Hundred legs good, two fangs better: adult centipede (Scolopendridae) devoured by a juvenile Amazon lancehead, Bothrops atrox (Viperidae)
ABSTRACT Centipedes are part of the diet of several snake species of the genus Bothrops. However, reports on predation of centipedes by snakes are normally incomplete, and important data for natural history studies as the species identification and size of the prey are rarely published. The aim of t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Acta Amazonica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0044-59672017000200171&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1819285127897808896 |
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| author | Karina Maria Pereira da SILVA Selma Maria de ALMEIDA-SANTOS Rogério BERTANI |
| author_facet | Karina Maria Pereira da SILVA Selma Maria de ALMEIDA-SANTOS Rogério BERTANI |
| author_sort | Karina Maria Pereira da SILVA |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Centipedes are part of the diet of several snake species of the genus Bothrops. However, reports on predation of centipedes by snakes are normally incomplete, and important data for natural history studies as the species identification and size of the prey are rarely published. The aim of this work was to report the presence of the centipede Scolopendra viridicornis in the digestive tract of the Amazon pit viper B. atrox. The snake specimen is an immature female from Aripuanã, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, having a 623 mm snout-vent length. The centipede is an adult Scolopendra viridicornis, estimated to be 190 mm long, and found in the snake's stomach. The success in preying on this large and potentially dangerous centipede could be explained by the snake's dimensions, large enough for overpowering the prey, but still retaining characteristics of youth, such as venom with specific action against specific prey items. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T01:58:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-98aac11201744507b5385a4434ea31e6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0044-5967 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T01:58:20Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Amazonica |
| spelling | doaj.art-98aac11201744507b5385a4434ea31e62022-12-21T17:21:31ZengInstituto Nacional de Pesquisas da AmazôniaActa Amazonica0044-59672017-06-0147217117410.1590/1809-4392201601884Hundred legs good, two fangs better: adult centipede (Scolopendridae) devoured by a juvenile Amazon lancehead, Bothrops atrox (Viperidae)Karina Maria Pereira da SILVASelma Maria de ALMEIDA-SANTOSRogério BERTANIABSTRACT Centipedes are part of the diet of several snake species of the genus Bothrops. However, reports on predation of centipedes by snakes are normally incomplete, and important data for natural history studies as the species identification and size of the prey are rarely published. The aim of this work was to report the presence of the centipede Scolopendra viridicornis in the digestive tract of the Amazon pit viper B. atrox. The snake specimen is an immature female from Aripuanã, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, having a 623 mm snout-vent length. The centipede is an adult Scolopendra viridicornis, estimated to be 190 mm long, and found in the snake's stomach. The success in preying on this large and potentially dangerous centipede could be explained by the snake's dimensions, large enough for overpowering the prey, but still retaining characteristics of youth, such as venom with specific action against specific prey items.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0044-59672017000200171&tlng=enDietectothermic preyScolopendra |
| spellingShingle | Karina Maria Pereira da SILVA Selma Maria de ALMEIDA-SANTOS Rogério BERTANI Hundred legs good, two fangs better: adult centipede (Scolopendridae) devoured by a juvenile Amazon lancehead, Bothrops atrox (Viperidae) Acta Amazonica Diet ectothermic prey Scolopendra |
| title | Hundred legs good, two fangs better: adult centipede (Scolopendridae) devoured by a juvenile Amazon lancehead, Bothrops atrox (Viperidae) |
| title_full | Hundred legs good, two fangs better: adult centipede (Scolopendridae) devoured by a juvenile Amazon lancehead, Bothrops atrox (Viperidae) |
| title_fullStr | Hundred legs good, two fangs better: adult centipede (Scolopendridae) devoured by a juvenile Amazon lancehead, Bothrops atrox (Viperidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hundred legs good, two fangs better: adult centipede (Scolopendridae) devoured by a juvenile Amazon lancehead, Bothrops atrox (Viperidae) |
| title_short | Hundred legs good, two fangs better: adult centipede (Scolopendridae) devoured by a juvenile Amazon lancehead, Bothrops atrox (Viperidae) |
| title_sort | hundred legs good two fangs better adult centipede scolopendridae devoured by a juvenile amazon lancehead bothrops atrox viperidae |
| topic | Diet ectothermic prey Scolopendra |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0044-59672017000200171&tlng=en |
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