Diet composition of three amphisbaenian species (Amphisbaena alba, Amphisbaena pretrei, and Amphisbaena vermicularis) from Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Amphisbaenians usually have a diet composed of a wide variety of small arthropods, with some species being more selective in their feeding and others considered more generalist. Using only specimens deposited in scientific collections, the diet composition of Amphisbaena alba Linnaeus, 1758, Amphisbaena pretrei Duméril and Bibron, 1839, and Amphisbaena vermicularis Wagler, 1824 from the Northeast region of Brazil was analyzed. Except for individuals of A. alba, due to the small sample size, we also investigated the possible intersexual difference in the volume, length, and number of prey in the diet of amphisbaenians and the possible relationship between prey volume and body size (snout–vent length) of individuals was analyzed. The diet of worm-lizard in general was composed of termites, cockroaches, ants, and beetle larvae, and no intersexual differences were found in the size, length, and number of consumed prey. The body size of A. pretrei and A. vermicularis showed no relationship with the volume of prey consumed. Amphisbaenians presented a characteristic diet of opportunistic generalist predators, with several food categories in the composition of their diets, indicating that the studied species feed according to the availability and abundance of prey in the environment.