The Herpetological Journal

pp.151-160

Authors: Anthony Santana Ferreira, Adilson de Oliveira Silva, Breno Moura da Conceição
& Renato Gomes Faria

Abstract: We characterised the diets of a community of lizards in the Caatinga area in the Monumento Natural Grota do Angico (MNGA), Sergipe, Brazil. We evaluated food availability during the wet and dry season, and analysed the stomach contents of 427 individuals from six species, identifying plant material and invertebrates to the taxonomic level of Order. In general, different lizard species had similar diets. Isoptera was the most important prey for Ameivula ocellifera, Gymnodactylus geckoides, Lygodactylus klugei and Brasiliscincus heathi, whereas Formicidae was the most important prey for Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus. Prey consumption by each species in dry and wet seasons was similar with regard to prey categories used, but differed in the most commonly consumed orders (except for Brasiliscincus heathi). There was no significant difference between diet and prey availability, with the exception of Collembola and Acari which were rarely consumed. The limited seasonal differences in lizard diets may reflect the abundance and availability of prey.

Keywords: electivity, semiarid, squamata, trophic ecology