Biologia reprodutiva da cobra-coral Erythrolamprus aesculapii Linnaeus (Colubridae), no Sudeste do Brasil

Marques, Otávio A.V.

doi:10.1590/S0101-81751996000300022

Resumo

Dissection of 286 specimens of the "false" coral snake Erythrolamprus aesculapii Linnaeus, 1766, combined with data on captive individuais, provided information on the reproductive biology of this colubrid snake. Adult females (x snout-vent length = 74.5cm) attain larger body size than males (x SVL = 62.6). Clutch size ranged from one to eight eggs and was correlated with maternal body size. Neonates measured 20.2-22.5cm SVL and weighed 5.1-5.8g. Males attain sexual maturity earlier than females. Reproduction seems to be aseasonal, with vitellogenesis occurring throughout the year. Apparently the growth rate of folheies decreases in the dry season, possibly due to lower tempeiatures during this period. Multiple clutches were recorded in captive snakes. Foraging strategies and availability of prey may explain continuous reproduction in E. aesculapii. However, data for other related snakes suggest that continuous reproduction is conservative in the Xenodontini.

Xenodontini; Erythrolamprus aesculapii; aseasonal reproduction; multiple clutches

Biologia reprodutiva da cobra-coral Erythrolamprus aesculapii Linnaeus (Colubridae), no Sudeste do Brasil

Reproductive biology of the coral snake Erythrolamprus aesculapii Linnaeus (Colubridae) in the Southeastern Brazil

Otávio A.V. Marques

Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan. Avenida Vital Brasil 1500, 05503-900 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Dissection of 286 specimens of the "false" coral snake Erythrolamprus aesculapii Linnaeus, 1766, combined with data on captive individuais, provided information on the reproductive biology of this colubrid snake. Adult females (x snout-vent length = 74.5cm) attain larger body size than males (x SVL = 62.6). Clutch size ranged from one to eight eggs and was correlated with maternal body size. Neonates measured 20.2-22.5cm SVL and weighed 5.1-5.8g. Males attain sexual maturity earlier than females. Reproduction seems to be aseasonal, with vitellogenesis occurring throughout the year. Apparently the growth rate of folheies decreases in the dry season, possibly due to lower tempeiatures during this period. Multiple clutches were recorded in captive snakes. Foraging strategies and availability of prey may explain continuous reproduction in E. aesculapii. However, data for other related snakes suggest that continuous reproduction is conservative in the Xenodontini.

Key words: Xenodontini, Erythrolamprus aesculapii, aseasonal reproduction, multiple clutches

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AGRADECIMENTOS. A Augusto S. Abe e Ivan Sazima pela leitura crítica do manuscrito. A Pérsio Santos-Filho por sugestões e pelo auxílio no tratamento estatístico dos dados. A Hebert Ferrarezzi pelas discussões durante a elaboração deste trabalho. A Rosana S. Jordão pelas informações de sua dissertação de mestrado. A Alessandra F. Bizena e Rosana S. Jordão pelo auxílio prestado no laboratório. A Sérgio A.A. Morato e Júlio César Moura-Leite pelo empréstimo do material e auxílio na obtenção de informações do Museu de História Natural Capão da Imbuia, Curitiba, Paraná.

Recebido em 17.VI.1996; aceito em 20.XI.1996.

Cadle, J.E. 1984. Molecular systematics of Neotropical xenodontini snakes I. South American xenodontines. Herpetologica 40: 8-29.
DIXON, J.R. & P. SOINI. 1986. The reptiles of the upper Amazon basin, Iquitos region, Peru II. Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Museum, 91p.
Dowling, H.G. & W.E. Duellman. 1978. Systematic herpetology: a synopsis of families and higher categories. HISS Publication, New York.
Duellman, W.E. 1978. The biology of an Equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador. Univ. Kans. Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Publ. 65: 1-352.
FITCH, H.S. 1982. Reproductive cycles in tropical reptiles. Occ. Pap. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kans. 96: 1-53.
Kofron, CP. 1983. Female reproductive cycle of the neotropical snail-eating snake Sibon sanniola in northern Yucatan, México. Copeia 1983: 963-969.
Laporta-Ferreira, I.; M.G. Salomão & P. Sawaya. 1986. Biologia de Sibynomorphus (Colubridae-Dipsadinae) - Reprodução e hábitos alimentares. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 46 (4): 793-799.
LILLYWHITE, H.B. 1987. Temperature, Energetics, and Physiological Ecology, p. 422-477. In: R.A. Seigel; R.A. Collins & S.S.Novak (Eds). Snakes: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. New York, MacMillan Publ. Co, 529p.
Lira-da-Silva, R.J.; L.L. Casais-e-Silva; I.B. Queiroz & T.B. Nunes. 1994. Contribuição à biologia de serpentes da Bahia, Brasil. I. Víviparas. Revta bras. Zool. 11 (2): 187-193.
Marques, O.A.V. 1992. História natural de Micrurus corallinus (Serpentes, Elapidae). Dissertação de mestrado, não publicada, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 80p.
Marques, O.A.V. & G. Puorto. 1991. Padrões cromáticos, distribuição e possível mimetismo em Erythrolamprus aesculapii (Serpentes, Colubridae). Mem. Inst. Butantan 53(1): 127-134.
______. 1994. Dieta e comportamento alimentar de Erythrolamprus aesculapii. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 54 (2): 253-259.
Nimer, E. 1989. Climatologia do Brasil. Rio de Janeiro, IBGE, Departamento de recursos Naturais e Estudos Ambientais, 2ª ed., 421p.
Parker, W.S. & M.V. Plumer. 1987. Population ecology, p. 253-301. In: R.A. Seigel, R.A. Collins & S.S. Novak (Eds). Snakes: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. New York, MacMillan Publ. Co., 529p.
Peters, J.A. & B. Orejas-Miranda. 1970. Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata: Part I. Snakes. Buli. U.S. Nat. Mus. 297: 62-64.
Pontes, G.M & M. Di-Bernardo. 1988. Registros sobre aspectos reprodutivos de serpentes ovíparas neotropicais (Serpentes: Colubridae e Elapidae). Com. Mus. Ciênc. PUCRS, Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre, 1 (1): 123-149.
Sazima, I. & A.S. Abe. 1991. Habits of five Brazilian snakes with coral-snake pattern, including a summary of defensive tactics. Stud. Neotrop. Fauna Environ. 26: 159-164.
Seigel, R.A. & N.B. Ford. 1987. Reproductive ecology, p.210-252. In: R.A. Seigel, R.A. Collins & S.S. Novak (Eds). Snakes: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. New York, MacMillan Publ. Co., 529p.
Shine, R. 1977. Reproduction in Australian elapid snakes II. Female reproductive cycles. Aust. J. Zool. 25: 655-666.
______. 1978. Sexual size dimorphism and male combat in snakes. Oecologia 33:269-277.
______. 1982. Ecology of the Australian elapid snake Echiopsis curta. J. Herpetol. 16 (4): 388-393.
______. 1994. Sexual dimorphism in snakes revisited. Copeia 1994: 326-356
Tryon, B.W. 1984. Additional instances of multiple egg-clutch production in snakes. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sei. 87: 98-104.
VITT, L. 1983. Ecology of an anuran-eating guild of tcrrestrial tropical snakes. Herpetologica 39 (1): 52-66.
VITT, L. & L.D. Vangilder. 1983. Ecology of a snake community in northeastern Brazil. Amph. Reptilia 4: 273-296.
Zug, G.R.; S.B. Hedges & S. Sunkel. 1979. Variation in reproductive parameters of three neotropical snakes, Coniophanes fissidens, Dipsas catesbyi and Imantodes cenchoa. Smithsonian Contrib. Zool. 300: 1-20.

Datas de Publicação

Publicação nesta coleção
14 Jul 2009
Data do Fascículo
1996

Histórico

Aceito
20 Nov 1996
Recebido
17 Jun 1996

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] Cadle, J.E. 1984. Molecular systematics of Neotropical xenodontini snakes I. South American xenodontines. Herpetologica 40: 8-29.

[2] DIXON, J.R. & P. SOINI. 1986. The reptiles of the upper Amazon basin, Iquitos region, Peru II. Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Museum, 91p.

[3] Dowling, H.G. & W.E. Duellman. 1978. Systematic herpetology: a synopsis of families and higher categories. HISS Publication, New York.

[4] Duellman, W.E. 1978. The biology of an Equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador. Univ. Kans. Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Publ. 65: 1-352.

[5] FITCH, H.S. 1982. Reproductive cycles in tropical reptiles. Occ. Pap. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kans. 96: 1-53.

[6] Kofron, CP. 1983. Female reproductive cycle of the neotropical snail-eating snake Sibon sanniola in northern Yucatan, México. Copeia 1983: 963-969.

[7] Laporta-Ferreira, I.; M.G. Salomão & P. Sawaya. 1986. Biologia de Sibynomorphus (Colubridae-Dipsadinae) - Reprodução e hábitos alimentares. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 46 (4): 793-799.

[8] LILLYWHITE, H.B. 1987. Temperature, Energetics, and Physiological Ecology, p. 422-477. In: R.A. Seigel; R.A. Collins & S.S.Novak (Eds). Snakes: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. New York, MacMillan Publ. Co, 529p.

[9] Lira-da-Silva, R.J.; L.L. Casais-e-Silva; I.B. Queiroz & T.B. Nunes. 1994. Contribuição à biologia de serpentes da Bahia, Brasil. I. Víviparas. Revta bras. Zool. 11 (2): 187-193.

[10] Marques, O.A.V. 1992. História natural de Micrurus corallinus (Serpentes, Elapidae). Dissertação de mestrado, não publicada, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 80p.

[11] Marques, O.A.V. & G. Puorto. 1991. Padrões cromáticos, distribuição e possível mimetismo em Erythrolamprus aesculapii (Serpentes, Colubridae). Mem. Inst. Butantan 53(1): 127-134.

[12] ______. 1994. Dieta e comportamento alimentar de Erythrolamprus aesculapii. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 54 (2): 253-259.

[13] Nimer, E. 1989. Climatologia do Brasil. Rio de Janeiro, IBGE, Departamento de recursos Naturais e Estudos Ambientais, 2ª ed., 421p.

[14] Parker, W.S. & M.V. Plumer. 1987. Population ecology, p. 253-301. In: R.A. Seigel, R.A. Collins & S.S. Novak (Eds). Snakes: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. New York, MacMillan Publ. Co., 529p.

[15] Peters, J.A. & B. Orejas-Miranda. 1970. Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata: Part I. Snakes. Buli. U.S. Nat. Mus. 297: 62-64.

[16] Pontes, G.M & M. Di-Bernardo. 1988. Registros sobre aspectos reprodutivos de serpentes ovíparas neotropicais (Serpentes: Colubridae e Elapidae). Com. Mus. Ciênc. PUCRS, Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre, 1 (1): 123-149.

[17] Sazima, I. & A.S. Abe. 1991. Habits of five Brazilian snakes with coral-snake pattern, including a summary of defensive tactics. Stud. Neotrop. Fauna Environ. 26: 159-164.

[18] Seigel, R.A. & N.B. Ford. 1987. Reproductive ecology, p.210-252. In: R.A. Seigel, R.A. Collins & S.S. Novak (Eds). Snakes: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. New York, MacMillan Publ. Co., 529p.

[19] Shine, R. 1977. Reproduction in Australian elapid snakes II. Female reproductive cycles. Aust. J. Zool. 25: 655-666.

[20] ______. 1978. Sexual size dimorphism and male combat in snakes. Oecologia 33:269-277.

[21] ______. 1982. Ecology of the Australian elapid snake Echiopsis curta. J. Herpetol. 16 (4): 388-393.

[22] ______. 1994. Sexual dimorphism in snakes revisited. Copeia 1994: 326-356

[23] Tryon, B.W. 1984. Additional instances of multiple egg-clutch production in snakes. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sei. 87: 98-104.

[24] VITT, L. 1983. Ecology of an anuran-eating guild of tcrrestrial tropical snakes. Herpetologica 39 (1): 52-66.

[25] VITT, L. & L.D. Vangilder. 1983. Ecology of a snake community in northeastern Brazil. Amph. Reptilia 4: 273-296.

[26] Zug, G.R.; S.B. Hedges & S. Sunkel. 1979. Variation in reproductive parameters of three neotropical snakes, Coniophanes fissidens, Dipsas catesbyi and Imantodes cenchoa. Smithsonian Contrib. Zool. 300: 1-20.

Brasil

Brasil

Biologia reprodutiva da cobra-coral Erythrolamprus aesculapii Linnaeus (Colubridae), no Sudeste do Brasil

Reproductive biology of the coral snake Erythrolamprus aesculapii Linnaeus (Colubridae) in the Southeastern Brazil

Resumo

Datas de Publicação

Histórico