A preliminary list of the Herpetofauna from termite mounds of the cerrado in the Upper Tocantins river valley

Termite mounds are known to offer refuge and microhabitats to a great variety of invertebrates and vertebrates. In the valley of the upper Tocantins River, within areas of influence of hydroelectric power plants 4,000 termite mounds were surveyed to evaluate the diversity of amphibians and reptiles...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Moreira, Lorena A., Fenolio, Danté B., Silva, Hélder Lúcio Rodrigues, Silva Jr, Nelson Jorge da
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2009
Country:Brasil
Institution:Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
Repository:Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (Online)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:revistas.usp.br:article/33764
Online Access:https://www.revistas.usp.br/paz/article/view/33764
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Anura
Gymnophiona
Squamata
Termiteiros
Cerrado
Amphibians
Reptiles
Termite Mounds
Description
Summary:Termite mounds are known to offer refuge and microhabitats to a great variety of invertebrates and vertebrates. In the valley of the upper Tocantins River, within areas of influence of hydroelectric power plants 4,000 termite mounds were surveyed to evaluate the diversity of amphibians and reptiles using these environments. Surveys in termite mounds from two other areas (Corumbá River and Araguaia River basins) were used for comparative purposes. The results for termitaria in the upper Tocantins river valley revealed nine families, 13 genera, and 25 species of amphibians, and 16 families, 32 genera, and 47 species of squamate reptiles. Compared to a general herpetofaunal list of the region, the data indicate that between 30.6% and 56.8% of the species use termitaria.