Mabuya Agilis Research Articles

New host records for Amblyomma rotundatum (Acari: Ixodidae) from Grussaí restinga, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Amblyomma rotundatum Koch is a parthenogenetic tick usually associated with reptiles and amphibians. However, relatively few studies on occurrences of ticks in wild reptile populations in Brazil have been produced. The aim of this study was to analyze the presence of ticks associated with reptile species in the Grussaí restinga, in the municipality of São João da Barra, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Between December 2010 and January 2011, 131 individuals belonging to nine species of reptiles of the order Squamata were sampled: the lizards Tropidurus torquatus (n = 51), Hemidactylus mabouia (n = 25), Mabuya agilis (n = 30), Mabuya macrorhyncha (n = 6), Cnemidophorus littoralis (n = 5) and Ameiva ameiva (n = 10); and the snakes Philodryas olfersii (n = 2), Oxyrhopus rhombifer (n = 1) and Micrurus corallinus (n = 1). The only tick species found to be associated with any of the reptiles sampled was A. rotundatum. One adult female was detected on one individual of the lizard A. ameiva, one nymph on one individual of the lizard T. torquatus and four nymphs on one individual of the snake P. olfersii. This study is the first record of parasitism of A. rotundatum involving the reptiles T. torquatus and P. olfersii as hosts. Our results suggest that in the Grussaí restinga habitat, A. rotundatum may use different species of reptiles to complete its life cycle.

Herpetofauna of Núcleo Experimental de Iguaba Grande, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil

The Atlantic Rain forest, which is considered the second largest pluvial forest in the American continent, has had an estimated 93% of its original area destroyed. Although studies concerning the herpetofaunal diversity in this biome have been intensified in the past years, its diversity is still underestimated. The Nucleo Experimental de Iguaba Grande (NEIG) is included in an Environmental Protection Area (APA de Sapeatiba) in the Iguaba Grande municipality, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil (22º 51' S and 42º 10' W). The goal of this study was to conduct an inventory of the reptile and amphibian species that occur in this area between July 2008 and December 2009. We recorded 19 species of amphibians (18 anurans and one caecilian) and 15 species of reptiles (three lizards, 11 snakes and one amphisbaenian). Leptodactylus latrans and L. mystacinus had the highest capture rates among amphibians captured, and among reptiles, Ameiva ameiva, Hemidactylus mabouia and Mabuya agilis had the highest capture rates. Rarefaction curves for both amphibians and reptiles did not reach the asymptote, indicating that the species richness in the NEIG is still underestimated.

Estrutura ecomorfométrica da comunidade de lagartos da Restinga da Marambaia, Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil

In restinga areas of Marambaia, Rio de Janeiro, we recorded nine species of lizards, grouped in four families. The morphometric analysis suggested an invasion-structured pattern, with two distinct groups of species in the community: the “ground-runners”, composed of animals with robust bodies and long limbs, represented by Tropidurus torquatus (Wied, 1820), Ameiva ameiva (Linnaeus, 1758), Liolaemus lutzae Mertens, 1938 , Cnemidophorus littoralis Rocha, Araujo, Vrcibradic & Costa, 2000 and Tupinambis merianae (Dumeril & Bibron, 1839); and the “hiders”, composed of small-bodied animals with short limbs, represented by Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnes, 1818), Gymnodactylus darwinii (Gray, 1845), Mabuya agilis (Raddi, 1823) and M. macrorhyncha Hoge, 1947. The morphological relationships within the restinga lizard community reflect the influence of the habitat physical structure: bromeliad availability and other refugia, used by the “hiders”, and the distribution of open areas, used by the “ground-runners”. Our results also indicate that the restingas hold “ecomorphological spaces” (vacant niches) available for occupation by additional lizard species.

The alien and native pentastomids fauna of an exotic lizard population from Brazilian Northeast

Pentastomids are common parasites of reptiles’ respiratory tract with more than 130 species described (de Oliveira Almeida and Christoffersen 1999; Rego 1983). The knowledge on the infection by the pentastomid Raillietiella in Brazil is scarce. Few works has been reported: Raillietiella freitasi in the lungs of Thrachylepis atlanticus (formerly Mabuya punctata; Motta 1963; Motta and Gomes 1968; Rego 1983, 1984); larvae of Raillietiella sp. in the skink Mabuya agilis (Vrcibradic et al. 2002) and a likely new species of Raillietiella aff. furcocerca infecting Cnemidophorus abaetensis and Cnemidophorus ocellifer (Dias et al. 2005). The house gecko Hemidactylus mabouia Moreau de Jonnes, 1818, is a broadly distributed species in the tropics and has invaded the New World after accidental introductions, becoming a successful colonizer, widely represented in southern North America, in Central and South America (Federico and Cacivio 2000). Along its range, H. mabouia has harboured an extensive parasitic fauna composed of protozoans, platyhelminthes, acanthocephalans, nematodes, pentastomids, and mites (Ali et al. 1985; Simonsen and Sarda 1985; Lainson and Paperna 1999; Martinez-Rivera et al. 2003; Anjos et al. 2005). We collected the specimens of H. mabouia from January to April 2006 in human buildings (houses) in the municipality of Barbalha (7°18′S; 39°18′W), Ceara state, in Northeastern Brazil. The climate of the region is predominantly mild hot semi-arid (mean annual temperature varying from 24°C to 26°C) and an annual rainfall of 1,153 mm. The vegetation in the area is composed of plant species common to Caatinga, Cerrado, wet forest, and transitional zones between these adjacent biomes (IPECE 2005). Lizards were collected by hand, promptly euthanized with ether and fixed with formalin 10% and posterior preserved in ethanol 70%. Lizard snout–vent length (SVL) was measured with a ruler (to the nearest 1 mm). Voucher specimens were housed in the Zoological Collection of the Universidade Regional do Cariri (LZ-URCA): 323–332, 334, 336, 338, 339, 341–355, 368–375. The lungs of the geckos were removed and carefully checked under a stereomicroscope to search for pentastomids. After that, the body cavity was checked and no pentastomid was found in the body cavity. The pentastomids were either preserved in ethanol 70% or mounted on slides and treated with a Hoyer medium. All the pentastomids found were adults because we noticed that the uterus of the females were full of eggs and that their single hooks had no chitinous accessories, which make Parasitol Res (2007) 101:627–628 DOI 10.1007/s00436-007-0526-7

Ecomorphometric structure of Restinga da Marambaia lizard community, Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil

In restinga areas of Marambaia, Rio de Janeiro, we recorded nine species of lizards, grouped in four families. The morphometric analysis suggested an invasion-structured pattern, with two distinct groups of species in the community: the "ground-runners", composed of animals with robust bodies and long limbs, represented by Tropidurus torquatus (Wied, 1820), Ameiva ameiva (Linnaeus, 1758), Liolaemus lutzae Mertens, 1938, Cnemidophorus littoralis Rocha, Araujo, Vrcibradic & Costa, 2000 and Tupinambis merianae (Duméril & Bibron, 1839); and the "hiders", composed of small-bodied animals with short limbs, represented by Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnès, 1818), Gymnodactylus darwinii (Gray, 1845), Mabuya agilis (Raddi, 1823) and M. macrorhyncha Hoge, 1947. The morphological relationships within the restinga lizard community reflect the influence of the habitat physical structure: bromeliad availability and other refugia, used by the "hiders", and the distribution of open areas, used by the "ground-runners". Our results also indicate that the restingas hold "ecomorphological spaces" (vacant niches) available for occupation by additional lizard species.

Field Body Temperatures of Pregnant and Nonpregnant Females of Three Species of Viviparous Skinks (Mabuya) from Southeastern Brazil

Abstract Many lizards are known to alter their thermal ecology during pregnancy, although body temperatures oF pregnant/gravid females may either increase or decrease, depending on the species. Most of the data available on this phenomenon come from temperate taxa. In the present study, we compared field body temperatures (Tb) of pregnant females with those of nonpregnant females and males of three species of viviparous skinks (Mabuya agilis, Mabuya macrorhyncha, and Mabuya frenata) from southeastern Brazil. We found that pregnant females did not differ in Tb from nonpregnant animals (including males). Thus, reproductive condition did not influence body temperatures regulation by these skinks to a significant degree.

Patterns of infestation by chigger mites in four diurnal lizard species from a Restinga habitat (Jurubatiba) of southeastern Brazil.

We studied the parasitism by larvae of the chigger mite Eutrombicula alfreddugesi on the lizard community of Restinga de Jurubatiba, Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil. We investigated the patterns of infestation (prevalence and intensity) of chigger mites in four sympatric lizards: Tropidurus torquatus, Mabuya agilis, M. macrorhyncha and Cnemidophorus littoralis. All lizards collected were checked for the presence of mites, which were counted under stereomicroscope. We tested the relationship between intensity of infestation and lizard body size for each species using regression analysis. The prevalences and mean intensities (+ one standard deviation) of infestation on each host species were, respectively: 100%; 86.4 + 94.6 in T. torquatus (n = 62); 100%; 20.9 + 9.3 in M. agilis (n = 7); 100%; 11.1 + 13.1 in M. macrorhyncha (n = 12); and 95.2%; 19.1 + 16.8 in C. littoralis (n = 21). Only for C. littoralis did body size significantly affect the intensity of infestation (r = 0.27, p = 0.02). For all lizard species, the body parts where chiggers occurred with the highest intensity were those of skin folds and joint regions.

Helminth communities of two sympatric skinks (Mabuya agilis and Mabuya macrorhyncha) from two "restinga" habitats in southeastern Brazil.

The helminth fauna of two sympatric congeneric skinks (Mabuya agilis and M. macrorhyncha) from two distinct "restinga" habitats (Praia das Neves and Grussaí) in southeastern Brazil were studied, totalling four data sets (sample sizes ranging from 11 to 28). A total of ten helminth species were associated with the skinks: Raillietiella sp., Paradistomum parvissimum, Pulchrosomoides elegans, Oochoristica ameivae, Hexametra boddaertii, Parapharyngodon sceleratus, Physalopteroides venancioi, Physaloptera sp., an unidentified acuariid nematode and an unidentified centrorhynchid acanthocephalan. Except for Hexametra boddaertii (found only in Grussaí) and Pulchrosomoides elegans (found only in Praia das Neves), all helminth species were present at both localities. Half of the helminth species were present only as larvae and, in most cases, appear to represent paratenic parasitism. Overall prevalences of infection were high for both host species in both localities. Mabuya agilis tended to have richer and more diverse infracommunities than M. macrorhyncha. Some parameters of infection by individual helminth species seem to be related to the ecology of each Mabuya species. The parasite faunas were qualitatively very similar among species and/or localities, but quantitative similarities were more varied, due to differential representativeness of individual helminth species among host populations. The helminth communities of both skink species can be classified as non-interactive, being composed of site-specialists and immature stages of non-lizard parasites.

Ecology of Mabuya agilis (Raddi) (Lacertilia, Scincidae) at the restinga of Grumari, Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil

Some aspects of the ecology of the skink Mabuya agilis (Raddi, 1823) at the restinga habitat of Grumari, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are studied. Most of the lizards were first sighted on the ground, though a few were using perches (mainly cacti) up to 30 cm high. Mean body temperature in activity was 33.1 ± 2.4ºC and was significantly correlated to air temperature. There was sexual dimorphism in size (snout-vent length - SVL), with females growing larger than males. Frequency of broken tails was high overall (83%) and did not differ between sexes. Females and males are sexually mature at 49 mm and 47 mm SVL, respectively. Brood size averaged 3.2 ± 1.0 (range 1-5) and was positively and significantly related to female SVL (r = 0.65, p = 0.001). Relative clutch mass (RCM) of seven gravid females averaged 0.250 ± 0.042, being relatively low compared to those of other congeners. The diet of M. agilis was composed basically of arthropods, with relatively large and soft-bodied arthropods such as spiders, caterpillars and homopterans being the most important prey. The results of our work confirm and expand the knowledge of ecological tendencies previously observed for M. agilis in other areas.

Interpopulational Variation in Litter Size of the Skink Mabuya agilis in Southeastern Brazil

We compared litter size (and its relationship with female SVL), minimum size of females at sexual maturity, and minimum adult size of females, among different populations [from eight coastal sea level and two midelevation (600–800 m) sites] of the live-bearing skink Mabuya agilis in the southeastern Brazilian states of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro. There were no apparent differences in litter size among populations within either lowland or highland groups, but each group differed significantly from the other: highland females had larger litters (mean = 5.6, range 2–9) than those from lowland sites (mean = 3.3, range 1–6). There was a significant positive relationship between litter size and female SVL for each group, but the slope of the regression differed between lowland and highland females, with the latter tending to have larger litters for a given SVL. Highland females also reach larger body sizes, although their minimum size at sexual maturity and minimum adult size are just slightly greater than those from lowland populations. We interpret such intraspecific variation relative to possible effects of the physical environment and of genetic factors on reproduction.

The terrestrial reptile fauna of the Abrolhos Archipelago: species list and ecological aspects.

We have studied the terrestrial reptile fauna of the Abrolhos Archipelago (a group of five islands located ca. 70 km off the southern coast of the State of Bahia, Brazil) and analyze here some of its ecological aspects such as diet, thermal ecology, activity, and some reproductive parameters. Three lizards comprise the archipelago's terrestrial reptile fauna: Tropidurus torquatus (Tropiduridae), Mabuya agilis (Scincidae), and Hemidactylus mabouia (Gekkonidae). The first two are diurnal and the latter is crepuscular/nocturnal (initiating activity at ca. 17:30). The activity period of T. torquatus extended from 5:30 to 18:30 h. Mean field body temperatures of active T. torquatus, M. agilis, and H. mabouia were, respectively, 34.0 +/- 3.7 degrees C (range 23.8-38.0 degrees C; N = 75), 34.5 +/- 2.2 degrees C (range 30.8-37.0 degrees C; N = 6), and 26.3 +/- 1.1 degrees C (range 24.8-28.0 degrees C; N = 8). The predominant prey items in the diet of T. torquatus were ants, coleopterans, and hemipterans. In the diet of M. agilis, coleopterans were the most frequent prey items. For H. mabouia, the most important dietary items were orthopterans. Clutch size of T. torquatus averaged 4.1 +/- 1.1 (range 2-6; N = 15) and was significantly related to female size (R2 = 0.618; p = 0.001; N = 15). Clutch size for H. mabouia was fixed (two) and mean litter size of the viviparous M. agilis was 3.3 +/- 0.6 (range 3-4; N = 3). Tropidurus torquatus and H. mabouia deposit their eggs under rocks in the study area, with the former burying them but not the latter; in both species, more than one female often oviposit under the same rock.

Use of cacti as heat sources by thermoregulating Mabuya agilis (Raddi) and Mabuya macrorhyncha Hoge (Lacertflia, Scincidae) in two restinga habitats in southeastern Brazil

Lizards may benefit from gain of heat from contact with the substrate via conduction. In this study, evidence that the lizards Mabuya agilis (Raddi, 1823) and Mabuya macrorhynclui Hoge, 1946 (Scincidae) inhabiting two restinga habitats in southeastern Brazil (Grussaf, Rio de Janeiro and Praia das Neves, Espfrito Santo), may shift microhabitat preferences along the day, and that such shifts may be related to the use of cacti surfaces as direct sources of heat is presented. For both species, body temperature (Tb) was always significantly correlated (p < 0,05) with air temperature (Ta). Tb was significantly correlated (p < 0,0.5) with substrate temperature (Ts) for M. agilis collected on cacti, but not for specimens collected on the ground. For M. macrorhyncha collected on cacti, both Ta and Ts were more important in conjunction than separately, in explaining lizard Tb. Use of cacti as perches by M. agilis was more frequent during late afternoon when environmental temperatures are declining, but such a trend was not evident for M. macrorhynclui. We suggest that the use of cacti as direct heat sources may be more evident in the ground-dwelling M. agilis than in the scansorial M. macrorhynclui.

Thermal ecology of two sympatric skinks (Mabuya macrorhyncha and Mabuya agilis] in a Brazilian restinga habitat

Abstract In a restinga habitat of southeastern Brazil, we studied some aspects of the thermal biology of two sympatric skinks (Mabuya macrorhyncha and Mabuya agilis) with distinct microhabitat preferences. The two species did not differ significantly in their mean body temperature. Sex and body size did not explain body temperature variation within either species. The body temperature of both species is significantly affected by air temperature, but only that of M. agilis is significantly influenced by sand surface temperature, presumably due to its more terrestrial habit compared to M. macrorhyncha. We found no significant seasonal variation in body temperature for either species, although environmental temperatures varied seasonally, indicating that both species may be selecting an optimal range of body temperatures, possibly through behavioural thermoregulation.

Ecological Differences in Tropical Sympatric Skinks (Mabuya macrorhyncha and Mabuya agilis) in Southeastern Brazil

Ecological Differences in Tropical Sympatric Skinks (Mabuya macrorhyncha and Mabuya agilis) in Southeastern Brazil