Distribución espacial y estructura poblacional de serpientes fosoriales y semifosoriales de los géneros Geophis, Ninia y Rhadinella (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) en la Cordillera Central de Costa Rica
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2024
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El género Geophis incluye más de 40 especies de pequeñas serpientes neotropicales de hábitos subterráneos. Debido a sus hábitos, poco se sabe sobre su ecología e historia natural. Objetivo: describir la diversidad, estructura poblacional y división de recursos en una comunidad de serpientes fosoriales en la Cordillera Central de Costa Rica. Métodos: Mediante búsquedas dirigidas de abril a mayo del 2022 en Las Nubes de Coronado, se capturaron e identificaron las especies de serpientes fosoriales presentes. Los datos ambientales se tomaron de los sustratos donde se encontraron. Se determinaron los datos de los individuos y se llevó un registro de la incidencia de agrupamientos heteroespecíficos observados. Resultados: Se encontraron un total de 115 serpientes de los géneros Geophis (fosorial) y Rhadinella (semifosorial). Geophis fue el género con más especies y G. brachycephalus fue el más abundante seguido de G. godmani. La proporción de sexos se mantuvo igual. La altitud, la humedad, la compactación y la saturación hídrica del sustrato explican el 87% de la variación en la distribución de las especies, sin embargo, estas diferencias son sutiles. La presencia de lombrices no parece estar relacionada con ninguno de los componentes principales y se encontraron varios agrupamientos heteroespecíficos, la mayoría en parejas o tríos. Conclusión: No existe una partición clara de microhábitats en esta comunidad de serpientes y es posible que el recurso limitado en el ambiente sea el refugio, ya que 13 los microhábitats que buscan estos animales no son los más abundantes en el ambiente. Es posible que la falta de competencia por el alimento y la poca disponibilidad de refugios sea lo que lleve a las agrupaciones heteroespecíficas en estas serpientes.
Inglés: The genus Geophis includes more than 40 species of small Neotropical snakes with underground habits. Due to their habits, little is known about their ecology and natural history. Objective: to describe the diversity, population structure and division of resources in a community of fossorial snakes in the Central Cordillera of Costa Rica. Methods: Through direct searches from April to May of 2022 in Las Nubes de Coronado, the species of fossorial snakes present were captured and identified. Environmental data was taken from the substrates where they were found. The data of the individuals was determined and a record was kept of the incidence of heterospecific groupings observed. Results : A total of 115 snakes of the species in the genera Geophis (fosorial) and Rhadinella (semifossorial) were found. Geophis was the genus with the most species and G. brachycephalus was the most abundant followed by G. godmani. The sex ratio remained equal. Altitude and humidity, compaction and water saturation od the substrate explain 87% of the variation in how species are distributed, however, these differences are subtle. The presence of earthworms does not seem to be related to any of the main components and several heterospecific groupings were found, most in pairs or trios. Conclusion: There is no clear microhabitat partition among species in this snake community and it is possible that the limited resource in the environment is shelter, since the microhabitats that these animals seek are not the most abundant in the environment. It is possible that the lack of competition for food and the limited shelter is what causes the heterospecific groupings of these snakes.
Inglés: The genus Geophis includes more than 40 species of small Neotropical snakes with underground habits. Due to their habits, little is known about their ecology and natural history. Objective: to describe the diversity, population structure and division of resources in a community of fossorial snakes in the Central Cordillera of Costa Rica. Methods: Through direct searches from April to May of 2022 in Las Nubes de Coronado, the species of fossorial snakes present were captured and identified. Environmental data was taken from the substrates where they were found. The data of the individuals was determined and a record was kept of the incidence of heterospecific groupings observed. Results : A total of 115 snakes of the species in the genera Geophis (fosorial) and Rhadinella (semifossorial) were found. Geophis was the genus with the most species and G. brachycephalus was the most abundant followed by G. godmani. The sex ratio remained equal. Altitude and humidity, compaction and water saturation od the substrate explain 87% of the variation in how species are distributed, however, these differences are subtle. The presence of earthworms does not seem to be related to any of the main components and several heterospecific groupings were found, most in pairs or trios. Conclusion: There is no clear microhabitat partition among species in this snake community and it is possible that the limited resource in the environment is shelter, since the microhabitats that these animals seek are not the most abundant in the environment. It is possible that the lack of competition for food and the limited shelter is what causes the heterospecific groupings of these snakes.
Descripción
Tesis (licenciatura en biología con énfasis en zoología)--Universidad de Costa Rica. Facultad de Ciencias. Escuela de Biología, 2024
Palabras clave
BIODIVERSIDAD, Competencia ecológica, HERPETOLOGIA, SERPIENTES - DISTRIBUCION GEOGRAFICA, SERPIENTES - ECOLOGÍA - CORDILLERA VOLCÁNICA CENTRAL (COSTA RICA), SERPIENTES - HABITAT