Records of predation on Ophiodes striatus (Spix, 1824) (Squamata: Diploglossidae) by Oxyrhopus petolarius (Linnaeus, 1758) (Squamata: Dipsadidae) in the northern Atlantic Forest, Brazil

Information on basic aspects of the natural history of many snake species based on naturalistic observations is still scarce. Here we report Oxyrhopus petolarius, a medium-sized false coral snake with terrestrial habits, feeding on Ophiodes striatus, a medium-sized lizard with cylindrical and elongated body, with vestigial posterior limbs and absence of anterior ones. The snake was registered ingesting an individual of O. striatus and upon inspecting of its stomach contents, the presence of two other individuals of O. striatus in different stages of digestion was found.Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Identification key for anuran amphibians in a protected area in the northeastern Atlantic Forest

The identification of anuran amphibians is still a challenge in megadiverse assemblages. In the Neotropics, the Atlantic Forest harbors more than 600 anuran species, and many studies in this ecoregion report anuran assemblages surpassing 30 species. Taxonomic keys facilitate the identification of biological diversity, however only a few are available for anuran assemblages in the Atlantic Forest. Herein we present an identification key for 40 anuran species distributed across 20 genera and nine families, occurring in the Environmental Protection Area of Catolé and Fernão Velho, northeastern Atlantic Forest. Thirty-five morphological characteristics were used in the key, all of which can be easily observed in living and museum specimens. This pioneer study provides the first identification key for an amphibian assemblage in the northeastern Atlantic Forest and this baseline information acts as the starting point for the development of evolutionary and ecological research in this conservation unit