Ecological aspects of the collared lizard, Tropidurus torquatus, were studied monthly in a sandy coastal plain of southeastern Brazil, from February 1996 to March 1997. We collected 108 specimens using a pressure gun, of which 45 were males, 56 females, and 7 specimens which sex was not possible to identify. The snout vent length (SVL) ranged from 26.0 to 101.8 mm (mean = 61.7 mm; SD = 15.1). Total weight varied from 0.8 to 39.6 g (mean = 14.6 g; SD = 10.42). Based on the frequency of occurrence, major food items found in the stomach contents of T. torquatus were: ants (85.7%), beetles (32.4%), bees (31.4%), termites (22.8%), spiders (20.9) and flowers (20.0%). Based on the relative number of prey ingested, main food items were: ants (41.2%), and termites (40.8%). Total number of prey found in the stomachs of the collared lizard was 2,903, which varied in individual stomachs from 1 to 268 (mean = 27.6; SD = 36.2). Most of the time T. torquatus is a sit-and-wait predator. Its opportunistic feeding behavior, including invertebrates, small vertebrates (other lizard species), and vegetables (flowers and seeds), may contribute to the success of this lizard in colonizing a diversity of habitats.
Sauria; Tropiduridae; Tropidurus torquatus; coastal ecosystem; food habits; sex ratio; sandy coastal plain
