Food habits of Brazilian boid snakes: Overview and new data, with special reference to Corallus hortulanus

Amphibia Reptilia

Volumn 30, Issue 4, 2010, Pages 533-544

  Pizzatto, Lígia ^a,b,d   Marques, Otavio A V ^b   Facure, Kátia ^c  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CAMPINAS   (Brazil)

^b INSTITUTO BUTANTAN   (Brazil)

^c University of Sydney ^*  (Brazil)

^d UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY   (Australia)

Author keywords

Boidae; Diet; Dietary niche; Foraging strategies; Prey items; Prey size

Indexed keywords

ARBOREAL SPECIES; BIRD; DIET; DIETARY OVERLAP; FORAGING EFFICIENCY; LITERATURE REVIEW; LIZARD; PREY AVAILABILITY; PREY SIZE; SNAKE; SYMPATRY;

AVES; BOIDAE; CORALLUS CANINUS; CORALLUS HORTULANUS; EPICRATES; EPICRATES CENCHRIA; EUNECTES; EUNECTES MURINUS; MAMMALIA; SERPENTES; SQUAMATA;

EID: 76749132107     PISSN: 01735373     EISSN: 15685381     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1163/156853809789647121     Document Type: Conference Paper

References (77)

1. Arnold, S. (1993): Foraging theory and prey-size-predatorsize relations in snakes. In: Snakes: Ecology and Behavior, p. 87-115. Seigel R., Collins J., Eds, New York, McGraw-Hill Inc.
2. Bakkegard, K.A., Timm, R.M. (2001): Boa constrictor. Diet. Herp. Rev. 32: 261-262.
3. Beebe, W. (1946): Field notes on the snakes of Kartabo, British Guiana, and Caripito, Venezuela. Zoologica 31: 11-52.
4. Boback, S.M. (2005): Natural history and conservation of island boas (Boa constrictor) in Belize. Copeia 2005: 880-885.
5. Boback, S.M., Burroughs, E., Ugarte, C.,Watling, J. (2000): Boa constrictor. Diet. Herp. Rev. 31: 244-245.
6. Campbell, A.L., Naik, R.R., Sowards, L., Stone, M.O. (2002): Biological infrared imaging and sensing. Micron 33: 211-225.
7. Cintra, R. (1989): Maternal care and daily pattern of behavior in a family of caimans, Cayman yacare in the Brazilian Pantanal. J. Herpetol. 23: 320-322.
8. Cunha, O.R., Nascimento, F.P. (1978): Ofídios da Amazonia. X. Ofídios da região leste do Pará. Publ. Avuls. Mus. Paraense E. Goeldi (Zool.) 31: 1-218.
9. Duarte, M.R. (2003): Prickly food: snakes preying upon porcupines. Phyllomedusa 2: 109-112.
10. Eisenberg, J.F., Redford, K.H. (1999): Mammals of the Neotropics. The central Neotropics, vol.3, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. Chicago and London, University of Chicago Press.
11. Elvey, C., Newlon, K. (1998): Eunectes murinus (Green anaconda) and Phrynops giba. Predation. Herp. Rev. 29: 103-104.
12. Emmons, L.H. (1990): Neotropical Rainforest Mammals. A Field Guide, 2nd Edition. Chicago and London, The University of Chicago Press.
13. Fearn, S., Robinson, B., Sambono, J., Shine, R. (2001): Pythons in the pergola: the ecology of "nuirsance" carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) from suburban habitats in south-eastern Queensland. Wild. Res. 28: 573-579.
14. Franz, R. (1977): Observations on food, feeding behavior, and parasites of the striped swamp snake, Regina alleni. Herpetologica 33: 91-94.
15. Gamow, R.I., Harris, J.F. (1973): The infrared receptors of snakes. Sci. Am. 228: 94-100.
16. Gans, C. (1952): The functional morphology of the eggeating adaptations in the snake genus Dasypeltis. Zoologica 37: 209-244.
17. Gans, C. (1961): The feeding mechanism in snakes and its possible evolution. Am. Zool. 1: 217-227.
18. Gehlbach, F.R., Watkins II, J.F., Kroll, J.C. (1971): Pheromone trail-following studies of typhlopid, Leptotyphlopid and colubrid snakes. Behaviour 3: 282-284.
19. Glaudas, X., Jezkova, T., Rodríguez-Robles, J.A. (2008): Feeding ecology of the Great Basin rattlesnake (Crotalus lutosus, Viperidae). Can. J. Zool. 86: 723-734.
20. Godley, J.S. (1980): Foraging ecology of the striped swamp water snake, Regina alleni, in southern Florida. Ecol. Monogr. 50: 411-456.
21. Godley, J.S., McDiarmid, R.W., Rojas, N.N. (1984): Estimating prey size and number in crayfish-ating snake, genus Regina. Herpetologica 40: 82-88.
22. Grace, M.S., Woodward, O.M., Church, D.R., Calish, G. (2001): Prey targeting by the infrared-imaging snake Python: effects of experimental and congenital visual deprivation. Behav. Brain Res. 119: 23-31.
23. Greene, H.W. (1983a): Dietary correlates of the origin and radiation of snakes. Am. Zool. 23: 431-441.
24. Greene, H.W. (1983b): Boa constrictor. In: Costa Rican Natural History, p. 380-382. Janzen, D.H., Ed., Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
25. Greene, H.W. (1997): Snakes. The Evolution of Mystery in Nature. Berkeley, Los Angeles and London, University of California Press.
26. Greene, H.W., Burghardt, G.M. (1978): Behavior and phylogeny: constriction in ancient and modern snakes. Science 200: 74-77.
27. Harlow, P.S., Shine, R. (1992): Food habits and reproductive biology of the Pacific island boas (Candoia). J. Herpetol. 26: 60-66.
28. Henderson, R.W. (1993): On the diets of some arboreal boids. Herpetol. Nat. Hist. 1: 91-96.
29. Henderson, R.W. (2002): Neotropical Tree Boas. Natural History of the Corallus hortulanus Complex. Malabar, Krieger Publ. Co.
30. Henderson, R.W., Winstel, R.A. (1995): Aspects of habitat selection by an arboreal boa (Corallus enydris) in an area of mixed agriculture on Grenada. J. Herpetol. 29: 272-275.
31. Henderson, R.W., Noeske-Hallin, T.A., Ottenwalder, J.A., Schwartz, A. (1987): On the diet of the boa Epicrates striatus, with notes on E. fordii and E. gracilis. Amphibia-Reptilia 8: 251-258.
32. Jácomo, A.A., Silveira, L. (1998): Eunectes murinus. Diet. Herp. Rev. 29: 241-242.
33. Krebs, C.J. (1998): Ecological Methodology, 2nd Edition. Don Mills, Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc.
34. Lillywhite, H.B., Henderson, R.W. (1993): Behavioral and functional ecology of arboreal snakes. In: Snakes: Ecology and Behavior, p. 422-477. Seigel, R., Collins, J., Novak, S., Eds, New York, MacGraw-Hill, Inc.
35. Lobert, B., Lumsden, L., Brunner, H., Triggs, B. (2001): An assessment of the accuracy and reliability of hair identification of south-east Australian mammals.Wildlife Res. 28: 637-641.
36. Luiselli, L. (2006): Resource partitioning and interspecific competition in snakes: the search for general geographical and guild patterns. Oikos 114: 193-211.
37. Luiselli, L. (2007): Community ecology of African reptiles: historical perspective and a meta-analysis using null models. Afr. J. Ecol. 46: 384-394.
38. Luiselli, L., Angelici, F.M. (1998): Sexual size dimorphism and natural history traits are correlated with intersexual dietary divergence in royal pythons (Python regius) from the rainforests of southeastern Nigeria. Ital. J. Zool. 65: 183-185.
39. Luiselli, L., Effah, C., Angelici, F.M., Odegbune, E., Inyang, M.A., Akani, G.C., Politano, E. (2002): Female breeding frequency, clutch size and dietary habits of a Nigerian population of calabar ground python, Calabaria reinhardtii. Herpetol. J. 12: 127-129.
40. Marques, O.A.V., Cavalheiro, J. (1998): Corallus cropanii. Habitat and Diet. Herp. Rev. 29: 170.
41. Marques, O.A.V., Puorto, G. (1994): Dieta e comportamento alimentar de Erytholamprus aesculapii, uma serpente ofiófaga. Rev. Bras. Biol. 54: 253-259.
42. Marques, O.A.V., Puorto, G. (1998): Feeding, reproduction and growth in the crowned snake Tantilla melanocephala (Colubridae), from southeastern Brazil. Amphibia-Reptilia 19: 311-318.
43. Martins, M., Oliveira, M.E. (1999): Natural history of snakes in forests of the Manaus region, Central Amazonia, Brazil. Herp. Nat. Hist. 6: 78-150.
44. Martins, M., Araújo, M.S., Sawaya, R.J., Nunes, R. (2001): Diversity and evolution of microhabitat use, body size and morphology in monophyletic group of Neotropical pitvipers (Bothrops). J. Zool. 254: 529-538.
45. Mullin, S.J., Imbert, H., Fish, J.M., Ervin, E.L., Fisher, R.N. (2004): Snake (Colubridae: Thamnophis) predatory responses to chemical cues from native and introduced prey species. Southwest. Nat. 49: 449-456.
46. Mushinsky, H. (1987): Foraging ecology. In: Snakes: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, p. 302-334. Seigel, R., Collins, J., Novak S., Eds, New York, Macmillan Publ. Co.
47. O'Shea, M.T. (1994): Eunectes murinus gigas. Cannibalism. Herp. Rev. 25: 124.
48. Passos, P., Fernandez, R. (2008): Revision of the Epicrates cenchria complex (Serpentes: Boidae). Herp. Monogr. 22: 1-30.
49. Pearson, D., Shine, R., How, R. (2002): Sex-specific niche portioning and sexual size dimorphism in Australian python (Morelia spilota imbricata). Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 77: 113-125.
50. Pianka, E.R. (1974): Evolutionary Ecology. New York, Harper and How.
51. Pizzatto, L., Marques, O.A.V. (2007): Reproductive ecology of Boine snakes with emphasis on Brazilian species and a comparison to Pythons. South Am. J. Herp. 2: 107-122.
52. Pizzatto, L., Marques, O.A.V., Martins, M. (2007): Ecomorphology of boine snakes, with emphasis on South American forms. In: Biology of the Boas and Pythons, p. 35-48. Henderson, R.W., Powell, R., Eds, Utah, Eagle Mountain Publishing.
53. Quick, J.S., Reinert, H.K., Cuba, E.R., Odum, R.A. (2005): Recent occurrence and dietary habits of Boa constrictor on Aruba, Dutch West Indies. J. Herpetol. 39: 304-307.
54. Reagan, D.P. (1984): Ecology of the Puerto Rican Boa (Epicrates inornatus) in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico. Caribb. J. Sci. 20: 119-127.
55. Rivas, J.A. (1999): The life history of the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), with emphasis on its reproductive biology. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Tenesse.
56. Rivas, J.A., Owens, R.Y. (2000): Eunectes murinus. Cannibalism. Herp. Rev. 31: 45-46.
57. Rodríguez-Robles, J.A., Bell, C.J., Greene, H.W. (1999): Gape size and evolution of diet in snakes: feeding ecology of Erycine boas. J. Zool. (Lond.) 248: 49-58.
58. Savitzky, A.H. (1981): Hinged teeth in snakes: an adaptation for swallowing hard-bodied prey. Science 212: 346-349.
59. Savitzky, A.H. (1983): Coadapted character complexes among snakes: fossoriality, piscivory, and durophagy. Am. Zool. 23: 397-409.
60. Schoener, T.W. (1971): Theory of feeding strategies. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 11: 369-404.
61. Shine, R. (1986): Ecology of a low-energy specialist: food habits and reproductive biology of the arafura filesnake (Acrochordidae). Copeia 1986: 424-437.
62. Shine, R. (1991):Why do larger snakes eat large prey items? Func. Ecol. 5: 493-502.
63. Shine, R., Fitzgerald, M. (1996): Large snakes in a mosaic rural landscape: the ecology of carpet pythons Morelia spilota (Serpentes: Pythonidae) in coastal eastern Australia. Biol. Conserv. 76: 113-122.
64. Shine, R., Madsen, T. (1997): Prey abundance and predator reproduction: rats and pythons on a tropical Australian floodplain. Ecology 78: 1078-1086.
65. Shine, R., Ambariyanto, Harlow, H.J., Mumpuni (1999): Reticulated pythons in Sumatra: biology, harvesting and sustaintability. Biol. Conserv. 89: 349-357.
66. Shine, R., Bonnet, X., Elphick, M.J., Barrott, E.G. (2004): A novel foraging mode in snakes: browsing by the sea snake Emydocephalus annulatus (Serpentes, Hydrophiidae). Funct. Ecol. 18: 16-24.
67. Sironi, M., Chiaraviglio, M., Cervantes, R., Bertona, M., Rio, M. (2000): Dietary habits of Boa constrictor occidentalis, in the Cordoba Province, Argentina. Amphibia-Reptilia 21: 226-232.
68. Stearns, S.C. (1992): The Evolution of Life Histories. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
69. Strimple, P.D. (1993): Overview of the natural history of the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus). Herp. Nat. His. 1: 25-35.
70. Strüssmann, C. (1992): Serpentes do Pantanal de Poconé, Mato Grosso: composição faunística, história natural e ecologia comparada. Ms.C. Thesis, Campinas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas.
71. Strüssmann, C., Sazima, I. (1991): Predation on avian eggs by the boid snakes, Eunectes notaeus. Herp. Rev. 22: 118-120.
72. Tolson, P.J., Henderson, R.W. (1993): The Natural History of West Indian Boas. Somerset, R & A Publishing Ltd.
73. Valderrama, X., Thorbjanarson, J.B. (2001): Eunectes murinus. Diet. Herp. Rev. 32: 46-47.
74. Vitt, L.J., Vangilder, L.D. (1983): Ecology of a snake community in northeastern Brazil. Amph.-Rep. 4: 273-296.
75. Waller, T., Buongermini, P., Micucci, P.A. (2001): Eunectes murinus. Diet. Herp. Rev. 32: 47.
76. Wiley, J.W. (2003): Habitat association, size, stomach contents, and reproductive condition of Puerto Rican boas (Epicrates inornatus). Caribb. J. Sci. 39: 189-194.
77. Zar, J.H. (1999): Biostatistical Analysis. New Jersey, Prentice Hall.