A coloração da cauda em serpentes do gênero Bothrops

Abstract

Snakes are vertebrate animals with elongated bodies and different defense and feeding tactics. One of these feeding techniques is the caudal bait, present in the genus Bothrops. The objective of this project was to quantify the percentage of males and females that have different tail coloration in the litter, and the analysis and tonality of this coloration for offspring of the species Bothrops atrox, B. jararaca, B. moojeni and B. neuwiedi. For this, we used data from offspring of these species that we characterized with colors I, II, III, IV and V, where I is lighter and V is darker. The standardization of the caudal coloration and photos of the biofluerescence of the caudal bait were performed. Amphibians that are animals that are part of the diet of Bothrops puppies, these amphibians, have cones that allow them to see ultraviolet light. The number of individuals, who are born with a lighter color, may vary from species to species of the genus Bothrops. The results were presented in graphs that demonstrated the significant number of males and females that were born with light caudal coloration. Statistical analysis showed that sex was significant for tail coloration in Bothrops moojeni, while in the other studied species it was not significant. Individuals of the species of Bothrops atrox, B. jararaca, B. moojeni and B. neuwiedi, with shades I and II that are lighter, showed biofluorescence, but individuals that showed darker shades did not show biofluorescence. It was interesting to observe the presence or absence of fluorescence in the snakes' tails.