Cuadernos de Herpetología

Amphibians of caves in Serra do Ramalho karst area, a remarkable region of subterranean fauna in Brazil

Ariadne F. Sabbag — 2025-09-04

Serra do Ramalho karst area is part of the Bambuí group, the largest geomorphological unit of Brazil. It is in southwestern state of Bahia, and extends over the municipalities of Carinhanha, Feira da Mata, Coribe, and Serra do Ramalho. We inspected 34 caves of Serra do Ramalho karst area, actively looking for amphibians. We were able to find amphibians in 12 caves. We sequenced some of the specimens found for the barcode mitochondrial 16S to confirm identifications. We found 13 species of amphibians, all anurans: Rhinella granulosa, Rhinella mirandaribeiroi, Oreobates remotus, Boana crepitans, Scinax sp. 26, Scinax x-signatus, Leptodactylus macrosternum, L. troglodytes, L. vastus, Physalaemus cicada, P. cuvieri, P. albifrons, and Odontophrynus carvalhoi. As far as it is possible to say, these amphibians are using the cave to daily and seasonal retreat, where they can possibly protect themselves from the drought and heat of Caatinga during the day.

Natural history notes and micro-habitat use by Bokermannohyla luctuosa (Pombal & Haddad, 1993) (Anura: Hylidae)

Lucas Machado Botelho — 2025-09-04

This study investigates the activity, habitat use, and ecological patterns of the arboreal treefrog Bokermannohyla luctuosa, based on long-term monitoring from April 2020 to August 2022 in São Francisco Xavier, São Paulo state, Brazil. Over 126 field trips, we recorded this frog 203 times across 17 sites, with significant seasonal variation in activity and habitat use. During the dry season (April to September), the animals frequently occupied waterfall spray zones, while wetter months saw decreased reliance on these habitats. Reproductive activity, including vocalizing males, gravid females, and tadpoles, was observed across multiple months, which indicates an extended reproductive period. Notable trophic interactions included predation by the larger treefrog Boana faber and the consumption of a harvestman by B. luctuosa. These findings highlight the importance of long-term monitoring to address knowledge gaps, particularly as climate change threatens amphibian habitats. Understanding seasonal microhabitat preferences can guide conservation strategies and improve fieldwork outcomes.

Predation of the rare casque-headed treefrog Trachycephalus mambaiensis (Hylidae: Lophiohylini) by the parrot-snake Leptophis mystacinus (Colubridae) in a Cerrado-Caatinga ecotone

Isabella Parreira — 2025-09-04

Anurans are key prey for snakes, and their decline can affect snake diversity. Defensive behaviors in frogs are diverse and include secretions, distress calls, and body inflation. Frogs of the genus Trachycephalus, known as “milk frogs,” produce sticky and potentially toxic secretions. Predation events involving these frogs are rarely documented. We observed an adult parrotsnake Leptophis mystacinus preying on an adult treefrog Trachycephalus mambaiensis in a Cerrado–Caatinga transitional area in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The frog briefly escaped but was recaptured and ingested within 10 minutes. This is the first documented case of L. mystacinus preying on T. mambaiensis. Although Leptophis species are known to prey primarily on hylid frogs, little is known about the diet of L. mystacinus. This observation supports its potential specialization on nocturnal treefrogs and suggests that it may use both visual and olfactory cues to detect inactive prey during day.

New records of predation and feeding behavior of the vine snake Chironius brazili (Squamata: Colubridae) in the Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

Vitor Otávio Ferreira Assunção — 2025-08-13

The vine snake Chironius brazili inhabits rocky campo rupestre environments in the Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil. Although species of Chironius primarily feed on anurans, we report new prey records for C. brazili, including the Cycloramphidae and the first documented case of fish predation in the genus. These records expand the known diet of C. brazili and demonstrate its ability to exploit different environments while foraging.

Activity and substrate use of Bothrops atrox (Serpentes: Viperidae) in a floodplain forest in the western Brazilian Amazon

Wirven Lima da Fonseca — 2025-08-21

Basic information on the natural history of species is essential for studies of evolutionary biology and ecology, in addition to being fundamental for developing conservation strategies. This study aimed to provide information on the activity and substrate use of Bothrops atrox in a floodplain forest in the western Brazilian Amazon. With a sampling effort of 816 personhours of time constrained, nocturnal visual search, 28 observations of 27 individuals were made, of which 16 were adults and 11 were juveniles. The encounter rate of B. atrox was one snake every 30 person-hours of searching, and most individuals were recorded during the rainy season. Considering the snake assemblage, Bothrops atrox represented 20.8% of the sampled
snakes, out of a total of 130 individuals of 21 species, being the second most frequent species. The ecological and morphological differences between the congeneric species B. atrox and B. bilineatus in this floodplain forest, as well as resource availability, likely influence their local abundance. These factors would also help minimize the probability of interspecific competition between these syntopic species.

Antecedentes ecológicos de la Lagartija de Schmidt Liolaemus schmidti (Marx, 1960) (Squamata, Liolaemidae) en el altiplano de la Región de Tarapacá, Chile

Jorge Mella Ávila — 2025-08-21

The ecological background of abundance, environment use, microhabitat use, and escape behavior of Liolaemus schmidti in the altiplano of the Tarapacá Region, Chile, is described. This species shows greater frequency and abundance in terrestrial environments with grasslands, followed by shrublands. In addition, it is primarily terrestrial and frequently uses the escape behavior of hiding under bushes. These antecedents contribute to the scarce information documented for this species, whose range is in Chile and Bolivia.

Nuevos registros altitudinales de Bothrops ammodytoides Leybold, 1873 (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae) en la Cordillera de los Andes, San Juan, Argentina

Martina Feldman — 2025-08-03

Range extension and natural history notes of Siphlophis leucocephalus

Clara A. Salvino — 2025-07-28