Abstract

CARBAJAL-MARQUEZ, Rubén A.; ARNAUD, Gustavo; MARTINS, Marcio  and  QUINTERO-DIAZ, Gustavo E.. Diet of Crotalus enyo (Serpentes: Viperidae) from the Baja California cape region, Mexico. Acta Zool. Mex [online]. 2016, vol.32, n.1, pp.45-48. ISSN 2448-8445.

Crotalus enyo is a rattlesnake endemic to Baja California peninsula, Mexico. The natural history of this species is poorly known, so the goal of this study was to determine the diet of C. enyo in the Cape Region, an area with different conditions than the rest of the peninsula. We analyzed the stomach contents of 24 specimens obtained during 2010-2013, and identified the ingested prey. The diet of C. enyo consists of rodents (83.34%) and lizards (16.66%), although presents a diverse diet, the data suggest C. enyo is a specialist predator at Cape Region. We didn't find differences in diet composition between sexes, site of capture, or season. This study documents three new prey items in the diet of C. enyo: the Orange-Throated Whiptail (Aspidocelis hyperythra), the Cape Spiny-Tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura hemilopha) and Hunsaker's Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus hunsakerii).

Keywords : rattlesnake; Aspidocelis hyperythra; Ctenosaura hemilopha; Sceloporus hunsakerii; endemic; peninsula.

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