SEASONAL AND DAILY ACTIVITY IN SORDELLINA PUNCTATA

Sordellina punctata is a semi-aquatic species from southeastern Atlantic Forest. Due to the low frequency of encounter, there is little information on its natural history, especially concerning activity. Herein we report on daily activity data obtained in captivity, using closed-circuit television system during ten consecutive days. The animals were individually kept in terraria, with sphagnum and water ad libitum, and they were not fed. Additionally, we present data on seasonal activity obtained from the field and from the herpetological collection from Instituto Butantan, comprising 42 years. Corroborating sparse data on the literature, daily activity analysis evidence that S. punctata is diurnal, with females (n=3) showing unimodal activity pattern, and males (n=4), bimodal, with reduction of activity in late morning. The peak of activity was from 12:30pm to 4pm. Concerning seasonal activity, data gathered from 70 individuals evidence higher activity during the rainy season (x²=22.857; p<0.05), from September to April. Interestingly, two aggregations were found in September, 2013, in floodplains, which is the characteristic habitat of the species. The first was comprised by two adult females, two adult males, a juvenile female, and a juvenile of undetermined sex. The second aggregation comprised five adult females, and three adult males. Among them, vitellogenic females were found. These data, together with data from the literature indicate that the vitellogenesis occurs during the rainy season. In this sense, such aggregation could be possibly associated to mating, so that a higher activity during this period is expected.