Abstract Understanding how different environmental factors influence species occurrence is a key issue to address the study of natural populations. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how local traits influence the microhabitat use of tropical arboreal lizards. Here, we investigated the microhabitat selection of the poorly known lizard Tropidurus lagunablanca (Squamata: Tropiduridae) and evaluated how environmental microhabitat features influence animal’s presence. We used a Resource Selection Function approach, in a case/control design where we analyzed the effect of substrate temperature and tree’s diameter at breast height (DBH) in the probability of presence of lizards using mixed Conditional Logistic Regression. We found that T. lagunablanca uses trees with DBH from 0.40 m to 4 m and substrate temperatures ranging from 25.9°C to 42°C. Moreover, we showed that thickness of the trees and substrate temperatures significantly increased the probability of presence of T. lagunablanca individuals, being the probability of presence higher than 50% for trees up to 1.5 m DBH and temperature of substrate up to 37.5°C. Our study probed that T. lagunablanca individuals choose trees non-randomly, selecting thicker and warmer tree trunks. This information advances the knowledge of the spatial ecology of Neotropical arboreal lizards and is relevant for conservation, putting an emphasis on preserving native vegetation in the Pantanal.

Abstract The Neotropics are one of the richest regions in biodiversity globally. Still, much remains unknown about the mechanisms and processes responsible for the accumulation of species in this region. Among the many limitations on our current knowledge on the region’s biodiversity, understanding of community composition and species distributions is limited and greatly biased in many Brazilian regions. We present information on species composition, habitat use, geographic distribution, taxonomic accounts, and conservation of snakes from Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeastern Brazil. We compiled, from primary and literature data, 851 snake records from seven families and 47 species, with five new records for the state. Species are mainly terrestrial and semi-arboreal and associated with at least six vegetation types from Caatinga and Atlantic Forest domains. None of the species is listed in threatened categories of IUCN, while two species are listed in the Brazilian Threatened Fauna list. Our data covers 32.34% of the state’s area, a consequence of locally limited inventories and lack of long-term studies on snakes’ fauna. The richest areas within the state are near large cities, which lack protected areas for the species they harbor, and highlights the necessity of protective policies and conservation actions.

Resumo: O zoólogo Dr. José Santiago Lima-Verde (1945-2019) fez uma série de importantes contribuições para o campo da biologia animal no nordeste do Brasil, em particular através de sua pesquisa com serpentes. Enquanto professor da Escola Superior de Agricultura de Mossoró, atualmente Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, o Prof. Lima-Verde estabeleceu uma coleção herpetológica que permaneceu esquecida por várias décadas. No presente estudo, descrevemos a revitalização dessa coleção, que incluiu a atualização da identificação das espécies e a compilação dos metadados da coleção, que agora é denominada Coleção Herpetológica Lima-Verde. Nós catalogamos 80 espécimes representando 30 espécies, incluindo 23 espécies de serpentes, cinco lagartos e duas anfisbenas. Um terço (30%) dos exemplares possuíam informações sobre datas e locais de coleta, sendo a maioria desses espécimes coletados no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte durante a década de 1970. Também catalogamos 315 ovos de sete espécies de serpentes, provenientes de 22 ninhadas obtidas em cativeiro. A coleção apresenta dados inéditos e constituirá uma referência para futuras pesquisas herpetológicas sobre as espécies encontradas na região oeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Nossos achados reforçam a importância das coleções zoológicas para a compreensão dos padrões de biodiversidade, e nós recomendamos a criação de mais coleções científicas regionais e o reconhecimento mais amplo de seu valor como fonte básica de dados biológicos.

Abstract: The zoologist Dr. José Santiago Lima-Verde (1945-2019) made a number of major contributions to the field of animal biology in the northeastern Brazil, in particular through his research with snakes. While employed as a professor at Escola Superior de Agricultura de Mossoró, currently the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Prof. Lima-Verde established a herpetological collection which remained forgotten for a number of decades. In the present study, we describe the revitalization of this collection, which included the updating of the identification of the species and the compilation of the metadata on the collection, which is now named the Coleção Herpetológica Lima-Verde. We catalogued 80 specimens representing 30 species, including 23 species of snakes, five lizards, and two amphisbaenians. One third (30%) of the specimens had information on dates and sites, with the majority of these specimens being collected in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte during the 1970's. We also catalogued 315 eggs of seven snake species, from 22 clutches laid in captivity. The collection presents unpublished data and will constitute a reference for future herpetological research on the species found in western region of State of Rio Grande do Norte. Our findings reinforce the importance of zoological collections for the understanding of patterns of biodiversity, and we would recommend the creation of more regional scientific collections and the broader recognition of their value as a basic source of biological data.

A saurofagia constitui uma importante fonte de mortalidade entre lagartos e tem sido reportada para o gênero Tropidurus. Contudo, a extensão deste comportamento permanece desconhecida. Neste estudo registramos a predação de T. jaguaribanus por seu congênere T. hispidus. Este é o primeiro caso de saurofagia entre diferentes espécies de Tropidurus sintópicos. Além disso, embora a saurofagia tenda a ser direcionada contra jovens, este caso envolveu dois indivíduos adultos.

Saurophagy constitutes an important source of mortality among lizards and has been reported for the genus Tropidurus. However, the extension of this behavior remains unknown. Herein, we record the predation of T. jaguaribanus by its congener T. hispidus. This is the first report of saurophagy among different species of syntopicTropidurus. Furthermore, whereas published records of saurophagy tend to be directed against juveniles, this case involved two adult individuals.

As concepções culturais influenciam as atitudes humanas em relação aos animais, e sua compreensão é essencial para se entender o impacto dos seres humanos sobre a fauna. Neste trabalho, inventariamos concepções sobre lagartos segundo estudantes dos estágios finais da Educação Básica, avaliando sua relação com o atual estado do conhecimento científico e interpretando os casos em discordância. Realizamos entrevistas com estudantes do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio sobre aspectos gerais relacionados a concepções, conhecimentos e usos tradicionais de lagartos. Entrevistamos 38 estudantes que compartilharam 85 concepções distintas. Embora muitas das concepções inventariadas tenham apresentado coerência com os conhecimentos científicos atuais, existiram algumas incongruências. De forma geral, os produtos desta pesquisa forneceram subsídios para a valorização dos lagartos, além de reforçar a necessidade da inclusão de ações de educação ambiental na Educação Básica, como ferramentas para enriquecer o conhecimento sobre a biodiversidade, bem como esclarecer e desmistificar possíveis concepções errôneas.

Cultural conceptions influence human attitudes towards animals and their understanding is essential to know the impact of humans on fauna. In this work, we inventoried conceptions of lizards held by students in the final stages of Basic Education, evaluating their relationship with the current state of scientific knowledge and interpreting the cases of disagreement. We carried out interviews with students of the third year of High School about general aspects related to conceptions, knowledge and traditional uses of lizards. We interviewed 38 students who shared 85 different conceptions. Although several conceptions were consistent with current scientific knowledge, there were some inconsistencies in relation to scientific understanding. Overall, our findings showed the benefits of valuing lizards, beyond reinforcing the need for inclusion of environmental education actions in Basic Education, as enrichment tools for knowledge of biodiversity, as well as elucidating and demystifying possible mistaken conceptions.