Ecologia e História natural de uma Taxocenose de Serpentes de Floresta Atlântica da reserva Biológica Guaribas, Litoral Norte do Estado da Paraíba, Nordeste, Brasil.

Abstract

This work presents information on ecology and natural history of snakes assemblage found in the Reserva Biológica Guaribas, SEMA III, Rio Tinto-PB. For each species are provided data on activity, foraging substrate, habitat and micro-habitat, among others. For twenty-four months of study were captured 120 individuals of 22 species, nineteen genera and five families (Colubridae, Dipsadidae, Elapidae, Typhlopidae and Viperidae). The most abundant specie was the only representative of the family Viperidae, Bothrops leucurus, with 16.67% of the individuals. The results suggest that still there are species yet to be captured for the study area, because the rarefaction curve did not reach stability (asymptote), however the wealth was estimated at 29.94 (Jack1) and 31.94 (Jack2). The sampling effort in capturing Search Limited by Time (SLT) was 286.83 hour/men with a general abundance of 0.0767 snake/hour/man, and 211.52 hours/men daytime and 75.32 hours/men overnight, with abundance equal to 0.0756 and 0.0797 snake/hour/man, respectively. Despite the yearly seasonality in the number of individual, the effort of capture monthly (hours/men per month) showed a positive correlation regular with the number of captured individuals (t=2.45, p=0.022, rs=0.46). The method of pitfall traps got an abundance of 0.0013 snake/day/bucket for an effort of 37,000 days/bucket. Pitfall Traps was the method that most contributed to the number of individuals (N=39, 40%), while local collectors contributed in number of species (14 spp., 63.6%). Incidental encounters was the least captured, but very efficient in relation species/individuals. Anuran and lizard were possibly the itens most consumed food by species of snakes (27.3% of species each), followed by generalist species (18,2%). The semi-arboreal and terrestrial were the most frequent categories of habitat use (6 spp. each). Furthermore, most species showed diurnal habits. According to the results, the environmental variables apparently are not limiting factors in the activity throughout the year snakes species in the study area. Although a small fragment, SEMA III may harbor a great diversity of species and is characterized as an important conservation unit in conservation of regional biodiversity.