Noeli Zanella

Reproductive biology of Echinanthera cyanopleura (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) in southern Brazil

The reproductive cycles of snakes can be influenced by many factors, both biotic and abiotic, and information about these factors can contribute significantly to knowledge of the biology of many species. Here, we present data on the reproductive biology (body size, sexual dimorphism and female reproductive cycle) of the forest-dwelling colubrid Echinanthera cyanopleura (Cope, 1885), based on analyses of 128 specimens preserved in collections and originating from the states of Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. The snout-vent length of females was significantly greater than in males. The tail length of mature females was greater than in males, although this difference was not significant. Vitellogenesis occurs from August to December and eggs were found in greater frequency from October through December. Juveniles were found in larger numbers beginning in February, indicating that recruitment occurs from January to April. The reproductive cycle of this species is seasonal, which is usual for oviparous colubrids of temperate areas of Brazil.

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 Sertao, 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.

Influência dos fatores abióticos e da disponibilidade de presas sobre comunidade de serpentes do Planalto Médio do Rio Grande do Sul

The influence of abiotic factors on the availability of prey and on the diet of the most abundant snake species in the middle plateau region of Rio Grande do Sul was studied in two areas: forest and field. Snakes captured using time-constrained search, occasional encounters and pitfall traps and snakes deposited in the reptile collection of the University of Passo Fundo were studied. The feeding guilds of the six most abundant species were recorded: anurophagous (n = 2: Echinanthera cyanopleura (Cope, 1885) and Thamnodynates cf. strigatus (Gunther, 1858)); rodent-eating (n = 1: Bothrops alternatus Dumeril, Bibron & Dumeril, 1854); molluscophagous (n = 1: Tomodon dorsatus Dumeril, Bibron & Dumeril, 1854) and generalist (n = 2: Liophis poecilogyrus (Wied-Neuwied, 1825) and Philodryas patagoniensis (Girard, 1858)). Among the abiotic factors analyzed, snake abundance was associated with maximum temperature (R2 = 0.66) and showed no significant association with rainfall. Amphibian abundance showed a positive association with rainfall (R2 = 0.54) and was not significantly associated with minimum temperature. Snake abundance was not correlated with the abundance of amphibians or rodents.

Herpetofauna do Parque Natural Municipal de Sertão, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

The northern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul was extensively deforested in recent decades, and only isolated fragments of the original vegetation remain. The Parque Natural Municipal de Sertao comprises a remnant of Atlantic Rain Forest, one of the largest fragments in northern Rio Grande do Sul. This study examined the diversity of the herpetofauna, focusing on environmental distribution, seasonality and species richness. We used complementary methods of sampling such as pitfall traps, active search and occasional encounters. We recorded 23 species of frogs, nine snakes and one lizard. With respect to the relationship between amphibians and reptiles and the structural and abiotic factors of the environment, the edge of the fragment showed higher richness and increased dominance of amphibians and reptiles than the interior. The highest amphibian abundances were found when the minimum temperatures were higher and maximum temperatures were lower. The abundance of snakes was correlated with humidity, and species richness was influenced by humidity and monthly average temperature. Our results reinforce the importance of the conservation of forested areas to the maintenance of the species

Distribution extension of Hypsiboas curupi Garcia, Faivovich & Haddad, 2007 (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae) for Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil

Hypsiboas curupi Garcia, Faivovich & Haddad, 2007 is a threatened species usually found along streams in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. We report a new record of this species, expanding its distribution to the municipality of Casca in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.