Snake diversity of the Barra do Rio Mamanguape environmental protection area in Northeast Brazil

Resumen

The Barra do Rio Mamanguape Environmental Protection Area in northeast Brazil is one of the most important protected areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. However, the diversity of several taxa in this park remains unknown. From 2019 to 2021, we studied the snake assemblage of the Barra de Mamanguape EPA to determine species composition, abundance, richness estimates, activity patterns, and natural history data. We documented 24 snake species from six families, which corresponded to approximately 42% and 28% of snakes from the Atlantic Forest of Paraíba State and from the Pernambuco Endemism Center, respectively. Estimates of species richness suggest that more snake species are found in this area. The most common species were Chironius flavolineatus and Boa constrictor, with the species rank-abundance distribution curve showing a sigmoidal pattern. Most species are diurnal and terrestrial, and occur in both forests and Restinga. All sampling methods (pitfall traps, active searches, and occasional encounters) were done for snake sampling. The ecological knowledge of snakes in the Barra de Mamanguape EPA is essential for the assessment of conservation strategies for this protected area in northeast Brazil.