Abstract A case of a bite inflicted by Oxybelis fulgidus in the wilds of Amazon is reported. The patient was a 67-year-old man who presented with dizziness, tachycardia and local pain, with erythema and bleeding in his left arm. The venom of Oxybelis fulgidus, a neotropical rear-fanged snake, contains one of the four three-finger toxins already isolated from colubrid snakes, called fulgimotoxin. He was treated with oral analgesics and returned to the ambulatory in 48 hours, with good evolution. We report tirst authenticated case of adult Oxybelis fulgidus with signs of mild local envenoming without evidence of systemic envenoming.

Crotalus durissus are found from Mexico to northern Argentina in a highly disjunct distribution. According to some studies, this species is prone to occupy areas disturbed by human activities and floods comprise a plausible method of dispersal as inferred for some North American rattlesnakes. Based on the literature, it seems plausible that Crotalus durissus expanded their natural distribution in Brazil due to floods, but only in a few municipalities in Rio de Janeiro State. Data entries of Butantan Institute, in São Paulo, Brazil, from 1998 to 2012 show a declining tendency of snakes brought by donors. In addition, research shows no evidence of Crotalus durissus being an expanding species in the Brazilian territory.

INTRODUÇÃO: Neste estudo, analisou-se todos os casos de picadas (incluindo picadas secas) causadas por Bothropoides jararaca atendidos no Hospital Vital Brazil do Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo em que foram incluídos pacientes atendidos no Hospital Vital Brazil do Instituto Butantan, picados por serpentes da espécie Bothropoides jararaca (nº=792) entre 1990 a 2004. Os dados foram obtidos através de prontuários médicos. RESULTADOS: No presente estudo, a maioria dos acidentes foi causada por serpentes fêmeas e filhotes. Não havia presença de conteúdo estomacal em 93,4% das serpentes dissecadas. Não houve diferença estatística entre a ocorrência de picada seca e o sexo da serpente. O comprimento rostro cloacal das serpentes nos casos leves e moderados foram 40,5cm e nos casos severos 99cm. Necrose foi mais comum nos dedos dos pés e das mãos (4,8%) em comparação com outras regiões do corpo (1,8%). Houve diferença estatística entre a gravidade e o intervalo de tempo entre a picada e a admissão hospitalar superior a seis horas. Encontramos uma associação significativa entre gengivorragia e incoagulabilidade sanguínea. Nos acidentes causados por serpentes adultas, a necrose foi mais frequente (7,2%) quando comparado aos acidentes causados por serpentes filhotes (1%). CONCLUSÕES: Neste estudo, destaca-se a associação entre os dados epidemiológicos e biológicos em relação à evolução do quadro clínico nos acidentes botrópicos, contribuindo para a melhoria da assistência nos acidentes ofídicos.

INTRODUCTION: This study analyses the cases of all bites (including dry bites) caused by Bothropoides jararaca attended at the Vital Brazil Hospital of the Butantan Institute, State of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of patients bitten by Bothropoides jararaca (n=792) from January 1990 to December 2004. The characteristics of the snake specimen, data related to the accident and clinical manifestations on admission were obtained from patient medical records. RESULTS: The majority of the cases in this study were caused by female and juvenile snakes. No stomach contents were found in 93.4% of the snake specimens after dissection. No statistical difference was observed between the occurrence of dry bites and the maturity or sex of the snake. The median SVL of snakes in mild and moderate cases was 40.5cm and in severe cases, SVL increased to 99cm. Necrosis was more common in the digits of the feet and hands (4.8%) compared to the other body regions (1.8%). A significant difference was verified between severity and a time interval greater than six hours from the bite to hospital admission. A significant association was verified between gingival bleeding and abnormal blood coagulability. In accidents caused by adult snakes, necrosis was more frequent (7.2%) compared to accidents caused by juvenile snakes (1%). CONCLUSIONS: In this work, the association between certain epidemiological data and the evolution of biological parameters in the clinical course of Bothrops sensu latu accidents were highlighted, contributing to the improvement of snake bite assistance.

Há poucos estudos sobre a fauna de serpentes em ilhas costeiras do Estado de São Paulo, Sudeste do Brasil e um baixo número de espécies depositadas em coleções zoológicas. No Brasil, pela primeira vez, foi realizado um inventário em 18 ilhas do litoral paulista a partir de pesquisa de registros nas coleções herpetológicas do Sudeste do Brasil. Também foram realizadas coletas de campo em onze ilhas. Trinta e seis espécies de quatro famílias foram registradas: uma espécie de Boidae, trinta de Colubridae, uma de Elapidae e quatro de Viperidae. Os dados de campo apresentaram treze ocorrências novas de espécies sem registro nas coleções. Para estimar a raridade das espécies utilizaram-se categorias de abundância relativa: comum, não-freqüente e rara. Das espécies amostradas, 44,4% foram consideradas raras. As espécies mais comuns foram Micrurus corallinus, presente em doze ilhas; Bothrops jararaca e Liophis miliaris, presentes em onze ilhas, B. jararacussu e Chironius bicarinatus, presentes em 10 ilhas. Foram efetuados sete novos registros para a Ilha do Cardoso (25° 05’ S e 47° 59’ W): C. bicarinatus, C. multiventris, Dipsas petersi, Echinanthera bilineata, E. cephalostriata, Helicops carinicaudus e Xenodon neuwiedii; três para Ilha Comprida (24° 54’ S e 47° 48’ W): B. jararacussu, C. bicarinatus e H. carinicaudus; um para Ilha Anchieta (23° 32’ S e 45° 03’ W): Spilotes pullatus; um para a Ilha das Couves (23° 25’ S e 44° 52’ W): L. miliaris; um para a Ilha dos Porcos (23° 23’ S e 44° 54’ W): B. jararaca. B. alcatraz e B. insularis, endêmicos à Ilha de Alcatrazes e à Ilha da Queimada Grande, respectivamente, são considerados criticamente em perigo segundo IUCN. Foi registrada a extinção da fauna de serpentes na Ilha Monte de Trigo. Os ecossistemas insulares, mais vulneráveis que os continentais, carecem de uma proteção mais efetiva. A maioria destas espécies (cerca de 52%) preda anfíbios, reforçando a necessidade de conservação das florestas.

There are relatively few studies on snake fauna from coastal islands of the State of São Paulo (SSP), Southeastern Brazil and the number of species housed in Brazilian institutional zoological collections is relatively limited. In Brazil, for the first time, a snake inventory for eighteen islands of coastal SSP is presented. Here we record data from sampling on eleven islands as well information on vouchered species in the main herpetological collections. Thirty-six species from four families: one Boidae, thirty Colubridae, one Elapidae and four Viperidae from eighteen islands are listed as well as the thirteen new island records for snakes. Relative abundance categories were used for species rarity: common, infrequent and rare; 44.4% of the snakes with voucher specimens were considered rare. The most common species in twelve of the eighteen islands was Micrurus corallinus; in eleven of the eighteen islands were Bothrops jararaca and Liophis miliaris; in ten of the eighteen islands were B. jararacussu and Chironius bicarinatus. The most common snake species on coastal islands were Micrurus corallinus which was found in twelve of the eighteen islands, followed by Bothrops jararaca and Liophis miliaris found on eleven of the eighteen islands and B. jararacussu and Chironius bicarinatus which were found in ten of the eighteen islands studied. There are seven new records of snake species for Cardoso Island (25° 05’ S and 047° 59’ W): C. bicarinatus, C. multiventris, Dipsas petersi, Echinanthera bilineata, E. cephalostriata, Helicops carinicaudus and Xenodon neuwiedii; three new records for Comprida Island (24° 54’ S and 47° 48’ W): B. jararacussu, C. bicarinatus and H. carinicaudus; one for Anchieta Island (23° 32’ S and 045° 03’ W): Spilotes pullatus; one for Couves Island (23° 25’ S and 44° 52’ W): L. miliaris; one for Porcos Island (23° 23’ S and 44° 54’ W), B. jararaca. The endemic species B. alcatraz from Alcatrazes Island and B. insularis from Queimada Grande Island are considered endangered species by IUCN. Snake fauna on Monte de Trigo Island are extinct. The fragility of insular snake fauna needs more attention for environmental conservation, since 52.0% of snake species preys on amphibians, highlighting the importance of forest conservation.