Food Habits and Reproductive Biology of the Endemic Melanesian Elapids: Are Tropical Snakes Really Different?
نویسندگان
چکیده
ABsrMo. Do the €.ologi.al traits of ttupical snak€s dilf€r from those of r€mpe@te-zone 3pe.i€? We eranined preerved specimens in muserms to quantify body sizes,sexual dinorphism,dieiary [abits, anil reproductive cycle oI the proteroalyphous snake lineag€ endemic to New Cuinea and th€ Solomon Isl.nd6 for comparison with previowlt-srudied A6lralian and Asian sp€cies, The Melanesian snakes conpri* a divers€ Sroup in rerns of body size (adultsizes from <50 cm to >1m€r€r),boily shap$ (Blender to heavybodiedrand behavior (noctlrnal to diumrl). Malesattain largersiz€s than do femaLs in Aspidomoehts and Mi.rop€.nis, but th€ rev€Fe is true in LoveriaAelaps/ Stlotuonelaps, a^d Toxico.alanus. Aspi.lomorphus a d Toxi.o.alamus show signifi..nt s€x differ€n.es in relative herd length, but specie in rhe oth€r aen€ra do not. All taxa for which w€ h.v€ data on reprodu.tire mode ar€ oviparo!3, and pro.lu.e an average of 3 to 9 laige eggr pei .lutch, Rebriv€ ro mat€rnal body sizeo/ Mel.ne6ian clapi<b have significantly snrll€r ctutch$ than do A6tralian elapids. Th€ two sraller-bodied Ben€r. showed di€tary spe.ialietion (on eadhworms by loxi.o.,l,nd, and oa 6ki,^k by Aspi.lotuorphusl, Taxicocalanus .^d th€ lijian Oarodor .r€ thus th€ only Old World €lapids ro speciali6e on invertebrate pfty. The larg€rbodied taxa (Lovendgelaps, Midopechis, Salomonelapd h.ve more Aen€ralised diers, con6i6ting?rimarily of lizards and frog3. T[e distinctive features of the Melanesia. el.pid fauna (low fe.undiry in all raxa, and €.rlhworm-€atina by Toxi.o.alamls) m.y red€.r ad.ptarioN to tropical habitats, but g€neraliz.rions about th€ ecological adaptations of tropical snak€s rem.in elusive.
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