Mara C. Kiefer

Amphibians of an open cerrado fragment in southeastern Brazil

The Cerrado encompasses ca. 2 million km 2 in Brazil. Most Cerrado areas have been greatly disturbed in the past decades. Only 20% of this biome remain undisturbed, and only 1.2% is protected. Knowledge on the biology and diversity of Cerrado amphibian assemblages is still incipient. Here we present natural history information (habitat use and reproductive activity) of 28 species of frogs from the Estacao Ecologica de Itirapina (EEI), and compare the composition of this assemblage with those of other Cerrado areas, other open areas, and a few forest areas throughout Brazil. We demonstrate that the Itirapina assemblage is more similar to those of other open areas than to those of forests, even when the latter are geographically closer. Six species occurred in the gallery forest at varying levels of dependence (three independent, two semidependent, and one totally dependent) while all other species occurred exclusively in open areas. For most species at EEI, reproduction was strongly synchronized with the onset of the rainy season, with the exception of Hypsiboas lundii, which called throughout the year, and Proceratophrys sp. which started calling prior to the beginning of the rainy season. The spatial and temporal patterns observed in this assemblage seem to reflect both ecological (e. g. hydroperiod of water bodies) and historical factors (e. g. early breeding in leptodactylids, late breeding in hylids, both phylogenetically constrained).

Parasitism by Helminths in Eurolophosaurus nanuzae (Lacertilia: Tropiduridae) in an Area of Rocky Outcrops in Minas Gerais State, Southeastern Brazil

Abstract We studied the helminth fauna of the digestive tract of the lizard, Eurolophosaurus nanuzae, from the Serra do Cipo, Minas Gerais State, Brazil and tested for sexual, ontogenetic, and seasonal differences in prevalence (proportion of infected individuals) and intensity of infection (number of parasites per host). We also analyzed the distribution patterns of the helminths along the digestive tract of E. nanuzae. We found the nematodes Physaloptera lutzi, Subulura lacertilia, Parapharyngodon sceleratus, and Strongyluris oscari and the cestode Oochoristica vanzolinii. Males and females differed in prevalence for P. lutzi, S. lacertilian, and O. vanzolinii. None of the helminth species differed in intensity of infection between sexes. Prevalence was significantly higher in adults than in juveniles for P. lutzi and S. lacertila; however, this difference was not observed for P. sceleratus. Only adults were infected by S. oscari and O. vanzolinii. Intensity of infection increased with lizard body size ...

Herpetofauna of an Atlantic rainforest area (Morro São João) in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

We studied the herpetofaunal community from the Atlantic forest of Morro São João, in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, and present data on species composition, richness, relative abundance and densities. We combined three sampling methods: plot sampling, visual encounter surveys and pit-fall traps. We recorded sixteen species of amphibians and nine of reptiles. The estimated densities (based on results of plot sampling) were 4.5 ind/100 m2 for amphibians and 0.8 ind/100 m2 for lizards, and the overall density (amphibians and lizards) was 5.3 ind/100 m2. For amphibians, Eleutherodactylus and Scinax were the most speciose genera with three species each, and Eleutherodactylus binotatus was the most abundant species (mean density of 3.0 frogs/100 m2). The reptile community of Morro São João was dominated by species of the families Gekkonidae and Gymnophtalmidae (Lacertilia) and Colubridae (Serpentes). The gymnophtalmid lizard Leposoma scincoides was the most abundant reptile species (mean density of 0.3 ind/100 m2). We compare densities obtained in our study data with those of other studied rainforest sites in various tropical regions of the world.

Reproduction and Fat Body Cycle of Eurolophosaurus nanuzae (Sauria; Tropiduridae) from a Seasonal Montane Habitat of Southeastern Brazil

Abstract The reproductive cycle of the tropidurid lizard, Eurolophosaurus nanuzae, was studied at the montane habitat of Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from June 1996 to June 1997. Reproductive activity of E. nanuzae was cyclic, occurring from the middle of the dry season to the end of the wet season. Female reproductive activity was influenced by photoperiod and by long term precipitation and temperature. Males exhibited sperm in their testes throughout the year, and their reproductive activity was not related with any of the climatic factors analyzed. Fat storage varied inversely with reproductive activity and was more accentuated in females. Mean clutch size was 2.06 (±0.36 eggs) and was not related to female body size. The effects of precipitation on the reproductive cycle of E. nanuzae could be related to the microclimatic conditions necessary for embryo development and hatchling survivorship, as well as to the greater food availability for hatchlings during the wet season.

Ecology of Ischnocnema parva (Anura: Brachycephalidae) at the Atlantic Rainforest of Serra da Concórdia, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ischnocnema (Brachycephalidae) includes many species that are important members of the leaf litter frog communities in the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil. Ischnocnema parva (Girard, 1853) is endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest biome and is restricted to the forests of southeastern Brazil. Currently, the available information about the ecology of I. parva is scarce. We studied the diet, the habitat use, reproduction and density of I. parva in an area of Atlantic Rainforest at the Concordia mountain range, Rio de Janeiro. Individuals of I. parva were captured in April 2005 using different sampling methods: time constrained search (transects), plots of 5 x 5 m (25 m2) on the litter, and pitfall traps with drift fences. We found 240 frogs; 35 females and 205 males. Females (mean SVL = 19.1 mm) were significantly larger (F1,238 = 143.016, R2 = 0.375, p < 0.001) than males (13.2 mm). The species preyed mainly on arthropods, with ants and isopods being the most important items, both showing high values of importance index (Ix = 50.0 and 26.7, respectively). Ischnocnema parva is a terrestrial species whose preferential microhabitat at the Serra da Concordia was the litter of the forest floor (78.7%). The activity was predominantly crepuscular-nocturnal and the estimated density of I. parva was 24.9 ind/100 m2. For the eight ovigerous females captured, the mean number of mature oocytes per female was 25 (range: 22-30) and the oocyte mean diameter was 1.11 mm (N = 40 oocytes). Oocyte number increased with female body size (R2 = 0.504, F1,6 = 6.107, p < 0.05, N = 8), indicating that as females increase in size they produce larger clutches. Some ecological aspects such as diet and microhabitat use were similar to that observed for an insular population of I. parva, whereas reproductive traits differed. Thus, long term studies are necessary to understand the extent to which these differences are explained by environmental factors.

Reproduction in neotropical Tropidurus lizards (Tropiduridae): evaluating the effect of environmental factors on T. torquatus

Lizards exhibit a wide array of reproductive strategies. For tropical lizards, a single reproductive pattern is not evident, and the actual determinants of seasonality in reproduction remain unclear. Tropidurus torquatus is the most widely distributed species of the genus in Brazil and occurs in coastal and inland areas, and in islands off the Brazilian shore. In this study, we examine the reproductive cycle of T. torquatus at a coastal area in Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil. We analysed the reproductive cycle of T. torquatus from one coastal population to evaluate how reproduction is affected by local environmental factors (rainfall), and we also compared reproductive parameters of T. torquatus between two time periods (15 years apart) at the same locality. Tropidurus torquatus reproduces from the beginning of the dry season to the middle of the rainy season, even considering the two time periods. Reproductive season was similar between the coastal and inland populations suggesting that local environmental factors play a less important role in regulating the duration of the reproductive cycle of these lizards.

Plant Consumption of Insular and Mainland Populations of a Tropical Lizard

Abstract:  Insular lizards usually consume a large proportion of plant material compared to mainland ones, which is frequently attributed to a low prey availability on islands. In the present study, we analyze the diets of six populations (three insular and three continental) of the omnivorous lizard Tropidurus torquatus on the eastern Brazilian coast, to assess the extent which the insular and continental lizards differ in feeding habits, especially in the consumption of plant material. The degree of plant consumption varied greatly among areas, with the volumetric proportion of plant food in lizard diets ranging from 5% to 67%, but there was no tendency for insular lizards to consume more plant food than mainland ones. Moreover, insular lizards tended to eat more and larger prey items than those of the mainland, and estimated prey availability was not reduced on the islands compared to the mainland. The results of this study suggest that plant ingestion by T. torquatus is not related directly to insularity, but may be related to prey availability in the habitat. Therefore, the idea that populations of omnivorous lizards invariably tend to consume more plant food on islands than on the mainland must consider whether animal food is limited on a particular island.

Subulura lacertilia sp. n. (Nematoda, Subuluridae) parasitizing the Brazilian lizard Tropidurus nanuzae Rodrigues (Lacertilia, Tropiduridae).

This report deals with the identification of samples of nematodes recovered from Tropidurus nanuzae Rodrigues, 1981, with the description of a new species, and is a part of a major study on helminth parasites of reptiles in Brazil, taking into account previous data on this subject. The main approach is that referring to the first occurrence of subulurid nematodes in a reptilian host, since they have been assigned previously to birds and mammals.

Feeding habits of the leaf litter frog Haddadus binotatus (Anura, Craugastoridae) from two Atlantic Forest areas in southeastern Brazil

Haddadus binotatus is an endemic anuran of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and currently, there is no information about the diet of this species. We analyzed the diet of two populations of this anuran in two states in southeast Brazil. Samplings were carried out in 2004 in the state of Rio de Janeiro and in 2009 and 2010 in the state of Espírito Santo. Haddadus binotatus presented a rich diet composition, preying 19 prey types. Orthoptera, Coleoptera, and Blattodea were the most important preys in the Rio de Janeiro population, and Orthoptera, Araneae and Hemiptera were the most important in the Espírito Santo population. The diet composition differed numerically between the two localities, but not in terms of volume, which can reflect local differences in the prey availability in the two habitats. The jaw width limited the size of prey, which is expected for predators who swallow the preys without chewing. The proportion of individuals with empty stomachs was higher in the Rio de Janeiro population (39.2%) than in the Espírito Santo population (17.9%), suggesting that the former could be in a lower energy balance. The females of the species were larger than the males, which may result from the production of larger eggs.

Diet of the lizard Ecpleopus gaudichaudii (Gymnophthalmidae) in Atlantic Rainforest, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In this study we analyzed the diet of the gymnophthalmid lizard Ecpleopus gaudichaudii Dumeril & Bibron, 1839, a typical inhabitant of the forest-floor leaf litter, in an Atlantic Forest area in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast- ern Brazil. The 26 individuals sampled during the study had a mean snout-vent length (SVL) of 36.2 ± 4.2 mm and a mean jaw width (JW) of 4.1 ± 0.5 mm. We did not find differences in SVL between males and females, though the sexes differed in JW when the effect of body size was factored out, with females presenting higher values. The diet of the lizards was composed exclusively of arthropods, especially isopods and orthopterans. The similarity in trophic niches among seasons (volumetric and numerical proportions of prey categories consumed) were 0.096 and to 0.43, respec- tively. There were also no detectable seasonal differences in mean number and mean volume of prey ingested, as well as no significant influence of lizard SVL on prey number and of lizard JW on mean prey volume, which may reflect the tendency of E. gaudichaudii to feed on few, relatively large prey.