Snakes from the Atlantic Rainforest area of Serra do Mendanha, in Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil: a first approximation to the taxocenosis composition

Jal Pontes,Rc Pontes,Cfd Rocha,Jp Figueiredo

doi:10.1590/s1519-69842008000300018

Jal Pontes, Rc Pontes + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842008000300018

Copy DOI

Abstract

We studied the species composition of the snake community of Serra do Mendanha, in Rio de Janeiro state, Southeastern Brazil, with an effort of 800 hours/man in different habitats, including undisturbed forest, secondary forest, areas under regeneration, and banana plantation. We sampled snakes monthly in the area using a combination of methods including intensive visual searching and pitfall traps with drift-fences. We found a total of 191 individuals of 27 snake species, belonging to four families: Boidae, Colubridae, Elapidae and Viperidae. In terms of species richness, the most speciose snake family in the area was Colubridae (85.2%; n = 23), followed by Viperidae (7.4%; n = 2), Boidae (3.7%; n = 1) and Elapidae (3.7%; n = 1) (Table 1). Quantitatively, the family Colubridae represented 81.7% (n = 156) of the total of individuals captured throughout the study, followed by Elapidae (13.1% of the individuals; n = 25), Viperidae (4.7%; n = 9) and Boidae (0.5%; n = 1). The data obtained in the study allowed a first approximation of the richness and composition of the snake fauna from Serra do Mendanha, including the records obtained during fieldwork in the present study and those of specimens deposited in Institutional Collections and detailed field data for each voucher specimen. All records are novel data for the area.

Highlights

The Atlantic Forest of Serra do Mendanha, which is included in the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro, Mesquita and Nova Iguaçu, in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil (Figure 1), is approximately 8,500 ha in area, and is one of the world’s largest forest remnants located within the limits of a large city (Pontes, 2005; Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro, 2000; Rocha et al 2003; SEMADS, 2001)
The pitfall traps did not propitiate any capture during this study
We found three individuals of three snake species deposited in the Institutional Collection of the Instituto Vital Brazil (Erythrolamprus aesculapii, Leptodeira annulata e Siphlophis compressus) which were not sampled during our study in the area, which supplement our data and add three species to the present checklist of the Serra do Mendanha

Summary

Introduction

The Atlantic Forest of Serra do Mendanha, which is included in the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro, Mesquita and Nova Iguaçu, in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil (Figure 1), is approximately 8,500 ha in area, and is one of the world’s largest forest remnants located within the limits of a large city (Pontes, 2005; Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro, 2000; Rocha et al 2003; SEMADS, 2001). The study was carried out in the Atlantic Rainforest area of Serra do Mendanha, (22° 48’; 22° 51’ S and 43° 31’; 43° 28’ W) (Figure 1), located in Rio de Janeiro state, Southeastern Brazil.

Results

Conclusion