Jéssica Monique da Silva Amaral

We report the first documented case of attempted predation on the scaled dove (Columbina squammata) by the boa constrictor (Boa constrictor) in a restinga environment on the north coast of Paraíba, Brazil. This record contributes to the growing knowledge of the species’ diverse diet and highlights the importance of opportunistic and arboreal foraging strategies in snake–bird interactions.

Mark-recapture studies using marking techniques are crucial for understanding the ecology and behavior of snakes. This review aims to identify and compare the most common marking methods employed in snake ecology research, from traditional techniques to modern, innovative approaches. These methods facilitate global research on snake individualization, tracking, and recapture. We evaluated 1.533 papers encompassing over 482 species, the reviewed studies span 78 countries, reflecting a wide geographical distribution of snake marking research. The United States, Canada, Australia, and Brazil have contributed the most studies. Among the most widely used methods, radio telemetry remains essential for despite tracking its invasiveness and associated risks for snake’s welfare. More recent innovations, such as fluorescent powder and elastomer marking, offer cost-effective, non-invasive alternatives, applicable across diverse species and habitats. Microchipping, a well-established method, continues to be a reliable option for long-term monitoring, with successful recaptures documented after over 30 years. Natural marks, recognized through photographs and drawings. This paper the importance of continually refining snake marking techniques to balance research efficacy with animal welfare. Future advancements should focus on improving durability, facilitating recapture, and minimizing disruptions to snake ecology, health, and behavior, ultimately supporting more effective autecological and population studies.

Brazil ranks among the top three countries worldwide in reptile diversity, boasting more than 435 species of snakes. Snakes play a pivotal ecological role in maintaining ecosystem balance and offer potential for the bioprospecting of venom peptides for pharmaceutical applications. Despite their ecological significance, snakes continue to face indiscriminate killing, often due to widespread lack of knowledge about these animals. Consequently, protected areas assume paramount importance in snake conservation efforts, safeguarding both their populations and their habitats. Access restrictions coupled with enhanced fauna and flora protection measures within these areas mitigate adverse interactions between humans and snakes. This study aims to assess the impact of economic activities within the Environmental Protection Area of Barra do Rio Mamanguape, in northeast Brazil, on the snake community. Data documenting roadkill incidents indicate a potential rise in snake-vehicle collisions attributed to increased tourist traffic within the protected area. Additionally, events of snakes preying on domestic animals, such as chickens or small cats, heighten the risk of retaliatory killings by residents attempting to protect their pets. Thus, proactive environmental education initiatives are imperative to foster awareness among both visitors and residents regarding the vital role of snakes within the local ecosystem and the importance of their conservation.

We report on the clutch size and neonate morphology of Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus schotti, an oviparous snake species. A clutch of seven eggs was found in a rural area of Paraíba, Brazil. Neonates had an average total length of 181.29 mm and an average weight of 3.0 g, with females being larger sizes than males—a pattern consistent with the species’ known reproductive traits. Defensive behaviors observed in the neonates included cloacal discharge and substrate-burrowing. These findings offer new insights into the species’ natural history and highlight its early-life defensive strategies and developmental characteristics.

Studies of monitoring animal populations using capture-mark-recapture require reliable methods of marking, mainly to obtain data on both population size and growth, as well as on individual movement and displacement in the long term. From May 2019 to April 2021, we marked 111 individuals of Chironius flavolineatus from a population found in the Atlantic Forest of Northeast Brazil. The markings were made using four colours of the visible implant elastomer (VIE), obtaining a total of 40 recaptures that varied from three days to 696 days after the marking and release. We analysed the efficiency and persistence of the coloured polymers, and our findings indicate that the use of VIE is an effective method for marking arboreal snakes in both short- and long-term studies. All the colours worked successfully; however, the green-coloured polymer needs to be used with caution in long-term studies. Because of the consistency in the recapture of the snakes and the long period of recapture recorded during the research, the use of the visible implant fluorescent elastomer is recommended for future studies on the ecology of snake populations.

The Barra do Rio Mamanguape Environmental Protection Area in northeast Brazil is one of the most important protected areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. However, the diversity of several taxa in this park remains unknown. From 2019 to 2021, we studied the snake assemblage of the Barra de Mamanguape EPA to determine species composition, abundance, richness estimates, activity patterns, and natural history data. We documented 24 snake species from six families, which corresponded to approximately 42% and 28% of snakes from the Atlantic Forest of Paraíba State and from the Pernambuco Endemism Center, respectively. Estimates of species richness suggest that more snake species are found in this area. The most common species were Chironius flavolineatus and Boa constrictor, with the species rank-abundance distribution curve showing a sigmoidal pattern. Most species are diurnal and terrestrial, and occur in both forests and Restinga. All sampling methods (pitfall traps, active searches, and occasional encounters) were done for snake sampling. The ecological knowledge of snakes in the Barra de Mamanguape EPA is essential for the assessment of conservation strategies for this protected area in northeast Brazil.

Herein, we present the first record of predation on the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) by a common boa (Boa constrictor). The incident occurred during the afternoon in a restinga environment of the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. The snake captured the marmoset on the ground when a group of seven individuals of Callithrix jacchus was traveling among the restinga trees. The group remained on the top of a tree, from 1.5 to 4 m, exhibiting an alarm vocalization and surrounding the snake throughout the ingestion process. The snake was captured, measured, and released on the same site. This case report reinforces that the callitrichids are vulnerable to predation by large snakes and present some defensive behavior.

Human envenomation by the snakes Colubridae and Dipsadidae are reported in Brazil, and envenomation by the Opisthoglyphous snake Philodryas olfersii could be dangerous. Here, we present the second record of an envenomation by Philodryas olfersii in Pernambuco, northeast Brazil. The male victim presented with mild erythema pain, paraesthesia, local numbness, and swollen lymph nodes. The symptoms were similar to those of a pit viper bite, and disappeared completely after 15 days.