Despite an increase in studies focusing on snake ecology and composition in the northeastern Atlantic Forest, several poorly studied sites and environments remain. The aim of this study was to assess species richness and natural history attributes of the snakes of an assemblage in the Restinga, Tabuleiro and Forest environments of the Atlantic Forest of the south coast of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. A total of 151 individuals of 27 species, 23 genera, and six families of snakes were found. The most effective sampling methods were time-constrained searches and incidental encounters. Species sampled most frequently were the blindsnake Epictiaborapeliotes, the Boa Constrictor Boaconstrictor, the Brown Vinesnake Oxybelisaeneus, and the Brazilian False Coral Snake Oxyrhopustrigeminus. The snake fauna is characterized mainly by terrestrial species found in open-area environments of Restinga and Tabuleiro, and with most species feeding on amphibians and small mammals. The rarefaction curve did not reach the asymptote and new species should be recorded for south coast of Paraíba in future studies. Despite the richness and composition of snakes of the south coast being similar to other areas in the state, there is a lack of some species typically linked to forests, and this is probably because of the high level of deforestation that the south area of the state has suffered.

Abstract:The Atlantic Forest of Brazil is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world, but also one of the most highly threatened, with only around six percent of its original cover remaining. Despite the increase in the number of studies on the ecology of Brazilian snakes during the last two decades, there are still very few works on snake assemblages in the Northeast region and almost nothing about snakes inhabiting urbanized areas in Atlantic Forest domain. Herein we describe the snake assemblage from the urban area of Rio Tinto city in Paraíba State, Northeast Brazil. We present data on composition, distribution and some natural history. Also, we compare the snake diversity of the urban area with the diversity in two nearby natural patches. We recorded 161 individuals of 25 species in 16 genera from the urban area of Rio Tinto and the most common species were Helicops angulatus, Bothrops leucurus, Epicrates assisi, and Philodryas patagoniensis. Most snake species were non-venomous, but some venomous snakes were abundant in the urban area and people must be cautious when dealing with these. Rarefaction curves did not reach stability and new species should be added to the Rio Tinto snake list in future studies. Resumo: A Mata Atlântica é uma das ecorregiões mundiais que apresenta maior diversidade, entretanto é também uma das mais ameaçadas com apenas seis por cento de sua cobertura vegetal original preservada. Apesar do aumento no número de trabalhos sobre ecologia de serpentes brasileiras durante as últimas duas décadas, ainda são poucos os estudos sobre as taxocenoses de serpentes da região Nordeste do Brasil e praticamente nada está publicado sobre serpentes encontradas em áreas urbanas na Mata Atlântica nordestina. Este trabalho apresenta uma descrição da taxocenose de serpentes da área urbana de Rio Tinto, cidade localizada no litoral norte da Paraíba. O trabalho focou a composição, distribuição e alguns aspectos da história natural das espécies de serpentes. Além disso, a diversidade de serpentes encontrada na área urbana foi comparada à de outras taxocenoses de serpentes presentes em unidades de conservação nas proximidades de Rio Tinto. Foram registradas 161 serpentes de 25 espécies e 16 gêneros para a área urbana de Rio Tinto, sendo as espécies mais comuns Helicops angulatus, Bothrops leucurus, Epicrates assisi e Philodryas patagoniensis. A maioria das espécies não são venenosas, entretanto, algumas serpentes venenosas apresentaram grande abundância e a população local deve ser cuidadosa ao lidar com estas serpentes. As curvas de rarefação não atingiram a assíntota e novas espécies devem ser registradas para Rio Tinto em estudos futuros. Palavras-chave: serpentes, Paraíba, herpetologia urbana, áreas antrópicas.

The distribution of animal populations within an assemblage includes a wide variety of patterns, which are fundamental to understanding population dynamics and aid in conservation actions. We examined a snake assemblage in an urban area to describe species distribution patterns and to identify which places are more likely to contain snakes, both venomous and non-venomous. The study was conducted in the urban area of the municipality of Rio Tinto in northeast Brazil. We used a geostatistical modelling technique called ordinary kriging to identify which places were more likely to contain snakes, and a statistical spatial method (average nearest neighbour distance) to detect distribution patterns of snake species within the study area. A total of 291 individuals distributed among 28 species were recorded. The snakes were found in streets, homes, churches, university campus, streams, and even in local supermarkets. Ordinary kriging showed that the area of distribution of individuals was concentrated at three distinct points located in the centre of the urban area. The significant results of the average nearest neighbour distance analysis showed a clustered distribution for two species and dispersed distributions for eight species. Information on urban sites where snakes are more likely to be found is important not only for conservation, but also to help local citizens better understand and live amongst snakes.

This is a case report of a bite by an Opisthoglyphous snake Thamnodynastes pallidus (Linnaeus, 1758) in an undergraduate herpetologist observed at the Universidade Federal da Paraiba (Rio Tinto, PB, Brazil). The female victim was bitten in her left hand between the index finger and the middle finger and presented symptoms of local envenomation such as bleeding, itching, pain in the wound and swelling. The patient was first seen at the University and afterwards at home during the 36 hours following the incident, when the symptoms disappeared. This is the first case report of an accident by T. pallidus in a human being in Brazil.

The Atlantic Forest is one of the largest and richest tropical rainforests on the planet, being one of the 25 world priorities for conservation. The Atlantic Forest portion located north of the São Francisco River corresponds to the Pernambuco Endemism Center (PEC). We describe the snake composition of the PEC, providing information about the diversity, natural history and geographical distribution of the species, based on records from five scientific collections and additional information from the literature. A total of 78 species of snakes distributed in eight families was registered in the Pernambuco Endemism Center. The Caatinga is the Brazilian biome that most shares species with the PEC, followed by Cerrado. On the other hand, seven species are considered endemic of this region. Most of the snake species in the PEC have been registered in forest (94.8%), followed by “Brejos Nordestinos” (46.1%), Tabuleiros (43.5%), Restingas (14.1%) and Mangroves (5.1%). The PEC snake fauna includes mainly terrestrial species (60.2%) and cryptozoic and/or fossorial species (21.7%), but also presents a high richness of semi-arboreal and arboreal species (29.5%). Vertebrates are the main food item consumed by the species (78% of species), among the main prey are mammals, lizards, and amphibians. Most species show a strictly nocturnal activity period (50%), followed by strictly diurnal (38%). The PEC is the most degraded and least known region of the Atlantic Forest, yet it has revealed a high richness of snake species, including seven endemic species. It is emphasized that regional conservation efforts need to be intensified, because few forests in the region are formally protected, and the majority consist of small and poorly protected fragments, which means that many species in the region may be in risk of extinction.