Defensive behavior of Dipsas sanctijoannis (Serpentes Dipsadidae).docVIP

Phyllomedusa 9(2):147-150, 2010 ? 2010 Departamento de Ciências Biológicas - ESALQ - USP ISSN 1519-1397 Short CommuniCation Defensive behavior of Dipsas sanctijoannis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) Julián Andrés Rojas Morales and Sergio Escobar Lasso Department of Biology, University of Caldas, and Fundación RANA (Restauración de Ambientes Neotropicales Alterados), Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. E?mails: julian_biologia@; biosergiobike@. Keywords: Serpentes, Dipsadidae, Dipsadini, Dipsas sanctijoannis, defensive behavior. Palavras-chave: Serpentes, Dipsadidae, Dipsadini, Dipsas sanctijoannis, comportamento defensivo. Cadle and Myers (2003) described the snake tribe Dipsadini as docile animals that almost never try to defend themselves by biting their captors. The most common defensive behavior in snakes of this group, dorsoventral ?attening of the head to produce a triangular shape, has been reported in several species of Dipsas, Sibon, and Sibynomorphus (Cadle and Myers 2003). Some members of these genera employ other defensive behaviors in addition to changing the shape of the head. These behaviors include: assuming a retracted attack position (Sibon nebulatus, Cadle and Myers 2003); mimicking the color pattern and movement of venomous snakes such as Bothrops jararaca (e.g., Dipsas albifrons, D. indica; Sazima 1992, Martins and Oliveira 1998, Marques et al. 2001); expansion of the body (e.g., D. indica, Sibynomorphus mikanii; Sazima 1992, Cadle and Myers 2003); dorsoventral compression of body (e.g., Dipsas pavonina, D. indica; Martins and Oliveira 1998); coiling the body and hiding the head (e.g., Sibon argus; Cadle and Myers 2003); expulsion of feces or anal?gland secretions (e.g., D. indica; Martins and Oliveira 1998); attack with an attempt to bite (e.g., S. nebulatus, JARM pers. obs.). Although several studies have contributed to t