Papers by Thiago Filadelfo
Herpetological Review
Atractus guentheri has a very restricted distribution in the coastal Atlantic Rainforest in the s... more Atractus guentheri has a very restricted distribution in the coastal Atlantic Rainforest in the southeast of the state of Bahia, Brazil (Fernandes and Argôlo 1995. Bol. Mus. Nacional, Nova Série, Zoologia 397:1–5; Passos et al. 2010. Zootaxa 2364:1–63). Many aspects of its natural history are poorly known with nothing reported about reproduction (Fernandes and Puorto 1993. Mem. Inst. Butantan, 55:7–14). Here we provide the first data on clutch size, egg morphometry, and timing of oviposition for A. guentheri. At 1830 h on 07 December 2011, during the rainy season in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil, an adult female A. guentheri (SVL = 427 mm, tail length = 43 mm) was captured by local farmers crossing a dirt road 15 m from a large river (Rio de Contas) near the city of Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil (14.7976°S, 39.2334°W, datum WGS84; elev. 38 m). The road passed through vegetation locally known as Cabruca, a Cacao plantation system that retains the largest trees. Two days post capture, th...
Laughing Falcons (Herpetotheres cachinnans) are common, medium-sized falconids that occur through... more Laughing Falcons (Herpetotheres cachinnans) are common, medium-sized falconids that occur throughout the Neotropical region and marginally in the Nearctic American continent. There is little data on their breeding biology with the only information available based on scattered records. Here, we report data on 11 nests of H. cachinnans from the Pantanal, Brazil, including four in nest-boxes, between 2007-2008. The breeding season occurred between July-December, which is in accordance with the few records for this region. Records of two eggs or nestlings were found in 28% (n 5 3) of nests, while the remaining 72% (n 5 8) had one egg or nestling. The eggs were rounded and buff with brown markings or dark brown or purplish 6
The Collared Forest-Falcon Micrastur semitorquatus is a widespread, relatively common species occ... more The Collared Forest-Falcon Micrastur semitorquatus is a widespread, relatively common species occurring throughout most of Brazil. Very few data exist on its breeding biology, but it is known to nest mainly in natural cavities of large trees, usually made by other bird species. In this study we report a case of a Collared Forest-Falcon that hatched in an artificial incubator and was introduced into a natural nest previously known with three chicks of same species and similar age. The introduced chick was successfully accepted and fed by the adult parents for more than 15 days, until our last visit to the nest. Although the study case presented here required the existence of an active nest of the same species for an introduction of the chick, it was an alternative, lowcost way to ensure the success of the nestling and avoid the probability of imprinting during the time expended rearing the chicks in situ.
Lear's Macaw Anodorhynchus leari is currently listed as "Endangered" by IUCN. Although it only br... more Lear's Macaw Anodorhynchus leari is currently listed as "Endangered" by IUCN. Although it only breeds on cliffs at two protected sites in Bahia State, Brazil, there is no accurate information on population parameters such as the number of breeding pairs and their breeding performance. Between 2009 and 2010, we sought to quantify, for the first time, breeding population size and the main breeding parameters for the species in the two known breeding sites, by quantifying the number of active nests and monitoring 75 breeding attempts. Overall, 80% of the breeding attempts were successful with 1.33 (± 0.86 SD) fledglings/breeding attempt (productivity) and 1.67 (± 0.60 SD) fledglings/ successful nest (brood size). Breeding success and productivity were higher in 2010, while brood size did not vary between years and breeding sites. By adding 73 estimated nests to the 41 nests monitored, 228 individuals were estimated to be reproductively active in 2010, representing c.20% of the population (1,125 individuals). Given that the species is confined to a single population, further population increases could provoke overcrowding and negative density-dependent effects if it does not expand geographically. Therefore, long-term population monitoring focusing on the fraction of the population that is actually breeding and its breeding performance, rather than solely on the whole population size, is important for a better understanding of the population dynamics and conservation of this species.
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Papers by Thiago Filadelfo