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Short Communication · Volume 54, Issue 4, 25 April 2022 · Open Access

Predation of Boa constrictor (Boidae) by Cerdocyon thous (Canidae) in Caatinga in Brazil

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Affiliations & Notes ⌄
  1. 1Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Ecology and Wildlife Conservation Laboratory, Semi-arid Rural Federal University, Mossoró, Brazil. * Corresponding author: cecicalabuig@ufersa.edu.br
Article Info ⌄
Journal:
Pakistan Journal of Zoology
Published:
25 April 2022
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From the article

  • During the five-minute observation period, it was possible to notice that the C. thous initially eat the snake’s head.
  • The fact that the B. constrictor predation started by the head, may suggest a characteristic of defensive behavior by C. thous.
  • The present record helps to understand ecological, conservationist and evolutionary aspects about the diet of C. thous, presenting the second predation record of C. thous on B. constrictor, being the first record of C. thous haunting alone.
  • Additionally, it contributes to the knowledge of the diet of C. thous in the Caatinga, biome that occurs exclusively in Brazil.

Selected from the article's own text.

Abstract

There are few reports on the presence of snakes in the diet of the crab-eating-fox (Cerdocyon thous). Here we reported the predation of the crab-eating-fox over a boa (Boa constrictor) in the Caatinga biome, Brazil. Despite having a predominantly nocturnal habit, the crab-eating-fox was observed foraging during the day, a practice that is unusual and has little documentation about it. This report helps to understand the feeding behavior of the species, being the first to record the predation and activity of the crab-eating-fox over a boa under the daylight.

Materials and methods

On January 19, 2021 at 8h: 17AM, researchers from the Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Wild Animals (ECOFAUNA) of the Federal Rural University of the Semi-arid (UFERSA), observed a specimen of a C. thous eating a B. constrictor. The registration took place in a fragment of the Caatinga located at the UFERSA’s Rafael Fernandes Experimental Farm (05°04´ S and 47°24´ W), rural area of the Municipality of Mossoró, state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Results and discussion

During the five-minute observation period, it was possible to notice that the C. thous initially eat the snake’s head. In a second moment, in the predation site, the B. constrictor carcass was found and it was noted that the specimen had no internal organs, being visible only the skin and bone structure.

Although C. thous is a predominantly nocturnal mammal ; , it was already active in the early hours of the day in a study by Dias and Bocchiglieri (2016) and Gonzalez et al. (2016), however, this pattern remains uncommon and poorly referenced in the literature. According to Silva et al. (2018), these species are influenced by seasonality in their diet, making the variety of items ingested flexible depending on the time of year, and there may also be adaptation of foraging times. Due to the seasonal influences that the Caatinga presents and the flexibility in the use of habitat and diet , C. thous consumes the resources that are available in the environment. C. thous is described as an opportunistic hunter and with solitary foraging behavior, although it can also occur in pairs or in small groups . Studies addressing only the composition of the diet have already demonstrated the opportunistic behavior of C. thous , as well as the ingestion of certain items according to availability and time of year ; .

The fact that the B. constrictor predation started by the head, may suggest a characteristic of defensive behavior by C. thous. In a predation record of B. constrictor by two C. thous in Brazil’s Cerrado, it was observed that C. thous, sought to attack the snake’s head, while B. constrictor tried to protect it . In experiments carried out by França et al. (2017) with venomous snakes and mimetic species, it can also be observed that its predators initially attacked the head, probably to avoid possible injuries. B. constrictor can pose a threat to C. thous as this species can prey on medium-sized animals such as Puma yagouaroundi .

There are still few records reporting the predation of snakes by C. thous and the existing data are sub-sampled, being restricted to the level of order, suborder or family . By eating the snake’s head first, C. thous tries to accomplish a lethal attack, since in the study by Silva et al. (2018) the predated boa tried to shrink as a defense mechanism, in order to protect its head.

The present record helps to understand ecological, conservationist and evolutionary aspects about the diet of C. thous, presenting the second predation record of C. thous on B. constrictor, being the first record of C. thous haunting alone. Additionally, it contributes to the knowledge of the diet of C. thous in the Caatinga, biome that occurs exclusively in Brazil.

Statement of conflict of interest

The authors have declared no conflict of interest.

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