Crotalus durissus Linnaeus, 1758

enezes, Frederico de Alcantara, Abegg, Arthur Diesel, Silva, Bruno Rocha da, ranco, Francisco Luis & Feio, Renato Neves, 2018, Composition and natural history of the snakes from the Parque Estadual da Serra do Papagaio, southern Minas Gerais, Serra da Mantiqueira, Brazil, ZooKeys 797, pp. 117-160 : 117

Crotalus durissus Linnaeus, 1758 Figure 4L

Natural history notes.

Species of medium size (n = 1), with terrestrial and nocturnal habits ( Marques et al. 2001). In January, an adult male was found during the day (13:00 h) in a high altitude grassland area. It was moving from the edge of a small forested area, towards an open field. Diurnal habits of this species have been described in reports by Sawaya et al. (2008) and Tozetti and Martins (2013) as well. No information of diet or reproduction was obtained from the specimen we observed. Available data indicates Crotalus has specialized in mammals, but may also ingest lizards ( Sant’Anna 1999, Almeida-Santos and Germano 1996, Hoyos 2006). Interestingly, we found feces from an unidentified feline near the site of observation (at 2000 m a.s.l.) that contained a rattle and rattlesnake’s scales, indicating feline predation. Reproduction is viviparous, with a biennial reproductive cycle. Vitellogenesis starts in March and gestation goes through October and January and recruitment happens between January and March (Almeida-Santos and Salomão 1997, Almeida-Santos and Orsi 2002). This specimen presented the following defensive behaviors: cloacal discharge, rattle vibration, s-coil formation, and strike.

Altitudinal variation.

This species is found at a minimum of sea level for the coasts of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul and Bahia and maximum of 1400 m a.s.l. at Taquaral Farm, Paraty, RJ ( Bérnils 2009). The maximum altitudinal record for this species in this study area is an individual recorded at 1950 m a.s.l., in the Baependi, MG. Most of the surveyed toponyms occur at intermediate altitudes. Only 21% were found between 0-400 m a.s.l.; 51% between 401 and 800 m a.s.l. and 28% above 801 m a.s.l. ( Bérnils 2009).

Distribution and habitat.

Southern and southeastern Brazil ( Amapá, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, São Paulo), Netherlands Antilles (Aruba), Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, Bolivia and Paraguay ( Bérnils 2009, Wallach et al. 2014). This species is typically found in open formations, with little vegetation, such as savannas and steppes ( Campbell and Lamar 2004).