A biological survey of the pitviperBothrops insularisamaral (serpentes, viperidae): An endemic and threatened offshore island snake of southeastern Brazil

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Abstract
The pitviper Bothrops insularis is endemic on the Queimada Grande Island (24° 30’ S ‐ 43° 42’ W, southeastern Brazil). Since the description of the species (Amaral, 1921), which contained a synopsis of its biology, no intensive studies have been carried out (although hundreds of specimens have been gathered), except for research on venom and sexual abnormalities (females with hemipenis, denominated “intersexes"). The population of B. insularis includes a significant number of intersex individuals, with a declining fertile population. Successive human actions over the decades, such as periodic bushfires, and the collection of hundreds of specimens in each expedition in a short time, may well have made this snake a threatened species. This study provides the first historical record of collected snakes during the last 72 years, spatial distribution, activity, and habitat use during winter and spring, as well as critical viewpoints on current available literature data for B. insularis biology resulting from current fieldwork. Suggestions for additional research are also presented.