Abstract
Although currently there is already a set of studies regarding ecological aspects of some particular reptile and amphibian species living in Brazilian sandy coastal plains (including the so-called "restinga" and "campo nativo" habitats), there is comparatively few information on the species composition usually associated to these environments. During 31 years (1988-2019) of herpetological studies carried out in sandy coastal plains environments by our research team of the Laboratory of Vertebrate Ecology (Department of Ecology, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, in Rio de Janeiro Brazil) we have surveyed reptile and amphibian communities and performed different studies with similar methods in 70 sites from 10 different states along the Brazilian coast. Our surveys resulted in records of 87 species of reptile (five turtles, two crocodylians, six amphisbaenians, 36 lizards and 39 snakes) from 24 families, and 77 species of anuran amphibians from nine families. We have studied multiple natural history topics for anurans and reptiles which resulted in the publication of some specific ecological studies, especially regarding some species, encompassing population and community ecology, foraging and feeding habits, species activity, thermoregulation, reproduction, use of microhabitats, and parasitism by ecto and endoparasites. Our results along these three decades have also contributed for the description of four new lizard species (Ameivula nativo, Glaucomastix littoralis, G. abaetensis and G. itabaianensis). Our studies constitute an important contribution to the knowledge of the ecology of anuran amphibians and reptiles in these ecosystems, as well as to the conservation of sandy coastal plains environment. The checklist presented in this study, based on our records of sandy coastal plains herpetofauna, provides for many localities along the Brazilian coast, the needed knowledge on species occurrence, including the presence of endemic and/or endangered species, which can be of value for many conservation actions.
Highlights
The sandy coastal plains in Brazil are mostly open habitats dominated by herbaceous and shrubby vegetation, characterized by high rates of solar radiation and temperatures (Rocha, 1988; Rocha et al, 2000a), with limited availability of free water or freshwater
Our data gathered from studies along these decades contributed for the discovery and formal description of four lizard species [Ameivula nativo (Rocha et al, 1997), Glaucomastix littoralis (Rocha et al, 2000b), G. abaetensis (Dias et al, 2002), and G. itabaianensis (Rosário et al, 2019)]
Our studies throughout the 31-year period at the sandy coastal plains of Brazil involved 29% of all reptile species reported to occur in the Atlantic Forest biome
Summary
The sandy coastal plains in Brazil are mostly open habitats dominated by herbaceous and shrubby vegetation, characterized by high rates of solar radiation and temperatures (Rocha, 1988; Rocha et al, 2000a), with limited availability of free water or freshwater (mostly accumulated inside tank bromeliads, or in permanent or temporary ponds or in lagoons; Araújo and Henriques, 1984; Enrich-Prast et al, 2004; Van Sluys et al, 2004). This type of environment favors the occurrence of reptiles due to their remarkable morpho-physiological capacity in minimizing water loss and ability to reabsorb water during excretion, as well as the capacity of some species to tolerate high solar radiation rates. Considering the large extension of these environments along the Brazilian coast (more than 5,000 km of the 7,491 km of coast), the currently available published information can be considered introductory, suggesting that we still lack a comprehensive view on the reptile and amphibian species inhabiting these ecosystems
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
