Taeniophallus affinis (Günther, 1858) (Squamata, Serpentes, Dipsadidae): distribution extension, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Taeniophallus affinis (Dipsadidae) has a distribution restricted to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We collected a male specimen at Parque Municipal de Sertão, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This record extends the distribution of the species ca. 118 km S; it was previously known only from the northeastern part of the state

Variação sazonal na composição de taxocenoses de anuros (Amphibia) terrestres no sul do Brasil

Climate seasonality may differently influence habitat quality and heterogeneity depending on habitat type. We examined whether the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic composition of ground-dwelling anuran assemblages from grassland and forest habitats vary seasonally. We tested the hypothesis that the forest anuran assemblage varies less seasonally than the grassland assemblage. We monitored anurans using pitfall trap arrays in two areas, sampled across four seasons over a two-year period. For the functional composition, we acquired information on species morphology, reproduction, and habitat use to represent the anuran niche. For the phylogenetic composition, we used the most comprehensive anuran phylogeny. We used Principal Coordinate Analysis and Analysis of Variance to evaluate seasonal variations in assemblage composition along the study period. Our data revealed significant seasonal variation in the taxonomic and phylogenetic composition of anuran assemblages. Variation in taxonomic composition was higher in the grassland than in the forest assemblage, while variation in phylogenetic composition was higher in the spring-summer than in the autumn-winter seasons. We did not identify seasonal variation in functional composition. Seasonal variations in taxonomic and phylogenetic composition, but not in functional composition, indicate that the species with a fluctuating seasonal abundance have similar life-history traits, but belong to different lineages.Keywords: anuran traits, Brazilian highland grasslands, habitat variability, temporal beta diversity, temporal turnover.A sazonalidade no clima pode alterar a qualidade e a disponibilidade de habitats dependendo do tipo de habitat. Neste trabalho, testamos a hipótese de que a estrutura taxonômica, funcional e filogenética da taxocenose de anuros florestais varia menos temporalmente do que a campestre. Monitoramos anuros utilizando armadilhas de interceptação e queda em duas áreas, amostradas ao longo de quatro estações de dois diferentes anos. Para a análise da composição funcional das taxocenoses de anuros, obtivemos informações de atributos morfológicos, reprodutivos e de uso de hábitat para representar o nicho das espécies de anuros. Para a análise da composição filogenética das taxocenoses, utilizamos a filogenia mais abrangente em número de espécies de anuros. Os resultados mostraram uma variação sazonal significativa na composição taxonômica e filogenética das taxocenoses. A variação na composição taxonômica foi maior no campo do que na floresta. A variação na composição filogenética foi maior na primavera-verão do que no outono-inverno. Não identificamos variação na composição funcional. As variações sazonais na composição taxonômica e filogenética, mas não na composição funcional, indicam que as espécies de anuros que variam em abundância ao longo das estações do ano possuem atributos de história de vida similares, mas pertencem a linhagens diferentes.Palavras-chave: atributos de anuros, beta diversidade temporal, Campos do Planalto Sul-Brasileiro, variabilidade do habitat, substituição temporal de espécies

Aspectos reprodutivos de uma população de Physalaemus gracilis (BOULENGER 1883) (Anura: Leptodactylidae) do sul do Brasil

We investigated the reproductive biology of Physalaemus gracilis in a population from the state of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), and collected a total of 871 individuals through pitfall traps from May 2001 to January 2003. The largest collection of individuals occurred during the autumn and winter months, in July 2001 and from May to August 2002. The occurrence of individuals caught in pitfall traps was positively related to the temperature. The data about snout-vent length changed throughout the seasons, decreasing in spring and summer, possibly due to the recruitment of juvenile individuals. This population presented a seasonal reproductive activity and sexual dimorphism, characterized by higher values of snout-vent length and weight in females in comparison to males. The reproductive investment of the studied population supports the idea that larger females invest proportionally more in their offspring. The gradual increase of female gonadosomatic index, which coincided with the largest amount of mature oocytes, may indicate that females were prepared to oviposition process that would probably occur in spring. In contrast, males may have a continuous readiness to mate throughout the year.Keywords: amphibians, gonadosomatic index, reproductive investment, seasonality.Investigamos a biologia reprodutiva de Physalaemus gracilis em uma população do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Coletamos um total de 871 indivíduos por meio de armadilhas de queda, de maio de 2001 a janeiro de 2003. O maior número de indivíduos ocorreu durante o outono e inverno, nos meses de julho de 2001 e entre maio e agosto de 2002. A ocorrência de indivíduos capturados nas armadilhas relacionou-se positivamente à temperatura. O comprimento rostro-cloacal variou ao longo das estações, diminuindo na primavera e no verão, possivelmente devido ao recrutamento de indivíduos juvenis. Essa população apresentou atividade de reprodução sazonal e dimorfismo sexual, caracterizado por maiores valores de comprimento rostro-cloacal e peso maior das fêmeas. O investimento reprodutivo da população estudada sugere que fêmeas maiores investem proporcionalmente mais em sua prole. O aumento gradual do índice gonadossomático nas fêmeas, que coincidiu com a maior quantidade de ovócitos maduros, pode indicar que as fêmeas estavam preparadas para o processo de oviposição, que provavelmente ocorre na primavera. Já os machos podem ter disponibilidade contínua para acasalar ao longo do ano.Palavras-chave: anfíbios, índice gonadossomático, investimento reprodutivo, sazonalidade

Relação entre fatores exógenos e a abundância de roedores em remanescente de Floresta Ombrófila Mista, Rio Grande do Sul

In regions affected by seasonal variation in environmental conditions and resources availability, rodent species abundance and composition tend to fluctuate, following these environmental changes. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between exogenous factors and the variation in rodent abundance in an Araucaria Rainforest remnant in northern Rio Grande do Sul. We used pitfall traps with guide fences and wire traps to collect species and to estimate their abundance, between June 2009 and January 2010. Posteriorly, we used Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling and Pearson correlation analysis in order to investigate the relationship between exogenous factors and changes in rodent abundance across the sampled seasons. At the end of our study, we captured 54 individuals belonging to 10 rodent species. Oligoryzomys nigripes (Olfers 1818), registered in all seasons and Akodon montensis (Thomas 1913), which was not recorded only in the spring, were the most abundant species in the study area. We found that temperature was correlated to the first axis of variation of rodent abundance. Moreover, the increase of Sooretamys angouya (Thomas 1913), Thaptomys nigrita (Lichtenstein 1829) and Akodon azarae (Fischer 1829) abundances were negatively correlated with temperature, while the opposite pattern was observed for Akodon paranaensis (Christoff et al. 2000), Oligoryzomys flavescens (Waterhouse 1837) and Mus musculus (Linnaeus 1758). Finally, our study contributes to the definition of factors related to rodent population dynamics and to increase the knowledge about the rodent composition in Araucaria Rainforest remnants in Rio Grande do Sul.Em regiões que possuem sazonalidade em condições ambientais e na disponibilidade de recursos, a abundância e a composição de espécies de roedores tendem a variar com mudanças ambientais. Neste estudo, exploramos a relação entre fatores exógenos e variações na abundância de roedores em um remanescente de Floresta Ombrófila Mista no norte do Rio Grande do Sul. Utilizamos armadilhas de queda com cercas-guia e armadilhas de arame para coletar e estimar a abundância das espécies durante junho de 2009 a janeiro de 2010. Realizamos ‘Scaling’ Multidimensional Não-Métrico e análise de correlação de Pearson buscando relacionar fatores exógenos com variações na abundância de roedores nas estações. Ao fim do estudo, capturamos 54 indivíduos pertencentes a 10 espécies de roedores. Oligoryzomys nigripes (Olfers 1818), registrado em todas as estações do ano, e Akodon montensis (Thomas 1913), não capturado na primavera, foram as espécies mais abundantes na área. Constatamos que a temperatura esteve relacionada ao principal eixo de variação na abundância de roedores. Além disto, aumentos na abundância de Sooretamys angouya (Thomas 1913), Thaptomys nigrita (Lichtenstein 1829) e Akodon azarae (Fischer 1829) tiveram correlação negativa com a temperatura, enquanto que o padrão inverso foi registrado para Akodon paranaensis (Christoff et al. 2000), Oligoryzomys flavescens (Waterhouse 1837) e Mus musculus (Linnaeus 1758). Por fim, o estudo contribui para a definição de fatores relacionados à dinâmica populacional de roedores e para o acréscimo no conhecimento da composição de espécies de roedores em remanescentes de Floresta Ombrófila Mista no Rio Grande do Sul

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Ecology of the snake Atractus paraguayensis (Dipsadidae) in southern Brazil

ABSTRACT Knowledge of snake ecology is important to support conservation strategies. Atractus paraguayensis Werner, 1924 is a dipsadidae with semi fossorial habits distributed throughout southern Brazil. We analyzed the morphology, seasonality and reproductive biology of this species in a subtropical area in southern Brazil by combining material from scientific collections and field data. We found that females have a larger body size than males and that the reproductive cycle of females is seasonal, with vitellogenesis occurring in the warmer months of the year. Males exhibited no differences in testicle volume throughout the year; however, mating likely occurs in the spring when males are more active. Recruitment of newborns occurs in late summer. The number of individuals collected during the hottest months (September through February) was significantly higher than the number of individuals collected during the colder months. Our results, which reveal sexual dimorphism in the species and seasonal breeding restricted to warm months, contribute important information about this species’ biology

Osteología craniana de Bothrops alternatus Duméril, Bibrón & Duméril, 1854, e a comparaçao com espécies de Bothrops Wagler, 1824, ocorrrentes no sul do Brasil (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae)

Descrição da osteologia craniana de Bothrops alternatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, usada como modelo para a comparação com a de outras espécies do Sul do Brasil, B. cotiara (Gomes), B. jararaca (Wied-Neuwied), B. jararacussu Lacerda, B. moojeni Hoge, e B. neuwiedi Wagler. Foram encontradas diferenças maiores no prérnaxilar, maxilar, nasal, vômer, septomaxilar, palatino, pterigóide, supra-occipital, complexo parabasisfenóide, angular e esplenial. Cranial osteology of Bothrops alternatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854, and the comparison with southern Brazilian species of Bothrops Wagler (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae). Description of the skull osteology of B. alternatus, as a model for the comparision with another Brazilian southern species, B. cotiara (Gomes), B. jararaca (Wied-Neuwied), B. jararacussu Lacerda, B. moojeni Hoge, and B. neuwiedi Wagler as a contribution to the knowledge of this very complex taxon. The main differences were found in the pre-maxilla, maxilla, nasal, vomer, septomaxilla, pal atine, pterygoid, supraoccipital, parabasisphenoid, angular, and splenial