Resource partitioning in a snake assemblage from east-central Argentina

CABRERA, MARIO R.; KACOLIRIS, FEDERICO; DI PIETRO, DIEGO. O; ALCALDE, LEANDRO; WILLIAMS, JORGE D.; CAJADE, RODRIGO

ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS.

ACAD BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS

Lugar: Rio de Janeiro; Año: 2020 vol. 9 p. 1 - 22

0001-3765

Two dimensions of the ecological niche (diet and habitat) of a snakeassemblage from an endemic rich area in east-central Argentina, the Sierras de Ventaniamountain chain, were analyzed. Field data collection was performed in 15-week studyperiods between 2010 and 2014. Snakes were hand-captured using transect surveys.Field observations on diet were analyzed together with stomach content data frommuseum specimens. Our results supported the partitioning of the snake assemblageby both habitat use and diet into at least three functional groups: species restrictedto microhabitats under rocks and with a diet composed exclusively of ants (Epictiaaustralis); species found mostly in stream microhabitats and feeding mainly uponanurans (Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus and Lygophis elegantissimus); and speciesfound mostly in grassland microhabitats, with specialized diets of terrestrial prey items(Philodryas patagoniensis and Bothrops alternatus). Consistent with previous work,diet was more important than habitat in explaining ecological niche partitioning of thissnake assemblage. Our results showed that high overlap values of microhabitat usewere compensated by low overlap values of the trophic niche dimension, thus matchingthe traditional complementary niches hypothesis.