Predation report of Boana lanciformis (Basin Treefrog) by Leptophis Ahaetulla (Parrot snake)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56926/repia.v3i1.57Keywords:
Amazon, feeding behavior, predation, Hylidae, ecological interactionsAbstract
Predator-prey interactions are fundamental to understanding ecological dynamics in ecosystems. This article aims to report a predation event of the tree frog Boana lanciformis by the parrot snake, Leptophis ahaetulla. The event was documented on February 13, 2022 in the Callería River, Ucayali region, Peru, where the behavior of L. ahaetulla preying on B. lanciformis was observed and recorded for 15 minutes. It was observed that the snake first swallowed the frog's head, while it tried to free itself by moving its limbs and making small jumps. Finally, the snake swallowed B. lanciformis completely. It is hypothesized that the frog was captured by the snake when it was sleeping. Both species were probably in the branches of a tree and fell as a result of the struggle. This is the first record that documents B. lanciformis as part of the diet of L. ahaetulla, although this snake is known to feed mainly on hylid frogs. The discovery contributes to the understanding of the trophic relationships and ecological niches of these species in the Peruvian Amazon.
Downloads
References
Aguilar, C. A., Rojas-Padilla, O., Rios-Alva, E. J., Odicio-Iglesias, M. M., Aguilar-Manihuari, R., & Gagliardi-Urrutia, G. (2021). Lista actualizada de los anfibios del departamento de Loreto. Revista Peruana de Biología, 28(especial), e21912. https://doi.org/10.15381/rpb.v28iespecial.21912 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15381/rpb.v28iespecial.21912
Caminer, M., & Ron, S. (2020). Systematics of the Boana semilineata species group (Anura: Hylidae), with a description of two new species from Amazonian Ecuador. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa002/5810752 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa002
Clegg, J. (2015). Leptophis ahaetulla marginatus (Southern green parrot snake): Behaviour. Herpetological Bulletin 131: 26-27. Herpetological Bulletin, 131, 26–27. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jonathan-Clegg/publication/275152494
de Albuquerque, N. R., Galatti, U., & Di‐Bernardo†, M. (2007). Diet and feeding behaviour of the Neotropical parrot snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) in northern Brazil. Journal of Natural History, 41(17–20), 1237–1243. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930701400954 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930701400954
Dubois, A. (2017). The nomenclatural status of Hysaplesia, Hylaplesia, Dendrobates, and related nomina (Amphibia, Anura), with general comments on zoological nomenclature and its governance, as well as on taxonomic databases and websites. Bionomina, 11(1), 1–48. https://doi.org/10.11646/bionomina.11.1.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/bionomina.11.1.1
Duellman, W. E. (1978). The biology of an equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador (Vol. 65). University of Kansas Lawrence. https://multimedia20stg.blob.core.windows.net/publicaciones/dulleman1978.pdf
Frost, D. R. (2021). Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. https://doi.org/10.5531/db.vz.0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5531/db.vz.0001
IUCN. (2021). Boana lanciformis: IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T55530A61399255. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T55530A61399255.en DOI: https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T55530A61399255.en
López, M. S., Giraudo, A., & Arzamendia, V. (2003). Leptophis ahaetulla marginatus (southern Green parrot-snake) diet. Herpetological Review, 34, 68–69.
Muniz, S. L. D. S., Moura, C. C. D. M., Vega, S. F., Couto, A. A., Da Silva, J. S., Dos Santos, E. M., & Moura, G. J. B. De. (2013). Natural History Notes. Leptophis ahaetulla (Swordsnake). Diet. Herpetological Review, 44(154). https://ssarherps.org/herpetological-review-pdfs/
Pinheiro, P. D. P., Blotto, B. L., Ron, S. R., Stanley, E. L., Garcia, P. C. A., Haddad, C. F. B., Grant, T., & Faivovich, J. (2022). Prepollex diversity and evolution in Cophomantini (Anura: Hylidae: Hylinae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 195(3), 995–1021. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab079 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab079
Rodríguez, L. O., & Duellman, W. E. (1994). Guide to the frogs of the Iquitos region, Amazonian Peru (22nd ed.). Asociación de Ecología y Conservación, Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research and Natural History Museum, The University of Kansas. https://multimedia20stg.blob.core.windows.net/publicaciones/Rodriguez_and_Duellman_1994.pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.7937
Ron, S. R., & Read, M. (2023). Boana lanciformis. In S. R. Ron, A. Merino-Viteri, & D. A. Ortiz (Eds.), Anfibios del Ecuador. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. https://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/amphibiaweb/FichaEspecie/Boana lanciformis
Sánchez, M. N., Teibler, G. P., López, C. A., Mackessy, S. P., & Peichoto, M. E. (2018). Assessment of the potential toxicological hazard of the Green Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla marginatus): Characterization of its venom and venom-delivery system. Toxicon, 148, 202–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.04.027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.04.027
Uetz, P., Freed, P., Aguilar, R., & Hosek, J. (2022). The Reptile Database. http://www.reptile-database.org
Wiens, J. J., Kuczynski, C. A., Hua, X., & Moen, D. S. (2010). An expanded phylogeny of treefrogs (Hylidae) based on nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 55(3), 871–882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2010.03.013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2010.03.013
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Ronald Rolando Mori-Pezo, Pedro Mendoza-Tamani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain their rights:
a. The authors retain the intellectual property rights (copyright) of the published works, assigning to the journal the right of first publication.
b. Authors retain their trademark and patent rights, and also on any process or procedure described in the article.
c. Authors retain the right to share, copy, distribute, perform and publicly communicate the article published in REPIA (e.g., place it in an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in REPIA.
d. Authors retain the right to make a subsequent publication of their work, to use the article or any part of it (e.g., a compilation of their work, notes for conferences, theses, or for a book), provided they indicate the source of publication (authors of the work, journal, volume, number, and date).