ABSENCE OF ECTOPARASITES IN Boa constrictor amarali (SQUAMATA: BOIDAE) FROM ANTHROPIC ENVIRONMENTS OF THE CAPIVARI RIVER BASIN, SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL

Antonio Cutolo, Andre

As part of the municipal Epidemiology Surveilance Program of Brazilian Spotted Fever of Monte Mor city, São Paulo state, 55 free living boas (Boa constrictor amarali) were captured and inspected during a 36 months period, for determination of their ectoparasite fauna, after notification of their presence by local citizens whose found the animals at a random basis. The weight of boas ranged from 0.1 to 5.75 kg for the 29 captured males (mean 2.56 kg) and 0.1 to 6.9 kg for the 24 captured females (mean 3.49 kg). The length ranged from 0.5 to 1.95 cm for males and 0.5 to 1.85 cm for females, with averages of 1.47 and 1.45 respectively for males and females. In none of the captured specimens was registered presence of macroscopic ectoparasites. Since boas came from disturbed natural areas, it is possible that the animals are profiting from the anthropic environment, occupying an inadequate environment to maintain their natural populations of ectoparasites.