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Assis CL, Novaes CM, Dias MAPC, Guedes JJM, Feio RN, Garbino GST. Predation of vertebrates by domestic cats in two Brazilian hotspots: incidental records and literature review. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2022.2161735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Clodoaldo Lopes Assis
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brasil
| | - Camila Moura Novaes
- Laboratório de Manejo e Conservação de Fauna, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brasil
| | | | - Jhonny José Magalhães Guedes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Goiás – Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Brasil
| | - Renato Neves Feio
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brasil
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2
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Lepczyk CA, Fantle-Lepczyk JE, Dunham KD, Bonnaud E, Lindner J, Doherty TS, Woinarski JCZ. A global synthesis and assessment of free-ranging domestic cat diet. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7809. [PMID: 38086838 PMCID: PMC10716121 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42766-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Free-ranging cats (Felis catus) are globally distributed invasive carnivores that markedly impact biodiversity. Here, to evaluate the potential threat of cats, we develop a comprehensive global assessment of species consumed by cats. We identify 2,084 species eaten by cats, of which 347 (16.65%) are of conservation concern. Islands contain threefold more species of conservation concern eaten by cats than continents do. Birds, reptiles, and mammals constitute ~90% of species consumed, with insects and amphibians being less frequent. Approximately 9% of known birds, 6% of known mammals, and 4% of known reptile species are identified in cat diets. 97% of species consumed are <5 kg in adult body mass, though much larger species are also eaten. The species accumulation curves are not asymptotic, indicating that our estimates are conservative. Our results demonstrate that cats are extreme generalist predators, which is critical for understanding their impact on ecological systems and developing management solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Lepczyk
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - Jean E Fantle-Lepczyk
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Kylee D Dunham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Nunavut Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Elsa Bonnaud
- Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Tim S Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - John C Z Woinarski
- Research Institute of the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory, 0909, Australia
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3
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Shine R, Meiri S, Shine TG, Brown GP, Goiran C. The adaptive significance of large size at birth in marine snakes. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:231429. [PMID: 38094277 PMCID: PMC10716650 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Evolutionary shifts from one habitat type to another can clarify selective forces that affect life-history attributes. Four lineages of snakes (acrochordids and three clades within the Elapidae) have invaded marine habitats, and all have larger offspring than do terrestrial snakes. Predation by fishes on small neonates offers a plausible selective mechanism for that shift, because ascending to breathe at the ocean surface exposes a marine snake to midwater predation whereas juvenile snakes in terrestrial habitats can remain hidden. Consistent with this hypothesis, snake-shaped models moving through a coral-reef habitat in New Caledonia attracted high rates of attack by predatory fishes, and small models (the size of neonatal terrestrial snakes) were attacked more frequently than were large models (the size of neonatal sea snakes). Vulnerability to predatory fishes may have imposed strong selection for increased offspring size in marine snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Shine
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Terri G. Shine
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Gregory P. Brown
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Claire Goiran
- LabEx Corail & ISEA, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, BP R4, 98851 Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
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4
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Alves-Nunes JM, Fellone A, Sazima I, Vuolo Marques OA. Overcoming the phantoms of the past: Influence of predatory stimuli on the antipredator behavior of island pitvipers. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288826. [PMID: 37874791 PMCID: PMC10597524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The reduction of predation is a potentially important factor for the evolution of the traits of an island animal species. By relaxed selection, insular animals tend to lose their antipredator behaviors. A monophyletic group of pitvipers (genus Bothrops) in southeastern Brazil, which have high genetic affinity and dwell on the mainland and adjacent islands, provide an appropriate setting to study the evolution of antipredator behavior and how different predatory stimuli can influence this behavior. The mainland Bothrops jararaca has several terrestrial and aerial predators, whereas B. insularis and B. alcatraz, restricted to two small islands, Queimada Grande and Alcatrazes, respectively, have a smaller range of aerial predators. Terrestrial predators are absent on Queimada Grande, but one potential snake predator occurs on Alcatrazes. We observed that the defensive repertoire of island snakes has not been lost, but they display different frequencies of some antipredator behaviors. The type of predatory stimuli (terrestrial and aerial) influenced the defensive response. Bothrops insularis most often used the escape strategies, especially against terrestrial predatory stimuli. Bothrops alcatraz displayed the highest rate of strike for both terrestrial and aerial stimuli. Our results indicate that even though relaxed selection may occur in island environments as compared to mainland environments, these pitvipers still retain their antipredator behaviors but with different response degrees to the two predator types.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Miguel Alves-Nunes
- Instituto de Biociências, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adriano Fellone
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivan Sazima
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto de Biologia, Museu de Biodiversidade Biológica, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Otávio Augusto Vuolo Marques
- Instituto de Biociências, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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5
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Radovics D, Szabolcs M, Lengyel S, Mizsei E. Hide or die when the winds bring wings: predator avoidance by activity shift in a mountain snake. Front Zool 2023; 20:17. [PMID: 37193990 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-023-00497-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding predator-prey relationships is fundamental in many areas of ecology and conservation. In reptiles, basking time often increases the risk of predation and one way to minimise this risk is to reduce activity time and to stay within a refuge. However, this implies costs of lost opportunities for foraging, reproduction, and thermoregulation. We aimed to determine the main potential and observed predators of Vipera graeca, to infer predation pressure by estimating the incidence and the body length and sex distribution of predation events based on body injuries, and to assess whether and how the activity of V. graeca individuals is modified by predation pressure. RESULTS We observed n = 12 raptor bird species foraging at the study sites, of which Circaetus gallicus, Falco tinnunculus and Corvus cornix were directly observed as predators of V. graeca. We found injuries and wounds on 12.5% of the studied individuals (n = 319). The occurrence of injuries was significantly positively influenced by the body length of vipers, and was more frequent on females than on males, while the interaction of length and sex showed a significant negative effect. The temporal overlap between predator and viper activity was much greater for the vipers' potential activity than their realised activity. Vipers showed a temporal shift in their bimodal daily activity pattern as they were active earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon than could be expected based on the thermal conditions. CONCLUSION The time spent being active on the surface has costs to snakes: predation-related injuries increased in frequency with length, were more frequent in females than in males and occurred in shorter length for males than for females. Our results suggest that vipers do not fully exploit the thermally optimal time window available to them, likely because they shift their activity to periods with fewer avian predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dávid Radovics
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary
- Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Márton Szabolcs
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Lengyel
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary
| | - Edvárd Mizsei
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem Tér 18/C, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary.
- Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
- Kiskunság National Park Directorate, Kecskemet, Hungary.
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6
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Loaiza-Lange A, Székely D, Torres-Carvajal O, Tinoco N, Salazar-Valenzuela D, Székely P. Feeding ecology of the Terciopelo pit viper snake ( Bothrops asper) in Ecuador. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14817. [PMID: 36785705 PMCID: PMC9921990 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Thoroughly documenting prey items and diet composition is crucial for understanding a predator's role in the ecosystem. In gape restricted predators, such as snakes, documenting and analyzing the type and size of the prey is important to interpret their ecological role. We describe the diet patterns of a species of venomous snake, the Terciopelo pit viper (Bothrops asper), from its Ecuadorian populations. Examining the gastrointestinal contents of museum specimens collected over an extensive area of the Pacific lowlands of Ecuador, we encountered 69 identifiable prey items from four major taxonomic groups (amphibians, centipedes, mammals, and reptiles). We evaluated the observed composition of prey to check for differences between sexes and size-classes. To complement our observations of the Terciopelo species complex throughout their distribution, we carried out a systematic literature review. Our data show an ontogenetic shift in diet, with a transition from more diverse diet in juveniles towards a mammal-specialized diet in adults, and distinct proportion of prey taxa between the sexes in the juvenile size class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaru Loaiza-Lange
- Museo de Zoología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Diana Székely
- Museo de Zoología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs-Lab), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador,Research Center of the Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanţa, Constanţa, Romania
| | - Omar Torres-Carvajal
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Nicolás Tinoco
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - David Salazar-Valenzuela
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb) e Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad Indoamérica, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Paul Székely
- Museo de Zoología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs-Lab), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador,Research Center of the Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanţa, Constanţa, Romania
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7
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Moura MR, Costa HC, Abegg AD, Alaminos E, Angarita-Sierra T, Azevedo WS, Cabral H, Carvalho P, Cechin S, Citeli N, Dourado ÂCM, Duarte AFV, França FGR, Freire EMX, Garcia PCA, Mol R, Montero R, Moraes-da-Silva A, Passos DC, Passos P, Perez R, Pleguezuelos JM, Prado P, Prudente ALC, Sales RFD, Santana DJ, Santos LC, Silva VTC, Sudré V, Torres-Carvajal O, Torres-Ramírez JJ, Wallach V, Winck GR, Guedes JJM. Unwrapping broken tails: Biological and environmental correlates of predation pressure in limbless reptiles. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:324-337. [PMID: 36059124 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Studying species interactions in nature often requires elaborated logistics and intense fieldwork. The difficulties in such task might hinder our ability to answer questions on how biotic interactions change with the environment. Fortunately, a workaround to this problem lies within scientific collections. For some animals, the inspection of preserved specimens can reveal the scars of past antagonistic encounters, such as predation attempts. A common defensive behaviour that leaves scars on animals is autotomy, the loss of a body appendage to escape predation. By knowing the collection site of preserved specimens, it is possible to assess the influence of organismal biology and the surrounding environment in the occurrence of autotomy. We gathered data on tail loss for 8189 preserved specimens of 33 snake and 11 amphisbaenian species to investigate biological and environmental correlates of autotomy in reptiles. We applied generalized linear mixed effect models to evaluate whether body size, sex, life-stage, habitat use, activity pattern, biome, tropicality, temperature and precipitation affect the probability of tail loss in limbless reptiles. We observed autotomy in 23.6% of examined specimens, with 18.7% of amphisbaenian and 33.4% of snake specimens showing tail loss. The probability of tail loss did not differ between snakes and amphisbaenians, but it was higher among large-sized specimens, particularly in adults and females. Chance of tail loss was higher for diurnal and arboreal species, and among specimens collected in warmer regions, but it was unaffected by biome, precipitation, and tropicality. Autotomy in limbless reptiles was affected by size-dependent factors that interplay with ontogeny and sexual dimorphism, although size-independent effects of life-stage and sex also shaped behavioural responses to predators. The increase in probability of tail loss with verticality and diurnality suggests a risk-balance mechanism between species habitat use and activity pattern. Although autotomy is more likely in warmer regions, it seems unrelated to seasonal differences in snakes and amphisbaenians activity. Our findings reveal several processes related to predator-prey interactions involving limbless reptiles, demonstrating the importance of scientific collections to unveil ecological mechanisms at different spatio-temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario R Moura
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, Brazil
| | - Henrique C Costa
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Arthur D Abegg
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratório de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Teddy Angarita-Sierra
- Grupo de Investigación en Animales Ponzoñosos y sus Venenos, Dirección de Producción, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Weverton S Azevedo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratório de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hugo Cabral
- Instituto de Investigación Biológica del Paraguay, Asunción, Paraguay.,Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Priscila Carvalho
- Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Sonia Cechin
- Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Nathalie Citeli
- Laboratório de Coleções Científicas, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - André F V Duarte
- Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Frederico G R França
- Departamento de Engenharia e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Rio Tinto, Brazil
| | - Eliza M X Freire
- Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Paulo C A Garcia
- Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Rafael Mol
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Montero
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - Daniel C Passos
- Departamento de Biocências, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, Brazil
| | - Paulo Passos
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Renata Perez
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Juan M Pleguezuelos
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Granada University, Granada, Spain
| | - Pedro Prado
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Raul F D Sales
- Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Diego J Santana
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Livia C Santos
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo, Avaré, Brazil
| | - Vinicius T C Silva
- Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Sudré
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Omar Torres-Carvajal
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Juan J Torres-Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigación en Animales Ponzoñosos y sus Venenos, Dirección de Producción, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Gisele R Winck
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jhonny J M Guedes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ecologia, Campus Samambaia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
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8
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Silva KRDA, Gomes LG, Ferreira VL, Strüssmann C, Moreira LFB. Seasonal changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of lizard communities in southern Brazilian Pantanal. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2022; 94:e20201793. [PMID: 36477224 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202220201793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal changes play a key ecological role, structuring biotic processes and communities. Yet we generally lack an understanding of how seasonal flood regimes affect communities in floodplains. Herein, we investigated the effects of seasonal changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of lizard communities in southern Pantanal ecoregion. Lizards were sampled in seven sites encompassing seasonally flooded grasslands and dense arboreal savannas, across rainy and dry seasons (2005-2006). Functional diversity metrics were based on three morphological traits and included intraspecific variability. We collected a total of 810 lizards from 13 species. Species richness did not differ across seasons or months. Lizard abundance varied among sampling months, but did not differ between rainy and dry season. Low values of abundance were recorded at drawdown period. Community composition did not vary between seasons. Functional diversity metrics exhibited random distributions, and both functional richness and evenness were not influenced by seasons. Although communities seem to be resilient to seasonal variations, our findings highlighted that transition from rainy to dry season may represent an important constraint on lizard abundance. Including traits related to food acquisition and predator avoidance could provide new insights into the effects of seasonal floods on floodplains' lizard communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karoline R DA Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso/UFMT, Instituto de Biociências, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2367, 78060-900 Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - Liara G Gomes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso/UFMT, Instituto de Biociências, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2367, 78060-900 Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - Vanda L Ferreira
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul/UFMS, Instituto de Biociências, Av. Costa e Silva, s/n, 79070-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Christine Strüssmann
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso/UFMT, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2367, 78060-900 Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - Leonardo F B Moreira
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa do Pantanal/INPP, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2367, 78060-900 Cuiabá, MS, Brazil
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9
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Cove MV. Opossums: an adaptive radiation of new world marsupials. Robert S.Voss and Sharon A.Jansa. 2021. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA. 313 pp. $59.95 hardcover. ISBN: 9781421439785. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael V. Cove
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh NC 27601 USA
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10
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Oda FH, Signorelli L, Souza FC, Souza VC, Almeida WDO, Pereira LN, Morais AR. Drymarchon corais
(Colubridae) and
Caiman crocodilus
(Alligatoridae) use different feeding behaviors to consume poisonous toads. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrício Hiroiuki Oda
- Laboratório de Zoologia Departamento de Química Biológica Universidade Regional do Cariri Crato Brazil
| | - Luciana Signorelli
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Répteis e Anfíbios Goiânia Brazil
| | - Franciele Cristina Souza
- Laboratório de Taxonomia e Ecologia de Anfíbios e Répteis Universidade Federal do Amazonas Manaus Brazil
| | | | | | - Luana Nazareno Pereira
- Instituto de Ensino Superior do Sul do Maranhão Unidade de Ensino Superior do Sul do Maranhão Imperatriz Brazil
| | - Alessandro Ribeiro Morais
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Evolução e Sistemática de Vertebrados Instituto Federal Goiano Rio Verde Brazil
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11
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Fasola E, Biaggini M, Ortiz-Santaliestra ME, Costa S, Santos B, Lopes I, Corti C. Assessing Stress Response in Lizards from Agroecosystems with Different Management Practices. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2022; 108:196-203. [PMID: 34757434 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-021-03404-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite the importance of reptiles in agroecosystems, little is known about the effects of agricultural intensification and pesticide use on these animals. We compared antioxidant and haematological biomarkers in the wild Italian wall lizards Podarcis siculus from three olive groves representing a gradient of management intensity. Lizards from the conventional grove showed induced antioxidant defences relative to those from the organic field. However, this induction did not avoid the occurrence of oxidative stress in males from intensively managed olive groves, who showed TBARS levels 58%-133% higher than males from the other sites. Haematological responses also suggested increased stress in females from the intensively managed olive groves, with a heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio 5.3 to 14.8-fold higher than in the other sites. The observed stress responses of lizards along the studied gradient of agricultural management suggest their potential usefulness as non-destructive biomarkers to environmental stressors associated with agricultural intensification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Fasola
- CESAM & Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Marta Biaggini
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, Museo "La Specola", Via Romana 17, Florence, Italy
| | - Manuel E Ortiz-Santaliestra
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Sara Costa
- CESAM & Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Santos
- CESAM & Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
- CIBIO-INBIO & Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Isabel Lopes
- CESAM & Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Claudia Corti
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, Museo "La Specola", Via Romana 17, Florence, Italy
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Rapid increase in snake dietary diversity and complexity following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001414. [PMID: 34648487 PMCID: PMC8516226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cenozoic marked a period of dramatic ecological opportunity in Earth history due to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs as well as to long-term physiographic changes that created new biogeographic theaters and new habitats. Snakes underwent massive ecological diversification during this period, repeatedly evolving novel dietary adaptations and prey preferences. The evolutionary tempo and mode of these trophic ecological changes remain virtually unknown, especially compared with co-radiating lineages of birds and mammals that are simultaneously predators and prey of snakes. Here, we assemble a dataset on snake diets (34,060 observations on the diets of 882 species) to investigate the history and dynamics of the multidimensional trophic niche during the global radiation of snakes. Our results show that per-lineage dietary niche breadths remained remarkably constant even as snakes diversified to occupy disparate outposts of dietary ecospace. Rapid increases in dietary diversity and complexity occurred in the early Cenozoic, and the overall rate of ecospace expansion has slowed through time, suggesting a potential response to ecological opportunity in the wake of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Explosive bursts of trophic innovation followed colonization of the Nearctic and Neotropical realms by a group of snakes that today comprises a majority of living snake diversity. Our results indicate that repeated transformational shifts in dietary ecology are important drivers of adaptive radiation in snakes and provide a framework for analyzing and visualizing the evolution of complex ecological phenotypes on phylogenetic trees. The Cenozoic marked a period of dramatic ecological opportunity in Earth history due to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs and long-term physiographic changes. This phylogenetic natural history study offers new insights into the evolution of snake ecological diversity after the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, as they took advantage of these new opportunities.
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13
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Camera trap serendipity and citizen science point to broader effects of urban heat islands on food webs. FOOD WEBS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2020.e00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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14
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Guedes JJM, Costa HC, Moura MR. A new tale of lost tails: Correlates of tail breakage in the worm lizard Amphisbaena vermicularis. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:14247-14255. [PMID: 33732432 PMCID: PMC7771140 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are important evolutionary drivers of defensive behaviors, but they are usually difficult to record. This lack of data on natural history and ecological interactions of species can be overcome through museum specimens, at least for some reptiles. When facing aggressive interactions, reptile species may exhibit the defensive behavior of autotomy by losing the tail, which is also known as "urotomy". The inspection of preserved specimens for scars of tail breakage can reveal possible ecological and biological correlates of urotomy. Herein, we investigated how the probability of urotomy in the worm lizard Amphisbaena vermicularis is affected by sex, body size, temperature, and precipitation. We found higher chances of urotomy for specimens with larger body size and from localities with warmer temperatures or lower precipitation. There was no difference in urotomy frequency between sexes. Older specimens likely faced - and survived - more predation attempts through their lifetime than smaller ones. Specimens from warmer regions might be more active both below- and aboveground, increasing the odds to encounter predators and hence urotomy. Probability of urotomy decreased with increased precipitation. Possibly, in places with heavier rainfall worm lizards come more frequently to the surface when galleries are filled with rainwater, remaining more exposed to efficient predators, which could result in less survival rates and fewer tailless specimens. This interesting defensive behavior is widespread in squamates, but yet little understood among amphisbaenians. The novel data presented here improve our understanding on the correlates of tail breakage and help us to interpret more tales of lost tails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhonny J. M. Guedes
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e EvoluçãoDepartamento de EcologiaUniversidade Federal de GoiásGoiâniaGoiásBrazil
| | - Henrique C. Costa
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e EvoluçãoDepartamento de EcologiaUniversidade Federal de GoiásGoiâniaGoiásBrazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em ZoologiaDepartamento de ZoologiaUniversidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteMinas GeraisBrazil
- Departamento de Biologia AnimalMuseu de Zoologia João MoojenUniversidade Federal de ViçosaViçosaMinas GeraisBrazil
- Present address:
Departamento de ZoologiaInstituto de Ciências BiológicasUniversidade Federal de Juiz de ForaJuiz de ForaMinas GeraisBrazil
| | - Mario R. Moura
- Departamento de Ciências BiológicasUniversidade Federal da ParaíbaAreiaParaibaBrazil
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Reyes‐Olivares C, Guajardo‐Santibáñez A, Segura B, Zañartu N, Penna M, Labra A. Lizard predation by spiders: A review from the Neotropical and Andean regions. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:10953-10964. [PMID: 33144940 PMCID: PMC7593146 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate predation by invertebrates has been classically underexplored and thus underestimated, despite the fact that many arthropods consume vertebrates. To shed some light on the relevance that spider predation may have upon lizards in the Neotropical and Andean regions, we compiled the available information in the literature on this trophic interaction. We found 50 reports of spiders consuming lizards in these regions, and the 88% of these were from the Neotropical region. Spiders belong to eight families, but Ctenidae and Theraphosidae were the most frequently reported predators. Lizards belong to 12 families, and the most commonly consumed species corresponded to the families Dactyloidae (all Anolis lizards), Gymnophthalmidae, and Sphaerodactylidae. Data suggest trophic spider-lizard associations between Ctenidae and Dactyloidae, followed by Theraphosidae and Liolaemidae. The body sizes of the spiders and lizards showed a positive relationship, and spiders were smaller than their prey. We conclude that various spider taxa can be considered lizard predators and they may be ecologically important in the Neotropical and Andean regions. However, spiders of prime predation relevance seem to be those of the Ctenidae and Theraphosidae families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Reyes‐Olivares
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias, con mención en Ecología y Biología EvolutivaFacultad de CienciasUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
- Laboratorio de NeuroetologíaInstituto de Ciencias BiomédicasFacultad de MedicinaUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
| | | | | | - Nicolás Zañartu
- Programa de AgronomíaFacultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería ForestalPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Mario Penna
- Laboratorio de NeuroetologíaInstituto de Ciencias BiomédicasFacultad de MedicinaUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Antonieta Labra
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES)Department of BiosciencesUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
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16
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Grundler MC. SquamataBase: a natural history database and R package for comparative biology of snake feeding habits. Biodivers Data J 2020; 8:e49943. [PMID: 32269478 PMCID: PMC7125237 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.8.e49943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Public databases in taxonomy, phylogenetics and geographic and fossil occurrence records are key research tools that provide raw materials, on which broad-scale analyses and synthesis in their respective fields are based. Comparable repositories for natural history observations are rare. Publicly available natural history data on traits like diet, habitat and reproduction are scattered across an extensive primary literature and remain relatively inaccessible to researchers interested in using these data for broad-scale analyses in macroecology and macroevolution. In this paper, I introduce SquamataBase, an open-source R package and database of predator-prey records involving the world’s snakes. SquamataBase facilitates the discovery of natural history observations for use in comparative analyses and synthesis and, in its current form, contains observations of at least 18,304 predator individuals comprising 1,227 snake species and at least 58,633 prey items comprising 3,231 prey taxa. To facilitate integration with comparative analysis workflows, the data are distributed inside an R package, which also provides basic functionality for common data manipulation and filtering operations. Moving forward, the continued development of public natural history databases and their integration with existing digitisation efforts in biodiversity science should become a priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Grundler
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States of America Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor United States of America
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17
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Jobe KL, Montaña CG, Schalk CM. Emergent patterns between salamander prey and their predators. FOOD WEBS 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2019.e00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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