A new foraging habitat for Chironius vine snakes and a new prey for Chironius brazili in open rocky Cerrado habitats in Central Brazil

Chironius snakes are typically arboreal or scansorial, usually foraging in trees or forest ground. Herein we report the foraging behavior of the vine snake Chironius brazili while hunting on the large hylid frog Bokermannohyla pseudopseudis on rocky surfaces in open habitats at the Chapada dos Veadeiros, Central Brazil. Snakes were able to locate frogs when they were basking over rock surfaces close to rivers or searching for them on rock crevices even in areas with strong water flux, close to waterfalls. We suggest that scansorial habits and the swimming abilities of Chironius species occurring in rocky montane habitats enable these snakes to feed on these large hylids.

Automated summary

In this study, we report the foraging behavior of the vine snake Chironius brazili while hunting on the large hylid frog Bokermannohyla pseudopseudis on rocky surfaces in open habitats. The snakes were able to locate frogs when they were basking over rock surfaces close to rivers or searching for them on rock crevices. We suggest that the scansorial habits and swimming abilities of Chironius species in rocky montane habitats enable them to feed on these large hylids.