Herpetology Notes, vol. 5

<strong>Herpetology</strong> <strong>Notes</strong>, <strong>vol</strong>ume 5: 41-42 (2012) (published online on 2 March 2012)Grass mice (Akodon sp.): an unrecorded prey for the dipsadid snakeTaeniophallus affinisCristian Alexandro Gomes 1,2 *, Kátia Gomes Facure 3 and Otavio A. V. Marques 2The dipsadid snake Taeniophallus affinis is endemicto the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Di-Bernardo and Lema,1988; Argôlo, 1998; Condez, Sawaya and Dixo, 2009;Paula, Zanella and Guaragni, 2011). Ecological data onthis species is scarce, but published information on dietindicates that this snake feed upon anurans and lizards(Sazima, Chini and Souza, 1992; Souza and Cruz,2000; Marques, Eterovic and Sazima, 2004; Palmuti,Cassimiro and Bertoluci, 2009; Zacariotti and Gomes,2010). However, Barbo and Marques (2003) found anindividual of Amphisbaena mertensi (Amphisbaenidae)in the gut of a specimen collected in nature; necrophagyis unlikely due to the absence of necrophagous insectlarvae in this gut content. Here we report for the firsttime a mammal prey for this snake.An adult female T. affinis (SVL = 550 mm, tail = 145mm, weight = 50g) collected in the municipality of RioNegro (Paraná state, Brazil) and housed in the collectionof the Museu de História Natural Capão da Imbuia(MHNCI 11330), contained the remains of a mammalprey in its gut. Hairs found in the snake gut content wereprepared according to Quadros and Monteiro-Filho(2006) and identified throughout cuticular and medullarpatterns comparisons with reference collections andidentification keys (Cavia et al., 2008; Martin, Gheler-Costa and Verdade, 2009). Based on the lanceolateshape of cuticular scales in the proximal portion andthe biseriate medulla, the hairs were identified as beingfrom a small rodent of the genus Akodon (Cricetidae,Sigmodontinae).1 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, UniversidadeEstadual Paulista, Campus São José do Rio Preto, RuaCristóvão Colombo, 2265, CEP 15054-000, São José do RioPreto, SP, Brazil2 Laboratório de Ecologia e E<strong>vol</strong>ução, Instituto Butantan, Av.Dr. Vital Brasil, 1500, CEP 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil3 Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Faculdade de CiênciasIntegradas do Pontal, Av. João Naves de Ávila 2121, CEP38408-100, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil*Corresponding author; e-mail: biocristian@gmail.comThree species of Akodon occur in the area of Rio Negro:A. montensis (adult mean CC = 107 mm, weight = 47 g),A. paranaensis (adult mean CC = 109 mm, weight = 32g), and A. serrensis (adult mean CC = 97 mm, weight= 26 g) (see Bonvicino, Oliveira and D’Andrea, 2008).Small mammals may be an unusual prey to species inthe genus Taeniophallus because these snakes havesmall and slender bodies. However, juveniles of Akodonweigh around 10 g (KGF, pers. obs.). Thus prey/predatormass ratio for this snake may attain about 0.2, probablythe maximum limit for this snake based on informationfor related species (CAG, pers. obs.).Taeniophallus affinis seems to forage actively throughleaf litter (Di-Bernardo, 1992), searching mainly forfrogs and lizards. However, this snake eventually findsin this place other vertebrates as small mammals oramphisbaenids which are not discarded, but rathereaten.Acknowledgements. We thank Julio César de Moura Leitefor access to specimen housed on collections at MHNCI, andConselho Nacional de Desen<strong>vol</strong>vimento Científico e Tecnológico(CNPq) for financial support.ReferencesArgôlo, A.J.S. (1998): Geographic distribution. Echinanthera affinis.Herp. Rev. 29: 176.Barbo, F.E., Marques, O.A.V. (2003): Do aglyphous colubridsnakes prey on live amphisbaenids able to bite? Phyllomedusa2: 113-114.Bonvicino, C.R., Oliveira, J.A., D’Andrea, P.S. (2008): Guia dosRoedores do Brasil, com chaves para gêneros baseadas em caracteresexternos. Rio de Janeiro: Centro Pan-Americano deFebre Aftosa - OPAS/OMS.Cavia, R., Andrade, A., Zamero, M.E., Fernández, M.S., Muschetto,E., Cueto, G.R., Suárez, O.V. (2008): Hair structure ofsmall rodents from central Argentina: A tool for species identification.Mammalia 72: 35-43.Condez, T.H., Sawaya, R.J., Dixo, M. (2009): Herpetofauna dosremanescentes de Mata Atlântica da região de Tapiraí e Piedade,SP, sudeste do Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 9: 1-29.Di-Bernardo, M. (1992): Revalidation of the genus EchinantheraCope, 1984, and its conceptual amplification (Serpentes, Col-

42ubridae). Comunic. Mus. Ciênc. PUCRS, Série Zoologia 5:225-256.Di-Bernardo, M., Lema, T. (1988): O Gênero Rhadinaea Cope1863 no Brasil meridional. III. Rhadinaea affnis (Günther,1858) (Serpentes, Colubridae). Acta Biol. Leopold. 10: 223-252.Marques, O.A.V., Eterovic, A., Sazima, A. (2004): Snakes of theBrazilian Atlantic Forest: an Illustrated Field Guide for theSerra do Mar Range, 1st edition. Ribeirão Preto, Holos.Martin, P.S., Gheler-Costa, C., Verdade, L.M. (2009): Microestruturasde pêlos de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores: chavepara identificação de espécies de agroecossistemas do estadode São Paulo, Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 9: 233-241Palmuti, C.F.S., Cassimiro, J., Bertoluci, J. (2009): Food habitsof snakes from the RPPN Feliciano Miguel Abdala, an AtlanticForest fragment of southeastern Brazil. Biota Neotrop. 9:265-269.Cristian Alexandro Gomes et al.Paula, A., Zanella, N., Guaragni, S.A. (2011): Taeniophallus affinis(Günther, 1858) (Squamata, Serpentes: Dipsadidae): Distributionextension, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Check List 7:285-286.Quadros, J., Monteiro-Filho, E.L. (2006): Coleta e preparação depêlos de mamíferos para identificação em microscopia óptica.Rev. Bras. Zool. 23: 274-278.Sazima, I., Chini, S., Souza, C.R.C. (1992): Natural history notes:Rhadinaea bilineata (NCN) Diet. Herp. Rev. 23: 120Sousa, B.M., Cruz, C.A.G. (2000): Echinanthera affinis (NCN)Diet. Herp. Rev. 31: 178.Zacariotti, R.L., Gomes, C.A. (2010): Diet of the black–headedforest racer Taeniophallus affinis Günther, 1858 in the BrazilianAtlantic forest. Herp. <strong>Notes</strong> 3: 11-12.Accepted by Enrique La Marca; Managing Editor: Wouter Beukema