Predação de Elapomorphus quinquelineatus (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) por Micrastur semitorquatus (Aves: Falconidae)

Abstract

Elapomorphus quinquelineatus (Raddi, 1820) is a fossorial snake endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest of southeastern to southern Brazil (Nogueira et al. 2019). It has cathemeral habits and is found even in disturbed habitats (Costa et al. 2010). Elapomorphus quinquelineatus is commonly found moving above the ground, although it also has fossorial habits (Hartmann et al. 2009; Costa et al. 2010), relying on crypsis to avoid predation (Martins et al. 2008), and may use cloacal discharge and erratic movements if handled (Marques et al. 2019). This rear-fanged snake is not known to bite as a defense, although having a highly hemorrhagic venom (Salomão et al. 2003). In this study, we report a specimen of E. quinquelineatus preyed by a Micrastur semitorquatus (Vieillot, 1817) (Falconidae), popularly known as Collared Forest-Falcon, and reviewed records of predation on the species. Between 8 and 9 a.m. on 10 November 2020, one of us (LL) was driving on a dirt road in Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Chapadão da Serra Negra (21.9634°S, 43.8014°W), a private protected area of Atlantic Forest in Santa Bárbara do Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. LL saw a Collared Forest-Falcon (M. semitorquatus),