Diversity, natural history, and geographic distribution of snakes in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil
Author
Guedes, Thaís B.
Author
Nogueira, Cristiano
Author
Marques, Otavio A. V.
text
Zootaxa
2014
3863
1
1
93
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3863.1.1
994b97ae-8a03-4726-86f7-ce51e39578a4
1175-5326
287111
A683CABE-4305-47A4-A063-03FDF93182C0
Bothrops leucurus
Wagler, 1824
“
Jararaca
”
(Figs. 10.2 and 22.4)
It was recorded in the states of Alagoas, Pernambuco, Sergipe, and Bahia, generally close to the eastern borders of the Caatinga, along its contact with the Atlantic Forests. It was recorded in low altitude near the Atlantic Forest, but only in highland (
750 to 900 m
elevation) inside semi-arid caatinga. It occurs throughout the Atlantic Forest of northeastern of
Brazil
(
Argôlo 2004
). Inside Caatinga, it can be found on moist forest vegetation and caatinga in high altitudes as described in Juncá (2005), and
Filho and Montingelli (2011)
, and wetter arboreal and bushy caatinga close to the Atlantic Forest.
As
other members of the
atrox
species group (
Werman 1992
), this species is typical of forested habitats (
Cunha
& Nascimento 1978
;
Martins & Oliveira 1998
;
Nogueira
et al.
2003
;
Campbell & Lamar 2004
). It has terrestrial habits, is nocturnal, and is a generalized feeder on vertebrates (Martins
et al
. 2002;
Argôlo 2004
).