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Herpetological Review 48(3), 2017
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 667
has never been observed inside it, thus this finding seems novel
and extremely rare. However, whether sperm presence in the SSK
tubules is physiologically meaningful is unknown.
We thank Glaucia M. F. Pontes (MCT – PUC) for allowing ac-
cess to B. pubescens individuals; C. Jared and M. Antoniazzi for
kindly allowing the use of equipment in the Laboratory of Cell
Biology (Butantan Institute). This work was supported by CAPES
and FAPESP (2012/15037-4).
VERÔNICA ALBERTO BARROS (e-mail: veronica.barros@mma.gov.
br), CLAUDIO AUGUSTO ROJAS, KARINA MARIA PEREIRA DA SILVA,
and SELMA MARIA ALMEIDA-SANTOS, Laboratory of Ecology and Evo-
lution, Butantan Institute, 1500 Vital Brasil Avenue, 05503-000 São Paulo,
SP, Brazil.
BUNGARUS FLAVICEPS (Red-headed Krait). REPRODUCTION
/ MATING BEHAVIOR. Bungarus flaviceps occurs throughout
Burma, southern Indochina, Sumatra, Borneo, and Peninsula
Malaysia, where it mainly occurs in primary forests of highlands
(Grismer 2011. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Seribuat
Archipelago: a Field Guide. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am
Main. 239 pp.). Of the three species of kraits (Bungarus spp.,
Elapidae) that occur in Malaysia, B. flaviceps is the least common
and is said to exhibit sluggish behavior during the day (Das et al.
2015. In Gopalakrishnakone et al. [eds.], Clinical Toxicolology in
Asia Pacific and Africa, pp. 52–69. Springer, Netherlands). Little
is known about its reproductive biology, apart from two clutches
laid by wild-caught gravid females in the months of September
and December with incubation periods of 81–84 days (Chanhome
2013. Trop. Nat. Hist. 13:59–63). The egg-development period of
B. flaviceps is thought to be between two to three months (T.
Vasaruchapong, pers. comm.). Here we report an observation of
B. flaviceps mating behavior in the wild in the month of February.
At 2215 h on 7 Feb 2017, two B. flaviceps were encountered
in mating position with their tails intertwined in a patch of
secondary forest near Ulu Yam, Selangor, central Peninsular
Malaysia (3.3862°N, 101.6784°E; WGS 84). However, the pair was
disturbed by human presence and light, resulting in the male (SVL
ca. 180 cm) and female (SVL ca. 120 cm) moving away in opposing
directions. The hemipenis of the male remained attached to the
cloaca of the female (Fig. 1). The female then moved into a hole so
that only her tail remained visible while the male remained close
by, still connected to t he female at the base of the tail. The entire
observation lasted approximately 15 min as the observer moved
away to reduce disturbance to the mating pair.
MARY-RUTH LOW, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, 80 Mandai Lake Rd,
Singapore 729628 (e-mail: maryruth.low@wrs.com.sg); HOCK PING GUEK
(KURT), 25 Jalan 22/38A, Taman Sri Sinar, 51200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
CANDOIA BIBRONI (Pacific Boa). DIET. Despite being wide-
spread and common throughout the southwestern Pacific, the
natural history of Candoia bibroni remains poorly known. Pub-
lished works indicate that the species’ diet consists primarily of
skinks and rodents, although bats, birds, geckos, and Brachy-
lophus iguanas are also known prey (McDowell 1979. J. Herpe-
tol. 13:1–92; Gibbons and Watkins 1982. In Burghardt and Rand
[eds.], Iguanas of the World, pp. 418–441. Noyes Publications,
Park Ridge, New Jersey; Harlow and Shine 1992. J. Herpetol.
26:60–66; Fisher et al. 2013. Herpetol. Rev. 44:140–141). Here, we
report the first instances of Pacific Boas eating amphibians in the
wild. Specifically, we documented Cornufer vitianus (Fiji Ground
Frog) and C. vitiensis (Fiji Tree Frog), both formerly in the genus
Platymantis (for taxonomic discussion see Brown et al. 2015.
Zool. J. Linn. Soc.-Lond. 174:130–168), as prey for the first time.
To minimize confusion, hereafter we will refer to these species as
boa, ground frog, and tree frog.
At 0035 h on 4 May 2011 (new moon, 20–50% cloud cover,
ca. 20°C), while spotlighting for petrels in a grassy area cleared
of trees, one of us (MJF) encountered a juvenile boa swallowing
a ground frog in a grassy area cleared of trees near the crest of
Waitabua Hill, Gau Island, Fiji (18.04°S, 179.30°E, WGS 84; 440 m
elev.). The snake was just beginning to consume the frog when
first sighted (Fig. 1), and within 10 min it completed ingestion
and moved off through the tall grass. Smooth skin and lack of en-
larged finger discs confirmed the frog’s identification as a ground
frog, and this is the only species of Cornufer known on Gau Is-
land.
In the late afternoon of 10 December 2015, while doing rope-
aided canopy surveys of a selectively-logged primary rainforest,
one of us (SP) captured a juvenile female boa (SVL = 525 mm,
total length = 618 mm, 62.4 g including prey) at 7.6 km N and 6.1
km W (airline) of Nabukelevu Village, Serua District, Serua Prov-
ince, Viti Levu Island, Fiji (18.05965°S, 177.80925°E, WGS 84; 610
m elev.). The snake (SUVA 00362) was hiding among accumu-
lated leaf litter and fronds of an epiphytic Drynaria rigidula fern
ca. 12 m high on the tree trunk. A pronounced bulge was visible
in its midsection, indicating a recent meal. Dissection revealed
Fig. 1. A mating pair of Bungarus flaviceps, with body of the female
(left) partially hidden.
Fig. 1. Candoia bibroni eating Cornufer vitianus. Both photos illus-
trate the same predation event.
Herpetological Review 48(3), 2017
668 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES
a single adult tree frog in the snake’s stomach (Fig. 2). Canopy
surveys of epiphytic Drynaria rigidula and Collospermum mon-
tanum plants in two nearby trees yielded a total of six adult tree
frogs, encountered 11–17 m above the ground.
Several authors (Gorham 1968. Zool. Beitr. 14:427–446; Per-
netta and Goldman 1976. Aust. Nat. Hist. 18:435–437; Morrison
2003. A Field Guide to the Herpetofauna of Fiji. Institute of Ap-
plied Sciences, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. 121 pp.)
have suggested that boas prey upon tree frogs and/or ground
frogs, and Ryan (1984. Domodomo 2:87–98) reported captive
boas eating tree frogs. Nevertheless, ours are the first confirmed
trophic interactions between boas and either frog species in the
wild. The additional Candoia species outside of Fiji are known
to include anurans in their diet, however (Harlow and Shine,
op. cit.). Ours are also the first confirmed records of any animal
consuming either of these frogs in the wild, although previous
authors have suggested that both native and non-native verte-
brates predate these frogs Gorman 1975. J. Zool. 175:273–278;
Ryan, op. cit.; Morrison, op. cit.).
We thank Sereana Maramayawa, Matareti Mataitoga, Laisia-
sa Naloa, and Kalisi Waqa for field assistance, and the mataqali
from Nabukelevu, Nawaikama, and Nukuloa villages for allowing
land access. Additional permission was provided or facilitated
by Emori Dakai, Elizabeth Erasito, Sanjana Lal, Sitiveni Lalibuli,
Tuiviti Nakalavo, Asaeli Ravasakula, Eliki Senivasa, Jese Volau,
Isireli Vunibaka. Specimen collection authorized under per-
mit #RA24/13 issued by the Fiji Ministry of Education, National
Heritage, Culture and Arts, and UGA IACUC AUP #A2012 10-004-
Y1-A0. The International Iguana Foundation provided primary
funding, with additional support from a University of Georgia
Presidential Fellowship. This is contribution number 583 of the
U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research and Monitoring Ini-
tiative (ARMI).
ADAM G. CLAUSE, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources,
University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
(e-mail: adamclause@gmail.com); MARK J. FRASER, Canterbury Museum,
Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch 8013, New Zealand (e-mail: mfraser@can-
terburymuseum.com); SARAH PENE, Institute of Applied Science, Univer-
sity of the South Pacic, Suva, Fiji (e-mail: sarah.pene@usp.ac.); NUNIA
THOMAS-MOKO, NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, 14 Hamilton-Beattie Street,
Suva, Fiji (e-mail: nuniat@natureji.org); ROBERT N. FISHER, U.S. Geologi-
cal Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 4165 Spruance Road, Suite
200, San Diego, California 92106, USA (e-mail: rsher@usgs.gov).
CLELIA CLELIA (Mussurana). DIET. The Neotropical snake Cle-
lia clelia is a dietary generalist, preying on small mammals, am-
phibians, lizards, and especially other snakes (Pinto and Lema
2002. Iheringia 92:9–19; Rojas-Morales 2013. Herpetol. Notes
6:425–426), including venomous species (Pinto and Lema, op.
cit.). On 12 July 2016 (1845 h), I observed a juvenile C. clelia (total
length ( TL) = 33 cm) at the Saran Ana community and research
station, at the pie de monte forest region of Bolivia (15.45855°S,
67.47775°W, WGS 84; 352 m elev.). The snake had recently cap-
tured a lizard (Cercosaura argula; TL = 4 cm; Fig. 1), which it
subsequently ingested in 3.5 min. This observation adds to the
limited knowledge of diet and natural history of C. clelia.
PAO LA D E L A Q UIN TAN A,. Carrera de Biología, Universidad Mayor de
San Andrés, La Paz-Bolivia; e-mail: paola.d.c.1186@gmail.com).
CLONOPHIS KIRTLANDII (Kirtland’s Snake). SITE FIDELITY
AND CLUTCH SIZE. On 24 July 2016, we captured a female
Clonophis kirtlandii (SVL = 326 mm; 30.0 g) under a wooden
coverboard in Ottawa County, Ohio, USA, as part of a larger
study examining detectability of C. kirtlandii. In this study, linear
transects of carpet and plywood cover objects were established in
historical C. kirtlandii locations in northwestern Ohio (K. Bekker,
pers. obs.; Conant 1951. The Reptiles of Ohio. University of Notre
Dame Press, Notre Dame, Indiana. 284 pp.). Upon capture, the
snake was transported back to our lab for morphometric data
collection, PIT tagging (Biomark® HPT8 minichip), photographs,
and radiographs, and was released under the cover object from
which it was originally recovered within 24 h of initial capture.
Radiographs confirmed the snake was gravid with seven
embryos. This individual was subsequently recaptured under the
same object four more times over the course of 32 days.
There is a paucity of information regarding many aspects of
Cloniphis kirtlandii ecology, particularly movement patterns
and reproductive biology. Site fidelity for this species has been re-
ported previously (Anton et al. 2003. Herpetol. Rev. 34:248–249);
however, this took place within a six-day period. Gravid snakes
are known to increase their body temperature while gestating by
taking advantage of thermoregulatory opportunities (Graves and
Duvall 1995. Herpertol. Monogr. 9:102–119), which might explain
our observations. Now that this behavior has been observed in
both April (Anton et al., op. cit.) and August, over an extended
period of time, it is likely this kind of site fidelity is typical for C.
kirtlandii. We emphasize use of marking individuals to avoid the
potential of overestimating abundance.
MATTHEW D. CROSS (e-mail: matt.cross@Toledozoo.org) and KENT
A. BEKKER, Toledo Zoo, P.O. Box 140130, Ohio, USA (e-mail: kent.bekker@
Toledozoo.org).
Fig. 2. Candoia bibroni specimen (SUVA 00362) with Cornufer vitien-
sis stomach content.
Fig 1. Juvenile Clelia clelia capturing (left) and ingesting (right) a
Cercosaura argula.