Taxocenose de répteis Squamata em áreas de mata do Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

The number of reptile species in Brazil is underestimated and this fact makes it necessary to carry out more faunal inventories. Despite the fact that the number of studies about the Brazilian reptile fauna is increasing, there are insufficient studies for the Minas Gerais state. At the Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca (PEIB), Minas Gerais, Brazil, the most important herpetofauna studies are about the amphibian group. However, the reptile database in the PEIB is still insufficient. The aim of this study was, therefore, to complement the Squamata fauna data that already exists at the PEIB. Seven sets of pit fall traps with drift fence and funnel traps, 100 meters long each, were installed in three different forest areas at the PEIB (“Mata Grande”, “Matinha” and “Mata das Casas”) for Squamata sampling. In addition to those, the animals were actively searched and all specimens that were occasionally met or captured by PEIB employees have also been considered. There were two phases of field trips: the first one was from January to April 2009 and the second one from August to November 2009. Thirteen species of snakes and three species of lizards were captured in seven sampling points located at three different forest areas in the park. Of them, nine were not listed in the PEIB management plan and all of those had already been listed in previous researches performed in Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado areas, as well as at Minas Gerais state. Leiosauridae and Dipsididae were the most representative families in this study, as it was shown in previous studies. The most abundant species were Enyalius perditus (43%) and Echinanthera melanostigma (17%). Two lizard species (Ophiodes striatus and Mabuya frenata) and one snake species (Oxyrhopus rhombifer) that are typically from the Cerrado area were collected at two of the forest spots. Due to the fact that specimens of Mussurana montana, that is considered an almost threatened species at Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states, were collected, the importance of the PEIB forest areas must be considered essential to the maintenance of the local reptile fauna.