Notes on the Natural History of Helicops leopardinus (SCHLEGEL, 1837) (Serpentes: Hydropsini) in a large urban center

Autores

  • Átilas Rodrigues de Sousa Autor
  • Tatiana Feitosa Quirino Autor
  • Elvis Franklin Fernandes de Carvalho Autor
  • Mariny Oliveira Arruda Autor

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17629026

Palavras-chave:

Biologia alimentar;, Parasitismo, Espécies exóticas invasoras, Herpetofauna urbana

Resumo

Os centros urbanos configuram ecossistemas socioecológicos emergentes, capazes de impulsionar novas interações, mudanças comportamentais e, consequentemente, trajetórias evolutivas. Projeções populacionais indicam que mais de 60% da população mundial viverá em áreas urbanas até 2030, o que acarretará a redução de habitats e da disponibilidade de espaço para a vida silvestre. Neste estudo, investigamos a ecologia alimentar e a parasitofauna de uma população urbana da cobra‑d’água Helicops leopardinus. Para isso, foram analisados 50 indivíduos provenientes de coleções científicas. Registramos o primeiro caso de H. leopardinus consumindo tilápia‑do‑Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus), que representou 50% do volume total de alimento registrado. Além disso, documentamos a presença do cestódeo Ophiotaenia sp., infectando 16% dos indivíduos amostrados. Esses achados destacam a flexibilidade ecológica da espécie e contribuem para a compreensão das respostas da fauna silvestre aos ambientes urbanos.

Biografia do Autor

  • Átilas Rodrigues de Sousa

    “Is a Biologist and holds a Master’s degree in Ecology and Natural Resources (PPGERN-UFC) from the Federal University of Ceará – Fortaleza/CE, Brazil. He is currently a Doctoral candidate in the Graduate Program in Systematics, Use, and Conservation of Biodiversity where he conducts research on the evolution and systematics of Neotropical snakes, as well as climate change across different temporal scales at the Regional Center of Ophiology (NUROF-UFC). (Photographed by Átilas Rodrigues de Sousa).”

  • Tatiana Feitosa Quirino

    “Has a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a Master’s degree in Molecular Bioprospecting from the Universidade Regional do Cariri, Ceará, Brazil, and Dr. in Systematics, Use, and Conservation of Biodiversity at the Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará. She is currently working on the taxonomy of reptiles and amphibians and served as an intern in management and health of captive reptiles at the Regional Center of Ophiology (NUROF-UFC). (Photographed by Átilas Rodrigues de Sousa).”

  • Elvis Franklin Fernandes de Carvalho

    “Is a graduate in Biological Sciences from the Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú, Sobral, Brazil (2014). He has a Master’s degree (2019), and Dr. in Ecology and Natural Resources at the Universidade Federal do Ceará, Brazil. Elvis studies ecological relationships between helminth parasites and reptile hosts. (Photographed by Elvis Franklin Fernandes de Carvalho).”

  • Mariny Oliveira Arruda

    “Is a graduate in Biological Sciences (2022) from the State University of Ceará (UECE); Master of Science (2024) and current Doctoral Candidate in Ecology and Natural Resources at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC). She is a researcher at the Regional Center of Ophiology (NUROF-UFC), where she conducts studies on Conservation Genetics with a focus on amphibians. (Photographed by Átilas R. de Sousa).”

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Publicado

2026-05-06

Edição

v. 14 n. 2 (2025): Herpetologia Brasileira

Seção

Artigos

Licença

Direitos autorais (c) 2026 Herpetologia Brasileira

Creative Commons License

Este trabalho está licenciado sob uma licença Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Como Citar

RODRIGUES DE SOUSA, Átilas; FEITOSA QUIRINO, Tatiana; FRANKLIN FERNANDES DE CARVALHO, Elvis; OLIVEIRA ARRUDA, Mariny. Notes on the Natural History of Helicops leopardinus (SCHLEGEL, 1837) (Serpentes: Hydropsini) in a large urban center. Herpetologia Brasileira, [S. l.], v. 14, n. 2, p. 57–61, 2026. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17629026. Disponível em: https://hb.sbherpetologia.org.br/index.php/hb/article/view/235. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2026.