New dietary data from Compsophis and Alluaudina species (Squamata: Lamprophiidae: Pseudoxyrhophiinae), and implications for their dietary complexity and evolution

ABSTRACT

Basic ecological data are missing from the majority of Madagascar’s snakes. We here report seven dietary records from two species of the genus Compsophis and one record from Alluaudina bellyi. Among these are the first records of reptile predation by the former genus, suggesting they are not as strictly anurophagous as heretofore thought. We also report the consumption of a poison frog (Mantella) by a Compsophis, the second reported instance of predation of a member of this genus by a snake, and discuss possible implications for resistance to their alkaloid toxins. The consumption of a small leaf-litter dwelling frog (Stumpffia sp.) by A. bellyi is the first ever diet record for any Alluaudina. We discuss the possible role of niche partitioning between terrestrial and arboreal prey as one of the primary axes of initial divergence between the sister genera Alluaudina and Compsophis, and suggest that differences in their diet may be evident from their dentition, warranting further study.

KEYWORDS:

• Snake
• predation
• Colubroidea
• diet
• anurophagy

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to MICET for helping to orchestrate fieldwork in 2016. We also thank the following individuals for their help and support during the fieldwork involved in this study: Miguel Vences, Molly C. Bletz, Angeluc Razafimanantsoa, Fanomezana Mihaja Ratsoavina, Onja Randriamalala, Safidy M. Rasolonjavato, Ricky Tiavina, Shea M. Lambert and Ella Z. Lattenkamp. We thank Frank Glaw for assistance in understanding Compsophis taxonomy, and Sara Ruane for a constructive review. Field research was conducted under permits N°215/16/MEEF/SG/DGF/DSAP/SCB.Re, N°298/13/MEF/SG/DGF/DCB.SAP/SCBSE, N°268/16/MEEF/SG/DGF/DSAP/SCB.Re and N°191/17/MEEF/SG/DGF/DSAP/SCB.Re. Specimens were exported under permits N°010N-EA01/MG17 (dated 4 January 2017), N°024N-EA01/MG17 (dated 25 January 2017), and N°032N-EA02/MG18 (dated 15 February 2018). MDS was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under grants VE247/13-1 and VE247/15-1.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Fieldwork by MDS was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [VE247/13-1, VE247/15-1]. Fieldwork by CRH was supported by Global Wildlife Conservation through grant 5019-0096.