Notes on court and copula, fertility, nest, eggs and hatchlings of the Caatinga’s black snake Boiruna sertaneja Zaher, 1996 (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from northeastern Brazil
Document title: Notes on court and copula, fertility, nest, eggs and hatchlings of the Caatinga’s black snake Boiruna sertaneja Zaher, 1996 (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from northeastern Brazil
Journal: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias
Database: PERIÓDICA
System number: 000435964
ISSN: 0001-3765
Authors: 1
2
Institutions: 1Universidade Estadual do Maranhao, Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Biodiversidade, Ambiente e Saude, Caxias, Maranhao. Brasil
2Universidade Estadual da Paraiba, Departamento de Biologia, Campina Grande, Paraiba. Brasil
Year:
Volumen: 92
Country: Brasil
Language: Inglés
Document type: Artículo
Approach: Analítico, descriptivo
English abstract The Caatinga’s black snake Boiruna sertaneja is a Pseudoboini species, endemic of the Caatinga biome. It is rare and fits in five traits that suggest it deserve more attention in reproduction research and conservation policies. Here we provide information on reproductive biology of B. sertaneja by adding new data about court and copula, fertility, nest, eggs and hatchling morphometry and pattern of color based on captivity specimens. The court and copula, as well as oviposition of B. sertaneja in the Caatinga are associated to period of high temperature and dry season. Our findings indicate that females of B. sertaneja, in nature, could select protected places or actively build their nests. We recorded three oviposture after a single event of copula by the female of B. sertaneja. The long time gap between copula and clutches strongly suggests that female B. sertaneja can store sperm in their oviducts for long periods or do facultative parthenogenesis. Clutch size and hatchling size of B. sertaneja was high. We observed variation on the pattern of coloration among hatchlings of same litter. This study comprises the first description of important aspects of reproduction and can give us some clues about how B. sertaneja reproduce in nature
Disciplines: Biología
Keyword: Anfibios y reptiles,
Reproducción y desarrollo,
Etología,
Serpientes,
Conducta reproductiva,
Fertilidad,
Nidación,
Tamaño de camada,
Boiruna sertaneja,
Dipsadidae
Keyword: Amphibians and reptiles,
Reproduction and development,
Ethology,
Snakes,
Reproductive behavior,
Fertility,
Nesting,
Clutch size,
Boiruna sertaneja,
Dipsadidae
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