Eliza Maria Xavier Freire

TWO NEW SPECIES OF PHYLLODYTES (ANURA: HYLIDAE) FROM THE STATE OF ALAGOAS, NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Two new species of the genus Phyllodytes are described from the State of Alagoas, Northeastern Brazil. Phyllodytes edelmoi sp. nov. was obtained at Mata do Catolé, Maceió, and three additional localities. This new, medium sized species (snout–vent length [SVL] 23.5–28.8 mm) is characterized by a dark brown to black dorsum with many pearl white spots in post-metamorphic and young specimens; a conspicuous pearl white spot on the dorsum of the tadpole; in life, adults deep golden yellow, no distinct tubercle on the tip of the snout; and nares on slightly elevated prominences. Phyllodytes gyrinaethes sp. nov. was collected only at Fazenda Bananeiras, Murici; it is characterized by its medium size (SVL 23.9–27.9 mm); a marbled dorsal pattern on the body and limbs; a well developed nuptial pad at the base of the first finger; a hidden tympanum; a red cast on the concealed areas of thigh, tibia, inner border of foot, and inguinal region; and a morphologically specialized tadpole with expanded labia. Description of the tadpoles and notes on the habitats and habits of the new species are presented. Resumo Duas novas espécies do gênero Phyllodytes são descritas do Estado de Alagoas, nordeste do Brasil. Phyllodytes edelmoi sp. nov. foi obtida na Mata do Catolé, Maceió, e em outras três localidades; essa nova espécie, de tamanho médio (CRA 23,5–28,8 mm), é caracterizada pela coloração marrom escuro ou enegrecido, com muitos pontos branco-perolado, nos jovens e recém-metamorfoseados; uma evidente mancha branco-perolado no focinho do girino; adultos, em vida, de cor amarelo dourado; focinho sem tubérculo apical; narinas colocadas em pequenas elevações. Phyllodytes gyrinaethes sp. nov., coletada na Fazenda Bananeiras, Murici, é caracterizada pelo seu tamanho médio (CRA 23,9–27,9 mm) e pelo calo nupcial bem desenvolvido na base do primeiro dedo; tímpano oculto; padrão dorsal do corpo e membros marmoreado; partes ocultas das coxas e tíbias, borda interna do pé e região ingüinal avermelhado; girino morfologicamente especializado, com disco oral muito amplo e outros caracteres incomuns. Descrições dos girinos e notas sobre os habitats e hábitos das novas espécies são apresentadas.

Diet and Foraging Behavior of Two Species of Tropidurus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in the Caatinga of Northeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT. Tropidurus semitaeniatus and Tropidurus hispidus are widely distributed lizard species in Brazil. The former is endemic to the Caatinga, where it lives in syntopy with the latter, which is distributed in other ecosystems and biomes. In this study, we explored the diet, its seasonal variation, as well as foraging behavior of both species inhabiting rock outcrops in a Caatinga area of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Leaves were the most important food item in the diet of both species, followed by ants and termites. No significant difference was found in diet composition between the two species, although T. hispidus feeds on larger prey than T. semitaeniatus. Our results indicate that T. semitaeniatus and T. hispidus are opportunistic foragers with similar, generalized diets, showing temporal variation in their diets apparently related to prey availability.ABSTRACT. Tropidurus semitaeniatus and Tropidurus hispidus are widely distributed lizard species in Brazil. The former is endemic to the Caatinga, where it lives in syntopy with the latter, which is distributed in other ecosystems and biomes. In this study, we explored the diet, its seasonal variation, as well as foraging behavior of both species inhabiting rock outcrops in a Caatinga area of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Leaves were the most important food item in the diet of both species, followed by ants and termites. No significant difference was found in diet composition between the two species, although T. hispidus feeds on larger prey than T. semitaeniatus. Our results indicate that T. semitaeniatus and T. hispidus are opportunistic foragers with similar, generalized diets, showing temporal variation in their diets apparently related to prey availability.

Body Mass and the Energy Budget of Gravid Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) during the Nesting Season

Abstract Female Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting along the southeast coastline of the state of Rio Grande do Norte Brazil (6°13′40″S, 35°03′05″W) were captured and weighed during the 2006–07 and 2007–08 nesting seasons. The mean value for the first postoviposition mass was 79.6 kg. Individuals that were subsequently recaptured showed a mean mass change of 1.6 kg in the interval between two consecutive postovipositions (i.e., after one internidal interval). We plotted the mass of the individuals against the curvilinear carapace length. An analysis of residual mass above average body condition reveals that females with good body condition start nesting at the beginning of the season. Preoviposition mass was measured when the female aborted the nesting process. Gross mass change was 5.46 kg. Mean body mass recovery was 3.2 kg. Body mass recovery was always significantly lower than the change in gross mass. This is in agreement with the observed mass loss tendency throughout the breeding season for this species. Mass recovery was analyzed using allometric law, converting both loss in body mass and total egg mass to energy. Using mean turtle body mass, we performed three scenarios for the metabolic maintenance rate of the Hawksbill Turtle during the nesting period. The energy that the turtles expended in egg laying was estimated at 1,183 kJ • d−1. The daily net mass loss for the most realistic scenario converted into energy was 4,213 kJ • d−1. The total daily energy consumption (maintenance plus egg production) was similar to the daily energy from mass loss. This theoretical treatment suggests that, under this scenario, there is no reason for significant extra energy intake during the oviposition period.

Molecular phylogeny, species limits, and biogeography of the Brazilian endemic lizard genus Enyalius (Squamata: Leiosauridae): An example of the historical relationship between Atlantic Forests and Amazonia

The endemic Brazilian Enyalius encompasses a diverse group of forest lizards with most species restricted to the Atlantic Forest (AF). Their taxonomy is problematic due to extensive variation in color pattern and external morphology. We present the first phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus based on 2102 bp of the mtDNA (cyt-b, ND4, and 16S) and nuclear (c-mos) regions, uncovering all previously admitted taxa (9 spp). Different methods of tree reconstruction were explored with Urostrophus vautieri, Anisolepis grilli and A. longicauda as outgroups. The monophyly of Enyalius and its split into two deeply divergent clades (late Oligocene and early Miocene) is strongly supported. Clade A assembles most lineages restricted to south and southeastern Brazil, and within it Enyalius brasiliensis is polyphyletic; herein full species status of E. brasiliensis and E. boulengeri is resurrected. Clade B unites the Amazonian E. leechii as sister-group to a major clade containing E. bilineatus as sister-group to all remaining species from northeastern Brazil. We detected unrecognized diversity in several populations suggesting putative species. Biogeographical analyses indicate that Enyalius keeps fidelity to shadowed forests, with few cases of dispersal into open regions. Ancient dispersal into the Amazon from an AF ancestor may have occurred through northeastern Brazil.

Trophic ecology and foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in a caatinga area of northeastern Brazil

This study aimed to analyze the seasonal variation in diet composition and foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) and T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825), as well as measurement of the foraging intensity (number of moves, time spent stationary, distance traveled and number of attacks on prey items) in a caatinga patch on the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Hymenoptera/Formicidae and Isoptera predominated in the diet of both species during the dry season. Opportunistic predation on lepidopteran larvae, coleopteran larvae and adults, and orthopteran nymphs and adults occurred in the wet season; however, hymenopterans/Formicidae were the most important prey items. The number of food items was similar between lizard species in both seasons; however the overlap for number of prey was smaller in the wet season. Preys ingested by T. hispidus during the wet season were also larger than those consumed by T. semitaeniatus. Seasonal comparisons of foraging intensity between the two species differed, mainly in the wet season, when T. hispidus exhibited less movement and fewer attacks on prey, and more time spent stationary if compared to T. semitaeniatus. Although both lizards are sit-and-wait foragers, T. semitaeniatus is more active than T. hispidus. The diet and foraging behavior of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus overlap under limiting conditions during the dry season, and are segregative factors that may contribute to the coexistence of these species in the wet season.

Feeding Habits and Predator-Prey Size Relationships in the Whiptail Lizard Cnemidophorus ocellifer (Teiidae) in the Semiarid Region of Brazil

ABSTRACT. We studied the diet of the whiptail lizard Cnemidophorus ocellifer (Spix, 1825) and the relationships between predator size and prey size in a Caatinga area of northeastern Brazil. Lizards (N = 111) were collected during the day through active search. In the laboratory, we measured them and registered the number of ingested items of each prey category to Order, as well as the dimensions and frequencies of each. The main prey category in the C. ocellifer diet was insect larvae and pupae, followed by Orthoptera, Isoptera, Coleoptera and Araneae. Termites (Isoptera) were important only in numeric terms, having negligible volumetric contribution and low frequency of occurrence, an uncommon feature among whiptail lizards. The types and sizes of prey consumed by adult males and females were similar, despite sexual dimorphism in head size. Adults and juveniles ingested similar prey types, but differed in prey size. Maximum and minimum prey sizes were positively correlated with lizard body size, suggesting that in this population individuals experience an ontogenetic change in diet, eating larger prey items while growing, and at the same time excluding smaller ones.

Ventral Colored Patches in Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae): Sexual Dimorphism and Association with Reproductive Cycle

Abstract We describe sexual dimorphism in coloration and the reproductive cycle in Tropidurus semitaeniatus, a widely distributed lizard species in the caatinga of northeastern Brazil. Yellow and yellow-and-black patches occurred on the ventral surface of the thighs and precloacal flap in 15 and 11 adult males, respectively. Thirteen reproductively active males (collected November to March) had ventral patches with intense pigmentation, contrasting with the faded pigmentation of these patches in two males during the maturation stage (collected in October) and in 11 individuals in regression phase (collected April to September). Thirty-six adult females, reproductively active and not, and 21 juveniles lacked ventral color patches. There was a significant relationship between snout–vent length and testis volume during maturation and regression stages in males with both types of color patches. We conclude that ventral color patches displayed by male T. semitaeniatus are closely associated with their reproductive cycles.

Reproductive and fat body cycles of Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in a caatinga area of northeastern Brazil

Este estudio evaluo los ciclos reproductivos y de grasa corporal de Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) y T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825) en una area de caatinga en el Serido de Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, de octubre de 2006 a mayo de 2008. En ambas especies, las hembras se encontraron reproductivamente activas a partir de mediados de la estacion seca para el inicio de la temporada de lluvias. La actividad reproductiva de las hembras fue influenciada por las precipitaciones, mientras que los machos presentaron espermatozoides en los testiculos durante todo el ano, y su actividad reproductiva no fue relacionada con ninguna de las variables climaticas analizadas. El tamano medio (± DE) de la nidada fue de 8.1 ± 2.0 y 2.1 ± 0.6 huevos en T. hispidus y T. semitaeniatus, respectivamente, y se relaciono significativamente con el tamano corporal de la hembra solo en T. hispidus. La reserva de grasa vario inversamente con la actividad reproductiva en las dos especies, y no hubo diferencia en la cantidad de grasa corporal entre hembras y machos. Los efectos de la precipitacion sobre la duracion de la temporada reproductiva de estas dos especies de Tropidurus sugieren que sus ciclos reproductivos estan relacionados con las condiciones microclimaticas adecuadas para el desarrollo del embrion, asi como para la emergencia de los recien nacidos y su supervivencia, especialmente durante la temporada de lluvias, que es la que puede ofrecer una mayor disponibilidad de alimentos para las crias.

The effects of seasonality on the foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) living in sympatry in the Caatinga of northeastern Brazil

In this study, we performed field observations of 38 and 84 specimens of the lizards Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) and Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825), respectively, inhabiting a Caatinga in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil, in order to describe the foraging behavior, measure the foraging intensity (number of movements, time spent stationary, distance traveled and number of attacks on preys) and investigate the effects of seasonality on the foraging strategies of these two species of lizards. During the dry season, both species showed no significant differences in foraging intensity. In the wet season, on the other hand, only the distance traveled was similar for both species. Tropidurus semitaeniatus displayed a larger mean number of movements (9.8 ± 1.2) and attacks on preys (1.7 ± 0.3) when compared to T. hispidus (3.0 ± 0.8 moves; 0.3 ± 0.1 attacks). Additionally, mean time spent stationary was significantly longer for T. hispidus (596.6 ± 1.0 seconds) than for T. semitaeniatus (587 ± 2.1 seconds). Results suggest that the low number of movements and short distance traveled (maximum of 1000 cm during 10-minute intervals) are consistent with the categorization of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus as sit-and-wait foragers. Given our results, we conclude that both species co-exist under limiting conditions during the dry season, with similar foraging behavior and similar rates of foraging intensity, segregating with respect to these variables in the wet season.

Ecology and diversity of a lizard community in the semiarid region of Brazil

Composition, species diversity and resource usage in terms of space and time were evaluated for the lizard community of the Ecological Station of the Serido (ESEC Serido), Rio Grande do Norte. An observation area of 150 m × 150 m (2.25 ha) was delimited and surveyed monthly in alternate turns (morning, afternoon and night) for three consecutive days from April to October 2011, covering dry and rainy seasons. Fourteen species belonging to eight families were recorded, being Tropidurus semitaeniatus the most abundant. Seasonality influenced species richness and abundance. Regarding habitat usage, Lygodactylus klugei was the most generalist species, whilePhyllopezus periosus, P. pollicaris and T. semitaeniatus were specialists, showing affinity for rocky formations. About microhabitat usage, the most generalist species was T. hispidus and the most specialized wasL. klugei . Ten of the recorded species have diurnal habits and four are nocturnal. The space and time usage profiles of the dominant species corroborated data obtained in previous autoecological studies conducted in the same area and suggest a pattern of resource usage by these species in the ESEC Serido.