Potential seed dispersers: a new facet of the ecological role of Boa constrictor constrictor Linnaeus 1758

Sofia De O Cabral,Itainara Da S Freitas,Cecilia Calabuig,Viviane Morlanes,Marco Katzenberger

doi:10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0626

Sofia De O Cabral, Itainara Da S Freitas + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0626

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Abstract

Abstract: The boa (Boa constrictor) is considered a top predator and its diet includes a wide variety of birds, mammals, and other reptiles, all related directly to their availability in the environment inhabited by the snake. Seven boas were found roadkilled on highways adjacent to conservation units in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte state, in northeastern Brazil. Their digestive tract was analyzed to identify food items and classify them according to their orientation in the tract. Among the food items found, the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) and the black-and-white tegu (Salvator merianae) were ingested head-first, while teeth of a punaré (Thrichomys laurentius) and a Spix's yellow-toothed cavy (Galea spixii) and hairs of an unidentified rodent were found in the intestinal tract. In addition, two novel items were identified: the plain-breasted ground-dove (Columbina minuta), which were ingested tail-first, and carnauba palm seeds (Copernicia prunifera). The orientation of the prey (head-first or tail-first) followed what was expected for each type of prey. In addition, the presence of carnauba palm seeds indicates that, while being a top predator, the boa may also be a potential disperser of seeds, which would constitute a previously unrecorded ecological role for this species.

Highlights

The boa constrictor (Boa constrictor Linnaeus, 1758) is a large, robust snake of the Boidae family Gray, 1825a (Pizzatto et al 2009, Mesquita et al 2013) and is widely distributed in the Neotropical region, including South and Central America (Hynková et al 2009, Card et al 2016)
In Brazil, this species can be commonly found in several biomes such as the Amazon and Atlantic forests (Pizzatto et al 2009) the Cerrado (Pizzatto et al 2009) and the Caatinga (Loebmann & Haddad 2010, Marques et al 2017)
Collected specimens were preserved in ice-filled coolers, and taken to the Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Summary

Introduction

The boa constrictor (Boa constrictor Linnaeus, 1758) is a large, robust snake of the Boidae family Gray, 1825a (Pizzatto et al 2009, Mesquita et al 2013) and is widely distributed in the Neotropical region, including South and Central America (Hynková et al 2009, Card et al 2016). Daylight activity has been reported, and present terrestrial or semi-arboreal behavior (Strüssmann & Sazima 1993, Martins & Oliveira 1999, Freitas 2003, Pizzatto et al 2009, Bernarde 2012, Mesquita et al 2013, Guedes et al 2014) They are non-venomous snakes with aglyphous dentition and are considered mostly ambush predators, they can actively forage (Montgomery & Rand 1978, Greene 1997, Martins & Oliveira 1999, Freitas 2003). Once the prey is captured, it is subdued by constriction (Vanzolini et al 1980, Scartozzoni & Molina 2004, Bernarde 2012) which causes circulatory arrest followed by death (Boback et al 2015)

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