DIFFERENTIAL ACTIVITY OF BOTHROPS JARARACA (SERPENTES, VIPERIDAE) POTENTIAL PREDATORS AND PREY BETWEEN SEASONS AND ITS CLIMATIC CORRELATES

Bothrops jararaca is widespread throughout Atlantic Forest, is nocturnal, and has a peak of activity during the rainy season. It feeds mainly on small mammals when adults, and is preyed by several avian and mammal predators. The present study aimed on testing the hypothesis that the peak of activity of this pitviper coincides with that of its potential prey and predators, which were also correlated to climatic parameters. Additionally, models explaining this relationship were proposed. Prey activity was higher in the rainy season, being positively correlated with temperature and rainfall. Predators activity, however, was higher in the dry season, and negatively correlated to temperature and rainfall, but positively correlated with humidity. The null model better explained prey activity, while the model containing only minimum temperature better explained predators attack. Our results evince that the peak of activity of the this pitvipers coincides with higher prey abundance and lower predation rate. Additionally, both prey and predators’ activity are associated with resource availability, so that higher abundance of food during the rainy season may explain the activity peak of the former, and during the dry season, when resource availability is lower, predators may feed opportunistically, exposing to dangerous prey such as B. jararaca.