Evidence of terrestrial feeding in the arboreal lizard Enyalius bilineatus (Sauria, Polychrotidae) of south-eastern Brazil.

Abstract

The diet of the arboreal lizard E. bilineatus was assessed based on analysis of gut contents of specimens collected in the remnants of the Atlantic rainforest in Espírito Santo State, south-eastern Brazil. Stomachs of the lizards examined (SVL = 57.0-85.0 mm) contained nine arthropod orders. E. bilineatus utilizes a broad range of arthopodan prey type and sizes, and can be considered an arthropod generalist, which uses a sit-and-wait foraging strategy. Orthoptera represented the most important food item, followed by Dictyoptera and Hymenoptera. Hemiptera, Homoptera, Lepidoptera (larvae), Coleoptera, Araneae, and Diplopoda constituted the remainder of food items. The presence of Diplopoda, which are not generally found on tree trunks, provides particularly strong evidence the E. bilineatus forages in leaf litter on the ground.