Atlantic Forest Biome. Here we provide an update to the previous knowledge of the fauna of amphibians and reptiles occurring in Ilha Grande, based on primary data from our own fieldwork and on secondary data (from institutional collections and from the literature). We report the occurrence at Ilha Grande of a total of 74 species, being 34 amphibians (all of them anurans) and 40 reptiles (27 snakes, 11 lizards, one amphisbaenian and one crocodylian). Our survey added 14 species to the herpetofaunal list of Ilha Grande (three of amphibians and eleven of reptiles) and removed one species (the amphibian Cycloramphus fuliginosus) from the previous list. The data indicated that Ilha Grande houses a considerable portion of the Atlantic Forest amphibian and reptile diversity (ca. 6% and 19%, respectively, of the species occurring in this biome) together with high occurrence of species endemic to this biome plus a few amphibian species endemic to this island. Ilha Grande is thus an important reservoir of both biodiversity and endemism of amphibians and reptiles of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, which highlights the importance of the conservation of the island and of its different habitats along the insular landscape

The Herpetofauna from Ilha Grande (Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): updating species composition, richness, distribution and endemisms

Ilha Grande is a large continental island (total area of 19,300 ha) situated at the southern coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in southeast Brazil, within the Atlantic Forest Biome. Here we provide an update to the previous knowledge of the fauna of amphibians and reptiles occurring in Ilha Grande, based on primary data from our own fieldwork and on secondary data (from institutional collections and from the literature). We report the occurrence at Ilha Grande of a total of 74 species, being 34 amphibians (all of them anurans) and 40 reptiles (27 snakes, 11 lizards, one amphisbaenian and one crocodylian). Our survey added 14 species to the herpetofaunal list of Ilha Grande (three of amphibians and eleven of reptiles) and removed one species (the amphibian Cycloramphus fuliginosus) from the previous list. The data indicated that Ilha Grande houses a considerable portion of the Atlantic Forest amphibian and reptile diversity (ca. 6% and 19%, respectively, of the species occurring in this biome) together with high occurrence of species endemic to this biome plus a few amphibian species endemic to this island. Ilha Grande is thus an important reservoir of both biodiversity and endemism of amphibians and reptiles of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, which highlights the importance of the conservation of the island and of its different habitats along the insular landscape