Predation of Drymoluber Dichrous (Squamata: Colubridae) by Acanthoscurria sp. (Araneae: Theraphosidae) in Southern Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Snakes are not common components in the invertebrate’s diet, making the habit of tarantula ophiophagy uncommon in nature. There are few studies on the biology of snakes in the southwestern Amazon when compared to the central and eastern parts of this same biome. Research on vertebrate diets can be carried out, besides the observations of predation events, with the dissection of the content, but invertebrates such as tarantulas do not retain body parts of the prey during digestion and frequently consume only liquefied body material. We reported in this work a predation observation by a spider Acanthoscurria sp. on a Drymoluber dichrous snake in a forest fragment in a rural area of the city of Porto Velho, in the southern Brazilian Amazon, state of Rondônia. This account is considered a rare event as it points out an unusual feeding habit for spiders of the genus Acanthoscurria. During field research, the authors of this paper came across this record. It was believed that the snake was trying to shelter itself, and when removed, it was found to be in the process of extracorporeal digestion by the spider. It is believed that the small snake accidentally tried to shelter in the burrow inhabited by the spider and was surprised. Records of this kind expand the knowledge about the feeding habits of spiders of the genus Acanthoscurria and are important to increase the knowledge about the predators of the Drymoluber dichrous species.