And the Oscar goes to: Death-feigning behavior in Stenocercus squarrosus Nogueira & Rodrigues, 2006 (Squamata, Tropiduridae)

Autores/as

  • Maria Regilane Belo da Silva Author
  • João Antonio de Araujo Filho Author
  • Igor Joventino Roberto Author
  • Samuel Cardozo Ribeiro Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17376927

Palabras clave:

Caatinga, Defensive Behavior, Lizards, Thanatosis

Resumen

This study provides the first record of thanatosis (death-feigning behavior) in Stenocercus squarrosus, observed during a herpetofaunal inventory in the municipality of Caldeirão Grande do Piauí, state of Piauí, Brazil. Upon detecting the observer’s approach or following a slight touch, the individual rapidly fled approximately 10–15 cm before abruptly dropping to the ground, pressing its body dorsoventrally against the substrate, and extending its limbs alternately along each side of the body. Such a defensive display occurring without direct handling is particularly rare among lizards. This observation contributes novel behavioral information to the natural history of S. squarrosus, a species regarded as both elusive and rare.

Biografía del autor/a

  • Maria Regilane Belo da Silva

    “Graduated in Interdisciplinary Licentiate in Natural Sciences and Mathematics and in Licentiate in Biology, both from the Universidade Federal do Cariri (UFCA), where she is a member of the Laboratory of Biology and Ecology of Wild Animals. She works as a public school teacher, teaching Mathematics at the elementary education level in the southern region of Ceará, Brazil.”

  • João Antonio de Araujo Filho

    “Bachelor in Biological Sciences from the Regional University of Cariri (URCA). Master’s degree in Molecular Bioprospecting (Biodiversity) from the Regional University of Cariri (URCA). Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Zoology) from the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). Postdoctoral fellowship in the Graduate Program in Biological Diversity and Natural Resources at the Regional University of Cariri (URCA). Currently, Professor of Zoology at the Regional University of Cariri (URCA). His research focuses on understanding the factors that influence the abundance and occurrence of endoparasites associated with herpetology, particularly in amphibian and reptile populations, as well as the interactions between species and their environment.”

  • Igor Joventino Roberto

    “Is a Biologist who graduated from the Universidade Federal do Ceará (Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil), and earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from the Universidade Federal do Amazonas (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil). Currently Igor is na Assistant Professor of Zoology at the Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE-FAFIDAM) in Limoeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brazil, and is a member of the Crocodile Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). His research is focused on systematics, taxonomy, natural history, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in northeastern Brazil. (Photographed by Coleman M. Sheehy, III).”

  • Samuel Cardozo Ribeiro

    “Adjunct Professor at the Universidade Federal do Cariri, Brejo Santo Campus, Ceará. PhD in Zoology from the Universidade Federal da Paraíba, master’s degree in Animal Biology from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, and Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences from the Universidade Regional do Cariri, where he is the advisor for the Postgraduate Program in Biological Diversity and Natural Resources. Member of the Brazilian Society of Herpetology since 2009 and a member of the Skink Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). His research focuses on reptiles (Squamata) and amphibians (Anura), addressing topics such as population and community ecology, parasitism, natural history, and systematics.”

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Publicado

2026-05-06

Número

Vol. 14 Núm. 2 (2025): Herpetologia Brasileira

Sección

Artigos

Licencia

Derechos de autor 2026 Herpetologia Brasileira

Creative Commons License

Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.

Cómo citar

BELO DA SILVA, Maria Regilane; ANTONIO DE ARAUJO FILHO, João; JOVENTINO ROBERTO, Igor; CARDOZO RIBEIRO, Samuel. And the Oscar goes to: Death-feigning behavior in Stenocercus squarrosus Nogueira & Rodrigues, 2006 (Squamata, Tropiduridae). Herpetologia Brasileira, [S. l.], v. 14, n. 2, p. 25–32, 2026. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17376927. Disponível em: https://hb.sbherpetologia.org.br/index.php/hb/article/view/231. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2026.