Ecologia e comportamento de duas espécies de lagartos teídeos (squamata: teiidae) em áreas de caatinga do nordeste do brasil

Abstract

Ecological and behavioral studies are key to knowing the life history patterns of an organism, and lizards are model organisms for ecological studies. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the reproductive behavior and ecological aspects of the lizard Ameiva ameiva and report behavioral events of the lizard Salvator merianae observed in nature. Data collection was performed 5 days a month, for 12 months from 08:00 to 17:00, with observations through two transects of 500 meters, and with the use of trap cameras that were connected to the transects during all days in the field. The ecological and behavioral observations were recorded in the field with the aid of a digital camera, use of camera traps, boroscopic inspection camera and biotic and abiotic ecological data. In addition, for the species A. ameiva were installed buckets (pitfalls), near the places of occurrence of these species, to capture the individuals and measure the measurements: (rostro-cloacal length - CRC) and weight (P). Having as reference the burrows for the realization of all the behaviors of A. ameiva that we describe in this work. We identified nine behaviors: build burrow, leave the burrow, enter the burrow, fill the burrow, thermoregulate with the tip of the tail in the burrow, cut (digging, circular around the burrow and circular around the female), copulation, territoriality and post-copulatory accompaniment. For the lizard S. merianae we describe the behaviors of parental care, courtship, territoriality and predation. Our information will contribute to the understanding of the behavioral ecology of teiid lizards, these records documented here are difficult to report and/or quantify in nature, since not all behaviors are common and can be affected by the presence of the observer server, and although they are infrequent, they provide a detailed view of behavioral acts. Our results on these species will contribute to the understanding of strategies and tactics related to the behavior of these species mainly related to reproductive aspects.