Hábito alimentar do Tropidurus hispidus em uma área de caatinga no Nordeste do Brasil.

Abstract

The species Tropidurus hispidus has a wide distribution, ranging from the central-west of Brazil to the northern region of Venezuela. They are commonly found on rocks, tree trunks, walls, and in open terrains. These lizard specimens have diurnal habits, are abundant, and are classified as sedentary foragers. They typically stay in a fixed location, patiently waiting for prey to come into their field of vision before consuming them. Their diet is generalist, primarily consisting of various arthropods. Because this animal is subject to strategic survival changes due to seasonal variations, the main objective of the proposed study was to describe the composition of Tropidurus hispidus diet in the Olho D'água das Onças Ecological Reserve, located in Picuí, Paraíba, Brazil. A total of 111 specimens were collected through active searching, traps, and airgun shots during the period from September 2022 to August 2023. Animals captured alive were euthanized using an anesthetic, fixed in 10% formalin, and preserved in 70% alcohol. Morphologically, the specimens were analyzed for total length (TL), cloacal rostrum length (CRL), tail length (CL), mass (g), and total stomach volume (TSV). For diet analysis, the stomach contents were removed, and the animal-derived food items were identified, grouped into prey categories, and classified at the order level. Data on the diet included the calculation of the food importance index (FIi), occurrence frequencies (Fo), and weight frequencies (Fw). The most consumed items by T. hispidus were ants, bees, beetles, and plant material, both during the dry and rainy seasons, indicating a higher consumption of the orders Hymenoptera and Coleoptera, as well as plant material, with values higher than other prey items. These are likely the most readily available resources in the study area, and they are considered of great importance in the diet of the studied species.