Conservation status of Brazilian snakes inhabiting the Atlantic Forest of Northeastern Brazil

Due to the high level of disturbance in natural ecosystems and the progressive loss of habitats resulting from anthropic occupation, biodiversity conservation represents one of the greatest challenges today. Red lists of threatened species are essential tools for identifying species at risk of extinction and guiding conservation efforts. In this study, we assessed the vulnerability to extinction of 55 snake species that occur in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil in Paraíba state. We developed vulnerability indices based on 12 factors known to influence the survival of snake populations. To analyze the threat profiles and relative risk levels within the snake community, we employed principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis. Additionally, we compared our findings with existing red lists of threatened species. Our results reveal that only 18% of the snake fauna in this region is free of any threat. The aquatic species Helicops angulatus and Oxyrhopus trigeminus were the snakes that presented the lowest risk of extinction, while Caaeteboia gaeli and Crotalus durissus presented the highest risk of extinction. Two groups of species were considered non-threatened and five groups were considered threatened. Our study provides the first overview on the conservation status of snake species in the northern portion of the Atlantic Forest and contributes to a better evaluation of conservation planning for this group in the region

Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae, Bokermannohyla lucianae (Napoli and Pimenta, 2003): distribution extension and geographic distribution map

The geographic distribution of Bokermannohyla lucianae, know only from its type locality in the municipality of Una, is extended 60 km south and 60 km south-west with two new localities in southern Bahia. The species seems to be restricted to remnants of primary and secondary Atlantic Rainforest patches in a small area of southern Bahia.

Chromosomal analysis of Physalaemus kroyeriAnd Physalaemus cicada(Anura, Leptodactylidae)

CAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOAll the species of Physalaemus Fitzinger, 1826 karyotyped up until now have been classified as 2n = 22. The species of the P. cuvieri group analyzed by C-banding present a block of heterochromatin in the interstitial region of the short arm of pair 5. Physalaemus cicada Bokermann, 1966 has been considered to be a member of the P. cuvieri species group, although its interspecific phylogenetic relationships remain unknown. The PcP190 satellite DNA has been mapped on the chromosomes of most of the species of the P. cuvieri group. For two species, P. cicada and P. kroyeri (Reinhardt & Lutken, 1862), however, only the chromosome number and morphology are known. Given this, the objective of the present study was to analyze the chromosomes of P. cicada and P. kroyeri, primarily by C-banding and PcP190 mapping. The results indicate that P. kroyeri and P. cicada have similar karyotypes, which were typical of Physalaemus. In both species, the NORs are located on the long arm of pair 8, and the C-banding indicated that, among other features, P. kroyeri has the interstitial band on chromosome 5, which is however absent in P. cicada. Even so, a number of telomeric bands were observed in P. cicada. The mapping of the PcP190 satellite DNA highlighted areas of the centromeric region of the chromosomes of pair 1 in both species, although in P. kroyeri, heteromorphism was also observed in pair 3. The cytogenetic evidence does not support the inclusion of P. cicada in the P. cuvieri group. In the case of P. kroyeri, the interstitial band on pair 5 is consistent with the existence of a cytogenetic synapomorphy in the P. cuvieri species group.All the species ofPhysalaemusFitzinger, 1826 karyotyped up until now have been classified as 2n = 22. The species of theP. cuvierigroup analyzed by C-banding present a block of heterochromatin in the interstitial region of the short arm of pair 5.Physalae102311323CAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOsem informação2010/11300-7620163/2008-

Diversity and habitat use of snakes from the coastal Atlantic rainforest in northeastern Bahia, Brazil

The north coast of Bahia comprises a 220 km long region within the Atlantic rainforest ecoregion. Studies focusing on snake communities are still scarce in this part of the state of Bahia. In this study, we assess snake diversity at nine locations, including habitat use and activity patterns. The sites were surveyed for three years, and four museum collections were visited to compile additional data. We obtained information on 50 species from 774 specimens. While the snake fauna at Instituto da Mata contained the greatest richness with 15 observed species, the snake fauna at Imbassaí exhibited the greatest snake diversity due to a lower dominance. The estimated species richness of the region might be as many as 55 species. Snakes occurred mainly in the restinga ecosystem (N = 27), followed by ombrophilous forest (N = 25), and consisted mainly of terrestrial species. The restinga dry forest is home to most species, however some are restricted to habitats in other vegetation types related to their biology. The snake assemblage on the north coast of Bahia is similar to others in the Atlantic rainforest and Caatinga domain in northeastern Brazil

Aparasphenodon brunoi Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Anura: Hylidae): distribution extension and geographic distribution map for Bahia state, Brazil

The casque-headed frog Aparasphenodon brunoi is recorded for the first time in the municipalities of Ilhéus and Igrapiúna, southern region of Bahia state, northeastern Brazil. The new record of A. brunoi in the municipality of Igrapiúna, represents an increase of its known geographic distribution of approximately 150 km north from its nearest locality (airline), in municipality of Una, state of Bahia, representing now the northernmost known record for this species

Reprodução de Pseudis minuta (Anura, Hylidae) no sul do Brasil

Reproduction of Pseudis minuta (Anura, Hylidae) in southern Brazil.This study was based on individuals of Pseudis minuta captured or observed in the municipality of Candiota, Campanha region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Sampling occurred along ten non-consecutive months in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The reproductive phases were characterized based on the gonadal development stage of39 males and 50 females, and on the observation, in nature, of the seasonal distribution of calling males, occurrence of amplectant pairs, and presence of larvae, juveniles and adults. Calls were recorded from August to April, amplectant pairs from October to February (except January), tadpoles from October to March (except February), and juveniles in all the sampled months (except January). Reproductive activity was not observed in late fall and early winter, even though females with post-vitellogenic oocytes and males with spermatozoa in the seminiferous tubules were recorded in allthe seasons. Mature females were statistically larger and heavier than mature males.The smallest female with post-vitellogenic oocytes had 32.0 mm of snout-vent length,and the smallest male with spermatozoa in its seminiferous tubules had 20.6 mm. The number of post-vitellogenic oocytes was directly proportional to the mass and to the snout-vent length of females, and the length of testis was directly proportional to the snout-vent length and to the mass of males

Type III secretion inhibitors for the management of bacterial plant diseases

The identification of chemical compounds that prevent and combat bacterial diseases is fundamental for crop production. Bacterial virulence inhibitors are a promising alternative to classical control treatments, because they have a low environmental impact and are less likely to generate bacterial resistance. The major virulence determinant of most animal and plant bacterial pathogens is the type III secretion system (T3SS). In this work, we screened nine plant extracts and 12 isolated compounds including molecules effective against human pathogens for their capacity to inhibit the T3SS of plant pathogens and for their applicability as virulence inhibitors for crop protection. The screen was performed using a luminescent reporter system developed in the model pathogenic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum. Five synthetic molecules, one natural product and two plant extracts were found to down‐regulate T3SS transcription, most through the inhibition of the regulator hrpB. In addition, for three of the molecules, corresponding to salicylidene acylhydrazide derivatives, the inhibitory effect caused a dramatic decrease in the secretion capacity, which was translated into impaired plant responses. These candidate virulence inhibitors were then tested for their ability to protect plants. We demonstrated that salicylidene acylhydrazides can limit R. solanacearum multiplication in planta and protect tomato plants from bacterial speck caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Our work validates the efficiency of transcription reporters to discover compounds or natural product extracts that can be potentially applied to prevent bacterial plant diseases

Ecological Connectivity for Amphibians Under Climate Change

Campos, F. S., Lourenço-de-Moraes, R., Ruas, D. S., Mira-Mendes, C. V., Franch, M., Llorente, G. A., ... Cabral, P. (2019). Searching for Networks: Ecological Connectivity for Amphibians Under Climate Change. Environmental Management, 65(1), 46-61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-019-01240-0Ecological connectivity depends on key elements within the landscape, which can support ecological fluxes, species richness and long-term viability of a biological community. Landscape planning requires clear aims and quantitative approaches to identify which key elements can reinforce the spatial coherence of protected areas design. We aim to explore the probability of the ecological connectivity of forest remnants and amphibian species distributions for current and future climate scenarios across the Central Corridor of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Integrating amphibian conservation, climate change and ecological corridors, we design a landscape ranking based on graph and circuit theories. To identify the sensitivity of connected areas to climate-dependent changes, we use the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate by means of simulations for 2080–2100, representing a moderated emission scenario within an optimistic context. Our findings indicate that more than 70% of forest connectivity loss by climate change may drastically reduce amphibian dispersal in this region. We show that high amphibian turnover rates tend to be greater in the north-eastern edges of the corridor across ensembles of forecasts. Our spatial analysis reveals a general pattern of low-conductance areas in landscape surface, yet with some well-connected patches suggesting potential ecological corridors. Atlantic Forest reserves are expected to be less effective in a near future. For improved conservation outcomes, we recommend some landscape paths with low resistance values across space and time. We highlight the importance of maintaining forest remnants in the southern Bahia region by drafting a blueprint for functional biodiversity corridors.authorsversionpublishe

Advertisement call of species of the genus Frostius Cannatella 1986 (Anura: Bufonidae)

Frostius pernambucensis and F. erythrophthalmus are cryptic bufonid species recognized mainly by the iris color: yellow in F. permambucensis and red in F. erythrophthalmus. However, field studies showed that the iris color of F. erythrophthalmus could vary between yellow and red. To improve the recognition of these species we described the advertisement call of Frostius pernambucensis and Frostius erythrophthalmus and we tested if call characteristics are influenced by temperature, male size and perch height. We also report on a physical interaction between two males of F. pernambucensis and the associated vocalization, suggesting that F. pernambucensis has not a territorial call or encounter call. Comparing the advertisement calls, the call of F. pernambucensis was lower, shorter and with a smaller number of notes than the call of F. erythrophthalmus. Dominant frequency and fundamental frequency variation of the F. pernambucensis advertisement call were related to the male’s size, while the call emission rate was related to air temperature. However, we could not find relationship among the acoustic characteristic of F. erythrophthalmus and male size or temperature