Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Lizard prey predilections and resource use in restinga habitats on the north coast of Bahia

This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

Full text: Download

Question mark in circle
Preprint: policy unknown
Question mark in circle
Postprint: policy unknown
Question mark in circle
Published version: policy unknown

Abstract

Food acquisition is one of the most important dimensions of a species' ecological niche. A lizard's trophic relations with its environment, and a foraging strategy that results in its acquiring food, are of major relevance to its survival. However, and considering that it might be an obvious conclusion, this group's diet is determined by complex of factors and involves several dimensions such as evolutionary history, body size, specializations, and food availability. Using their positive electivity towards ants in their diet it was possible to assess the trophic niche partitioning among certain lizard species. Arthropods and lizards were sampled in six north coast restinga localities of Bahia. In order to measure food availability we utilized pitfall trap, Winkler extractor, and beating-tray methods in combination with consumption data from lizard stomach contents. The most diverse group was Scleroglossa, whereas Iguania was the most abundant. Tropidurus hygomi and T. hispidus diets were mainly composed of ants, representing 80% and 68% of consumption respectively, supporting a positive electivity. The niche overlap verified was 68%, which suggests that these species exhibit some degree of competition for food within the region.