Gláucia Maria Funk Pontes

Seasonal and daily activity patterns of Liophis poecilogyrus (Serpentes: Colubridae) on the north coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The seasonal and daily activity patterns of Liophis poecilogyrus and the variation in these patterns due to sexual differences and reproductive maturity were investigated based on 174 captures of snakes on the North Coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The seasonal activity pattern was unimodal with a higher frequency of active snakes during the hot months. The daily activity pattern was bimodal along most of the year (except during the colder months) with higher frequency of active snakes in early morning and late afternoon. During the colder months, most of the active snakes were found in the hottest periods of the day. There was no significant difference regarding activity of the total males and females, mature males and females, immature males and females and mature and immature snakes. The temperature seems to be the most important factor in determining the seasonal and daily activity patterns of this population.

Defensive repertoire of Xenodon dorbignyi (Serpentes, Dipsadidae)

The ability of a species to defend itself against a predator is directly correlated with its survivorship. Thus, prey/predator interaction mechanisms are important elements of the natural history of species. In this study, we examined the defensive repertoire of the South-American hognose snake (Xenodon dorbignyi) through simulations of predator attacks in the field. Nine defensive displays were observed. The most frequently observed displays were erratic movements, body flattening, head triangulation and tail display. No differences were detected in the defensive strategies shown by males and females, regardless of their reproductive state. Our findings suggest that X. dorbignyi has the ability to evaluate the level of threat imposed by the aggressor, with cryptic behavior, body flattening and locomotor escape as the primary defensive strategies, with other displays used as secondary responses to a predator attack. Our results support the hypothesis that X. dorbignyi is a mimic of both Micrurus and Bothrops.

Reproductive biology of Thamnodynastes hypoconia (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) in Brazilian subtemperate wetlands

This study aimed to describe the reproductive biology of populations of Thamnodynastes hypoconia in subtemperate wetlands based on macroscopic analyses of their gonads. We analyzed 101 specimens from the southernmost regions of Brazil. The males had a greater snout-vent length, but the females reached sexual maturity with a greater body size. The reproductive cycle of the females was seasonal, with secondary vitellogenesis occurring between the winter and spring (May-October). Based on macroscopic analysis of gonads, data suggests that males have a continuous reproductive cycle. Parturition occurs between the late summer and early fall (January-April). The clutch size ranged between 4 and 16 embryos and showed no relationship with the females body size. The recorded reproductive frequency of T. hypoconia is low (38 %) compared to other phylogenetically related species. Conversely, the studied populations appear to have a high reproductive success because it is an abundant species in the study site.

Leptophis ahaetulla (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes, Colubridae): first record for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

We present the first record of Leptophis ahaetulla for the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Between November and December 2014, and February 2015, three specimens were found, respectively: one male dead on a highway at the Parque Estadual do Espinilho, a conservation unit located at the municipality of Barra do Quarai; and two females collected in an anthropic landscape of Salso farm at the municipality of Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Meristic data and coloration enables the identification of these specimens as Leptophis ahaetulla marginatus .