Abstract Identifying risk areas for envenomation by animals is relevant for public health, such as strategic distribution of antivenoms. Coral snakes are highly diverse in the Amazon, inhabit natural and human-modified environments, and the outcome of the cases tends to be serious and potentially lethal due to their neurotoxic venom. By integrating species’ geographical records and environmental variables, we used species distribution modeling to predict the distribution of coral snake species in the Brazilian Amazonia. We analyzed the relationship between the predicted distribution of coral snake species, along with envenomation data in the region, to propose actions to reduce the number of cases and to provide tools for a better policy of public health. We conclude that the entire Amazon shows high environmental suitability for coral snakes, and such suitability explains little about the incidence of cases. This is probably due to the low human density in the Amazon and to coral snake traits such as secretive habits and non-agressive behavior. Differently from other venomous snakes, the scenario regarding coral snakebites precludes the detection of prominent geographical areas of concern and demands a broad and equitable availability of health centers throughout Amazonia and along other areas of occurrence of the genus Micrurus. antivenoms humanmodified modified environments venom variables region nonagressive non agressive behavior Micrurus

Abstract Understanding the dynamics of microbial plankton communities, their metabolic processes and taxonomic composition in oligotrophic ocean basins has been one of the central tasks of contemporary marine microbial ecology and one of the main challenges in a changing global ocean. However, despite its ecological importance, the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (SASG) remains poorly understood in relation to marine microbes, which comprise the major drivers of biogeochemical cycles and the largest carbon sink to the deep ocean. This review presents the state of the art of microbial ecology in the SASG, including the adjacent oligotrophic region, the Southwest Atlantic Ocean (SWAO). We have also addressed the theoretical and methodological trends in this field since 1970s, focusing on the main milestones that led to the more-detailed current knowledge of the role of oligotrophic gyres in the global carbon cycle. Finally, we discussed the general patterns of microbial community composition in the SASG, focusing on their potential responses to environmental factors. In spite of increasing efforts to investigate this region, SASG is among the least known oceanic provinces, which has hampered the debate over whether the oligotrophic ocean acts as a sink or source of CO2 into the atmosphere.

RESUMO A crescente urbanização do bioma amazônico promoveu a criação de vários fragmentos florestais cercados por uma matriz urbana, mas a relação das assembleias de animais com o ambiente urbano, especialmente nos fragmentos florestais, é pouco conhecida. Aqui, objetivamos 1) determinar a composição da fauna de répteis escamados do maior fragmento de floresta urbano da Amazônia Central, na cidade brasileira de Manaus, e 2) avaliar a influência de parâmetros ambientais sobre a diversidade desta assembleia. Foram amostradas 10 parcelas ripárias padronizadas por meio de busca visual em seis amostragens entre 2008/09 e 2015, totalizando 360 horas-observador. Encontramos 15 espécies de lacertóideos (lagartos e anfisbenas) e sete espécies de serpentes por meio de busca ativa. Após considerar encontros ocasionais e coleções científicas, registramos um total de 24 espécies de lacertóideos e 22 espécies de serpentes. Modelos de regressão múltipla indicaram que a riqueza de espécies e abundância de indivíduos aumentaram com a distância da borda do fragmento, enquanto outras variáveis estruturais do ambiente não afetaram a assembleia. Concluímos que este fragmento florestal 1) consiste em um subamostra do conjunto regional de espécies, e 2) sofre redução da riqueza de espécies e abundância de indivíduos do centro para as bordas. Este e outros fragmentos de floresta urbana deveriam ser monitorados continuamente para avaliar seus papéis a longo prazo na manutenção da biodiversidade tropical.

ABSTRACT The increasing urbanization of the Amazonian biome has promoted the creation of several forest fragments surrounded by an urban matrix, but the relationship of animal assemblages to the urban environment, especially in forest fragments, is poorly known. Here we aimed to 1) determine the composition of the squamate fauna of the largest urban forest fragment from central Amazonia, in the Brazilian city of Manaus, and 2) evaluate the influence of environmental parameters on assemblage diversity. We sampled 10 standardized riparian plots through visual search in six surveys between 2008/09 and 2015, totaling 360 observer-hours. We found 15 species of lacertoids (lizards and amphisbaenians) and seven species of snakes through active search. After considering occasional encounters and search in museum collections, we recorded a total of 24 lacertoid and 22 snake species. Multiple regression models indicated that species richness and abundance of individuals increased with the distance from the edge of the fragment, while other structural parameters of the environment did not affect the assemblage. We conclude that this forest fragment 1) consists of a subset of the regional species pool, and 2) undergoes reduction of species richness and abundance of individuals from the center to the borders. This and additional urban forest fragments should be continually monitored in order to evaluate their long-term role in maintaining the tropical biodiversity.

Resumo: Serpentes compõem um diverso grupo de animais vertebrados terrestres pertencentes à ordem Squamata. Apesar de serem um dos grupos mais diversos do mundo, na Amazônia, as informações acerca da taxonomia e distribuição de serpentes são limitadas quando comparadas com as disponíveis para outros grupos de vertebrados. Além disso, na Amazônia existe um viés de amostragem em áreas geograficamente próximas aos centros urbanos e locais densamente povoados. Isso por sua vez leva a falsas diferenças de distribuição em áreas pouco amostradas. Neste artigo nós apresentamos a composição de assembleias de serpentes em seis áreas na Amazônia brasileira, baseada em amostragens de campo padronizadas e realizadas durante quatro anos. Foram amostradas 70 espécies de oito famílias: Typhlopidae (n=1), Leptotyphlopidae (n=1), Anillidae (n=1), Boidae (n=5), Colubridae (n=15), Dipsadidae (n=35), Elapidae (n=7) e Viperidae (n=5). A maior riqueza foi registrada no Rio Trombetas e a menor no Rio Jatapu. A beta diversidade total foi de 0.40 e a substituição foi a principal força que estruturou as comunidades (72.5%). A Procura Visual Limitada por Tempo foi o método que registrou a maior abundância de serpentes nas áreas amostradas (44.1%) e também a maior riqueza (n=40). Entretanto, algumas espécies foram registradas somente por outros métodos como armadilhas de interceptação e queda. Apesar do grande número de espécies registradas, nenhuma das áreas compreendeu mais de 40% das espécies amostradas em todas as áreas, indicando que as serpentes são pouco detectadas mesmo com grande esforço amostral em diferentes áreas da distribuição das espécies.

Abstract: Snakes are a diverse group of terrestrial vertebrates of the order Squamata. Despite that, in the Amazonian biome, information about distribution and identification of snakes is limited when compared to other groups. Additionally, in Amazonia there is a sampling bias towards areas geographically close to urban centers and more densely populated areas. This in turn leads to false distribution gaps in poorly accessible areas of Amazonia. In this article we report the composition of snake assemblages in six areas of the Brazilian Amazonia, based on field sampling conducted over four years using standardized methods. We sampled 70 species from eight families: Typhlopidae (n=1), Leptotyphlopidae (n=1), Anillidae (n=1), Boidae (n=5), Colubridae (n=15), Dipsadidae (n=35), Elapidae (n=7), and Viperidae (n=5). The largest number of species was recorded in the Trombetas River area and the lowest in the Jatapu River area. The total beta diversity was 0.40 and the snake assemblages were structured mainly by replacement (72.5%). The time-limited search was the method that recorded the greatest number of individuals in the studied areas (44.1%) and also the greatest number of species (n=40). However, some species were recorded only by other methods such as interception by pitfall traps with directional fences. Despite the large number of species sampled in the study, no particular area comprised more than 40% of species registered in all the areas, indicating that snakes are poorly detected even with large sampling effort across multiple areas of a species distribution.