The snake assemblage of the Pantanal at Poconé, Western Brazil: Faunal composition and ecological summary

Abstract

The faunal composition and ecological features were studied in a snake assemblage in the Pantanal, an open and seasonally flooded area in western Brazil. Twenty six species of snakes in 19 genera and five families, and their use of habitat, substrate, time, and food were recorded. Hydrodynastes gigas and Eunectes notaeus, the two commonest and largest species, explore the widest range of habitats and food resources. Trends in use of substrate, time of activity and food were compared to those known for snake assemblages from two open and two forested areas in the neotropics. The comparisons indicate that features such as vertical distribution may be viewed essentially from an ecological perspective, while trends in food use benefit from the addition of a faunal perspective.