Fatores relacionados ao encontro de serpentes em áreas urbanas: um estudo de caso no municipio no município de Ituiutaba - MG

Abstract

Deforestation and urban expansion have contributed to an increase in the frequency of encounters between humans and wildlife. Among these encounters, snakes represent a group that requires more studies due to the risks that some species pose. A better knowledge about the species found in urban areas can help reduce the number of snakebites and snake deaths related to public fear. Considering the snake species present in the municipality of Ituiutaba, MG, the objectives of this work were to identify the species occurring in urban areas, relate their occurrence to environmental characteristics, correlate the number of rescues with monthly variations in rainfall and temperature, and present ecological aspects of the species that might be related to their presence in urban areas. Data was collected by monitoring snake rescues carried out by the 2nd Battalion of the Military Fire Department of Minas Gerais – CBMMG, in Ituiutaba, between March 2021 and February 2022. For each rescue, the species was recorded, along with the date, time, and geographical coordinates of both the encounter and release locations. Over the 12 months of monitoring, 26 snake rescues were conducted. Eleven species belonging to four families were recorded, with the majority of rescues being from the Dipsadidae family (13 individuals), followed by Viperidae (7 individuals), Boidae (5 individuals), and Colubridae (1 individual). Three species – common boa (Boa constrictor), South American green racer (Philodryas olfersi), and South American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) – accounted for more than half of the individuals. Mapping the rescue locations revealed that snake encounters in Ituiutaba's urban area are associated with the proximity of fragments of natural vegetation, typically found along water bodies. Captures in the central region of the municipality showed a history of unintentional transportation of individuals in vehicles. Most of the identified snakes in this study exhibit higher activity during the nighttime (B. moojeni, C. durissus, D. mikanii, L. annulata, O. guibei, O. trigeminus, P. nigra). Only three are more active during the day (P. nattereri, P. olfersii, S. rhinostoma), and only one is active during both day and night (B. constrictor). The number of rescues increased during the warmer and wetter months, demonstrating the relationship between snake activity and weather conditions. Our results are important for managing rescue situations (for example, in training for proper handling) and can contribute to environmental education projects aimed at guiding the population on what to do in case of encounter snakes, their ecological importance, and demystifying these animals.