New occurrence records and notes on habitat use and antipredator behavior by Urostrophus vautieri (Squamata: Leiosauridae) in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

The Brazilian Steppe Iguana, Urostrophus vautieri Duméril & Bibron, 1837, is a small-sized lizard with cryptic habits and rarely observed in nature, resulting in a lack of information on its natural history (e.g., Sazima and Haddad, 1992; Linares and Eterovick, 2013; Novelli et al., 2013). This insectivorous lizard (Sazima and Haddad, 1992; Novelli et al., 2013) is found in forested environments (Linares and Eterovick, 2013). The species is most often observed using shrubs and the ground for locomotion, foraging (Sazima and Haddad, 1992), and thermoregulation (Gasparini et al., 2010). The lower strata of the vegetation may also be used while resting (Sazima and Haddad, 1992; Henle and Knogge, 2009)...