Diversity and habitat use by snakes and lizards in coastal environments of southernmost Brazil

Biota Neotropica

Maurício Beux Dos Santos²  Mauro Cesar Lamim Martins De Oliveira¹  Alexandro Marques Tozetti¹ 

[1] ,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Laboratório de Ecologia de Vertebrados TerrestresRio Grande RS ,Brasil

关键词: diversity;    lizards;    restinga;    sand dunes;    snakes;    diversidade;    dunas;    lagartos;    restinga;    serpentes;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1676-06032012000300008

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

This study examined species composition differences among snake and lizard assemblages from coastal dunes and restinga habitats in southernmost Brazil. Animals were collected between April 2009 and March 2010 using pitfall traps, artificial shelters, and time-constrained searches in grasslands areas susceptible to flooding. Species richness was higher in the restinga, but lower than the observed in other Brazilian biomes, possibly associated with more unstable microclimate conditions and low habitat complexity (vertical and horizontal distribution of the vegetation) in this habitat. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the most abundant species of both snakes and lizards have fossorial habits. The assemblage of snakes is apparently mainly determined by abiotic characteristics of the habitat, while the assemblage of lizards, by vegetation cover.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
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