RECORD OF <i>Hemidactylus agrius</i> (GEKKONIDAE) IN THE DIET OF <i>Thamnodynastes phoenix</i> (DIPSADIDAE) IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Abstract

Information on snake diet is scarce, being obtained from specimens deposited in scientific collections or through occasional records. Thamnodynastes species have a generalist diet, although predominantly batracophagus. Thamnodynastes phoenix is an endemic snake in Brazil, which was described recently, and little is known about its ecology. Herein, we report the first record of Hemidactylus agrius in the diet of T. phoenix in northeastern Brazil. Although there is a record of another lizard in its diet, this is the first record of a Gekkonidae as prey for this species. Studies on snake diet provide important information about natural history, contributing to the evolutionary biology and conservation of the species, which are still limited.