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Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata
... cubre el presente trabajo y su distribución es principalmente Andmo-Patagónica ( Fig. 15. 3b) (21). Tachymenis tiene también una distribución similar extendiéndose en la costa del Perú y Chile (5,20,27). ...
... Este grupo tiene su centro de diversidad en la cuenca amazónica. Sólo el género Anolis tiene unas 116 especies descritas en el neotrópico (21) . . Sceloporinae: Las sceloporinas se han desarrollado de forma paralela a las tropidurinas, pero con centros de especiación en México y el sudoeste de Norteamerica, sólo entran marginalmente a Sudamérica. ...
... Leptotyphlopidae: Esta familia tiene 64 especies a nivel mundial (5),de las que aproximadamente 31 son neotropicales (21,26), pequeñas serpientes subterráneas que se hallan distribuidas por el neotrópico, sudeste de Asia, el Caribe, Afrlca y el oeste de Asia. Es una de las dos familias representadas en el valle de La Paz. ...
Natural history of the Retiles of La Paz Valley, in Bolivia. In the first edition of the Book, Historia natural de un Valle en los Andes, La Paz
... Specifically in Bolivia, Dipsas is represented by nine species: D. bucephala (Shaw, 1802), D. catesbyi (Sentzen, 1796), D. chaparensis Reynolds & Foster, 1992, D. cisticeps (Boettger, 1885), D. indica Laurenti, 1768, D. pavonina Schlegel, 1837, D. peruana (Boettger, 1898, D. turgidus (Cope, 1868), and D. variegata (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) (Peters 1960;Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970;Harvey and Embert 2008;Uetz et al. 2022). In particular, limited knowledge exists on the occurrence of D. indica in Bolivia (Harvey and Embert 2008), despite having a wide distribution across a large portion of South America; this knowledge is largely based on a single museum specimen (Peters 1960;Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970;Harvey 2008;Nogueira et al. 2019). ...
... Specifically in Bolivia, Dipsas is represented by nine species: D. bucephala (Shaw, 1802), D. catesbyi (Sentzen, 1796), D. chaparensis Reynolds & Foster, 1992, D. cisticeps (Boettger, 1885), D. indica Laurenti, 1768, D. pavonina Schlegel, 1837, D. peruana (Boettger, 1898, D. turgidus (Cope, 1868), and D. variegata (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) (Peters 1960;Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970;Harvey and Embert 2008;Uetz et al. 2022). In particular, limited knowledge exists on the occurrence of D. indica in Bolivia (Harvey and Embert 2008), despite having a wide distribution across a large portion of South America; this knowledge is largely based on a single museum specimen (Peters 1960;Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970;Harvey 2008;Nogueira et al. 2019). The D. indica complex consists of three recognized subspecies, D. i. indica, D. i. ecuadoriensis Peters, 1960, andD. ...
We present a new country record for Dipsas indica (Laurenti, 1768) (Serpentes, Colubridae, Dipsadinae) and discuss the species' distribution in Bolivia and South America. Little information on museum specimens and locality data from Bolivia exists for this species in the scientific literature, which has been largely based on a single museum specimen. This information contributes to the knowledge of its distributional status and summarizes known and available data for Bolivia.
... The nomenclatural status of Adelphicos species, including A. latifasciatum, is inconsistent across the published literature, an issue that we here attempt to resolve. The taxon was originally described as A. veraepacis latifasciatus (no common name; Lynch and Smith 1966), a name that was later used by Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970) before the taxon was elevated to the full species A. latifasciatus by Campbell and Ford (1982). For the next decade or so, authors continued to use the name A. latifasciatus (Campbell 1984;Campbell and Brodie 1988;Villa et al. 1988;Liner 1994). ...
... El taxón se describió originalmente como A. veraepacis latifasciatus (sin nombre común; Lynch y Smith 1966), un nombre que posteriormente fue utilizado por Peters y Orejas- Miranda (1970) antes de que Campbell y Ford (1982) dieran rango de especie al taxón A. latifasciatus. Durante la siguiente década, los autores continuaron usando el nombre A. latifasciatus (Campbell 1984;Campbell y Brodie 1988;Villa et al. 1988;Liner 1994). ...
Because of their secretive behavior, the distribution and ecology of snakes and other herpetofauna are often comparatively understudied, which can impede conservation decision-making. The snake genus Adelphicos is one such poorly known group from the Mesoamerica biodiversity hotspot. Within this genus, an especially mysterious species is the currently named Oaxacan Burrowing Snake (Adelphicos latifasciatum), which is endemic to southern Mexico and known from just seven specimens. Moreover, what little information that is available for this species is sometimes incomplete or with details that remain unpublished. Here, we report on new material that more than doubles the number of A. latifasciatum specimens known to science. These new, precise records extend the range of the species by 185 km into the Mexican state of Chiapas, substantiate its presence in two protected areas, and increase the number of reptile species recognized from Chiapas to 230. Additionally, we clarify the elevational range, forest habitat associations, morphological variation, and Latin nomenclature of A. latifasciatum, and propose a new common name: Broad-striped Burrowing Snake. We conclude by recommending the re- categorization of the species as Vulnerable (criteria B1ab[iii]+B2ab[iii]) on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and as Threatened (criteria A[I]+B[II]+C[II]+D[II]) on the Norma Oficial Mexicana list of the Mexican federal government.———————————————————————————————Debido a su comportamiento reservado, la distribución y ecología de las serpientes y otra herpetofauna a menudo se encuentran comparativamente poco estudiadas, lo que puede dificultar la toma de decisiones sobre su conservación. El género de serpientes Adelphicos es uno de esos grupos poco conocidos del hotspot de biodiversidad de Mesoamérica. Dentro de este género, una especie especialmente misteriosa es la actualmente llamada Ocotera de Oaxaca (Adelphicos latifasciatum), que es endémica del sur de México y se conoce a partir de solo siete especímenes. Además, la poca información disponible para esta especie a veces es incompleta o contiene detalles que no se han publicado. Aquí, informamos sobre material nuevo que duplica con creces el número de especímenes de A. latifasciatum conocidos para la ciencia. Estos nuevos y precisos registros extienden la distribución de la especie en 185 km hacia el estado mexicano de Chiapas, corroboran su presencia en dos áreas naturales protegidas y aumentan el número de especies de reptiles reconocidas en Chiapas a 230. Adicionalmente, aclaramos el intervalo de altitud, asociaciones de hábitats forestales, variación morfológica y nomenclatura científica de A. latifasciatum, y proponemos un nuevo nombre común: Ocotera de Rayas Anchas. Concluimos recomendando la reclasificación de la especie como Vulnerable (criterios B1ab[iii]+B2ab[iii]) en la Lista Roja de Especies Amenazadas de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, y como Amenazada (criterios A[I]+B[II]+C[II]+D[II]) en la lista de la Norma Oficial Mexicana del gobierno federal mexicano.
... Esta subfamilia comprende uno de los linajes más diverso y de más amplia distribución, presente en el Viejo y Nuevo continente (Campbell y Lamar 2004). Tradicionalmente todos los crotalinos sin cascabel y con placas cefálicas divididas exceptuando a Lachesis, eran tratados como Bothrops (Peters et al. 1970). Campbell y Lamar (2004) mencionan la hipótesis planteada en 1971 por Burger, donde consideraba a Bothrops un género polifilético, que debía ser dividido en cinco géneros (Bothriechis, Bothriopsis, Bothrops, Ophryacus y Porthidium). ...
... El mismo año, Sandner-Montilla y Romer (1961) propone reasignar a las especies descritas bajo los nombres B. venezuelensis (Sandner-Montilla 1952) y B. pifanoi (Sandner y Romer 1961), bajo una misma identidad taxonómica aplicando el epíteto B. venezuelae, justificando el cambio bajo el artículo 33 del Código Internacional de Nomenclatura Zoológica, por poseer un mismo significado y la misma raíz "venezuel-". Peters (1968), comenta que, bajo las mismas reglas del Código, el primer nombre asignado B. venezuelensis (Sandner-Montilla 1952), es válido ya que cumple con las directrices necesarias soportadas por la IV Recomendación del apéndice D (Peters et al. 1970). ...
... Hartweg (1932) revalidated A. tenuis based on comparing its type specimen with two specimens of A. ambiniger (UMMZ 67962,67963) housed at the UMMZ. Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970) considered Boulenger's emendation (Boulenger 1898) unjustified and retained the original spelling ambiniger, and maintained A. tenuis in the synonymy of A. ambiniger because they missed the paper by Hartweg. Shortly after, Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1972) rejected the synonymy of either A. tenuis or A. vittatus with A. ambiniger and provided morphological data on an additional specimen of A. ambiniger from Argentina. ...
... 31.2). Previously, we mentioned that Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970) considered the emendation of Boulenger (1898) as unjustified, and changed the epithet of Apostolepis ambiniger from "ambinigra" to "ambiniger." Also, according to the Code, a subsequent spelling of a name, if different from its original spelling, should be considered either an emendation (Art. ...
Apostolepis is a diverse genus of dipsadid snakes, currently comprising 34 species occurring in most cis-Andean South America. The taxonomy of the group is highly unstable. Upon discovering its type series, we redescribe the rare species A. ambiniger (Peters, 1869) and provide an account of its geographic distribution and morphological variation in pholidosis, osteology, and hemipenial characters. We also discuss some aspects of the taxonomy of Apostolepis.
... Localidad tipo: "Buenos Ayres, Argentina". Un error de acuerdo con Peters & Orejas-Miranda (1970) y Cei, (1993. ...
... Bellini et al. (2015) consideran que tiene una dieta casi especializada en anfibios. Recientemente, un estudio sobre la dieta de esta especie indica a las larvas del sapo común (Rhinella arenarum) como el tipo de presa más importante en la dieta de E. poecilogyrus (Di Pietro et al., 2020b Comentarios: Basado en as diferencias de coloración, Amaral (1944) entiende que existirían doce subespecies distintas, criterio seguido luego por Peters & Orejas-Miranda (1970). Williams & Francini (1991) presentan una larga lista de sinónimos para la especie, entre las que se incluyen las subespecies de Amaral, la misma fue esencialmente replicada por Cei (1993) para mostrar la complejidad taxonómica en la nomenclatura de esta especie. ...
Wildlife surveys are essential to conserve the biodiversity of a given region or area. In addition, in the light of ecosystem conservation problems, these surveys allow us to quickly identify which species should be a priority for conservation policies. Almost two decades have gone by since the last commented list of the snakes of Argentina was published, a period in which numerous and significant taxonomic changes have been made at a generic and specific level, and new species have been described, in addition to the inclusion of others previously recorded only in neighboring countries. This work is intended to update the systematic status of Argentine snakes and assemble information on their feeding habits, conservation, reproduction, etymology, common names, taxonomic changes, and main symptoms reported in accidents involving several colubrids and medically important viperid snakes. For this purpose, we carried out an extensive bibliographic review about Argentina and neighbouring countries snakes. In addition, we reviewed digital databases, and included our own unpublished data from herpetological collections and field work. To determine conservation status, we used the most recent categorization of Argentine snakes and the IUCN digital database. We present novel data for 8 families and 129 snake species that inhabit the Argentine territory.
... Vitt and Vangilder (1983) report T. pallidus and T. strigilis, with reproductive data for the later. However, they identified species based on Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970) and these were the closest species at the time. Bailey at al. (2005) showed later the specimen of T. pallidus from Vitt and Vangilder (1983) was actually T. sertanejo. ...
... Bailey at al. (2005) showed later the specimen of T. pallidus from Vitt and Vangilder (1983) was actually T. sertanejo. In addition, Vanzolini et al. (1980) also report T. strigilis in Caatinga, based on Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970), but with the morphological description they provided, we now can allocate this species as the recently described T. phoenix (see Franco et al., 2017). Therefore, based on the same reference used by both studies to identify species, we believe that T. strigilis from Vitt and Vangilder (1983) refers to T. phoenix. ...
... Philodryas bolivianus Boulenger, (1896) was described and in the same publication included accounts for Philodryas burmeisteri Jan, 1861 [¼ Philodryas trilineata (Burmeister, 1861)], Philodryas elegans (Tschudi, 1845), Philodryas vitellinus Cope, 1878 transferring Philodryas dorsalis to the genus Ialtris Cope, 1862. This generic arrangement remained unmodified until Peters & Orejas-Miranda (1970) revised this genus. Thomas & Dixon (1977) recognized the genus Tropidodryas Fitzinger, 1843 as distinct from Philodryas based on hemipenial morphology and microdermatoglyphics of Philodryas serra (Schlegel, 1837) and Philodryas pseudoserra Amaral, 1938[¼ Tropidrodryas striaticeps (Cope, 1870]. ...
... olfersii and Chlorosoma viridissimum) were joined in a single genus Philodryas for the first time by Günther (1858), who acted under principle of first reviewer (ICZN 1999). Following Peters & Orejas-Miranda (1970), the combination in genitive masculine as Philodryas viridissimus was employed by all subsequent authors until the early 90's when Donnelly & Myers (1991) clarified the gender of the genus Philodryas, rendering a genitive feminine owing to Wagler's (1830) original spelling. We noted an important lapse in synonymic list of Wallach et al. (2014) where information about type-species of the genus Chlorosoma is missing. ...
The Neotropics harbour a spectacular amount of biodiversity, but many of these species remain to be discovered and placed into the tree of life. In the neotropical snake genus Philodryas, the systematics of these rear-fanged snakes has been controversial and debated in recent years. Here, we combine published datasets with new morphological (scale microdermatoglyphics, osteology, pholidosis and genital features) and molecular (mitochondrial and nuclear) data to reassess the phylogenetic positioning of rear-fanged snakes within the tribe Philodryadini. We identified putative synapomorphies and pronounced morphological variation in hemipenial features. Our results suggested a need to reclassify many species in order to clarify some relationships within the Philodryas radiation. We also redefined Philodryadini by resurrecting three genera and naming a newly discovered species.
... Los caracteres morfológicos comúnmente utilizados por diferentes autores (Smith 1943;Smith y Taylor, 1945;Peters y Orejas-Miranda, 1970;Hardy, 1990;Goyenechea, 1995;Flores-Villela et al., 1995) para la descripción de las serpientes son: longitud hocico-cloaca (LHC), longitud cloaca-cola (LCC), longitud total (LT), número de líneas de escamas dorsales, escama rostral, escama mental, escudos gulares, escamas supralabiales e infralabiales, escamas circumorbitales, escamas lorilabiales, escamas ventrales, cloacal y caudales. Número, color y patrón de manchas o parches en cabeza, dorso y vientre, forma y tipo de dientes, colmillos, forma de pupila. ...
La Boa constrictor es una de las especies de serpientes que presenta una amplia
distribución a lo largo y ancho de Latino América. A dicha especie diferentes autores le han asignado varias subespecies, de las cuales las siguientes son comúnmente aceptadas (B c. constrictor, B. c amarali, B. c. sabogae, B. c. imperator, B. c. occidentalis, B. c. nebulosus, B. c. orophias).
En territorio mexicano la Boa constrictor se distribuye desde la parte norte del país, ambas costas, la porción sureste, algunos estados del centro, además de las islas Tres Marías y la isla de Cozumel, siendo en ésta última al parecer, una especie introducida. A la fecha se han descrito tres subespecies: B. c. imperator Daudin (1803), B. c. mexicana Jan (1863) y B. c. sigma Smith (1943); sin embargo, diferentes autores proponen sinonimia entre las tres subespecies, denominando a estos taxones como B. c. imperator, generalmente basados en la descripción de un número reducido de caracteres morfológicos, además de la distribución geográfica de la serpiente.
Las descripciones originales de las tres subespecies descritas para México fueron
realizadas en tiempos donde los criterios o caracteres taxonómicos no eran uniformes. Durante los últimos años no se ha realizado corroboración alguna sobre su denominación ni distribución geográfica. Por otra parte los conceptos y la visión predominante de lo que se consideraba una especie en los años en que se realizaron las descripciones originales de las tres subespecies, han cambiado. A lo largo del tiempo los conceptos de especie se han modificado, redefinidos e incluso se han propuesto nuevas definiciones. Aunado a esto y a la falta de la universalidad de un concepto válido de especie y subespecie, la situación taxonómica de estos organismos es incierta, es por ello que el presente trabajo propone un análisis taxonómico de las subespecies de Boa constrictor descritas para territorio mexicano, mediante el uso de los diferentes caracteres morfológicos.
... Scientific names vary from the above authors for newly described species, cases in which subspecies have recently been elevated to species status, and other recent taxonomic revisions. For example, the checklist uses the genus name "Plestiodon" for skinks (Brandley et al. 2005) and "Craugastor" for Sonoran barking frogs (Crawford and Smith 2005), and follows Mulcahey et al. (2006) regarding the taxonomy of the Sonoran horned lizard (Phrynosoma goodei), Faivovich et al. (2005) for the lowland burrowing treefrog (Smilisca fodiens) and dwarf Mexican treefrog (Tlalocohyla smithii), Smith et al. (2005a) for the file-tail ground snake (Procinura aemula), and Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970) for Clifton's lizard eater (Mastigodryas cliftoni). Nomenclature changes for amphibians as proposed by Frost et al. (2006) are not reflected in the checklist, as the scientific community has not yet had time to evaluate those proposals. ...
Based on collections and published reports, the herpetofauna of mainland Sonora, México, includes 37 amphibian and 139 reptile species. An additional two amphibian and five reptile species have been taken very near the Sonoran border in contiguous habitats in Arizona, Chihuahua, or New Mexico, and almost certainly occur in Sonora, as well. This compares to 15 amphibian and 95 reptile species documented in the last summary of Sonora's herpetofauna, published in 1945. Five taxa have been introduced, and one species is known to have been extirpated from Sonora. Seventy-three (40%) of Sonora's amphibian and reptile species are given special status under México's Lista de Especies en Riesgo or the IUCN's Red List. Although some of the species probably do not warrant special status in Sonora, substantial threats to amphibians and reptiles in general are widespread. Sonora's sea turtles and ranid frogs are particularly imperiled. Despite these threats, there are significant opportunities for conservation, and agencies and non-governmental organizations are making good progress on several fronts to protect amphibians and reptiles, and their habitats.
... Eunectes beniensis (Dirksen, 2002), E. murinus (Linnaeus, 1758), and E. notaeus (Cope, 1862) are all known to occur in Bolivia (Dirksen 2002;Wallach et al. 2014;Reynolds et al. 2018;Uetz et al. 2022). Eunectes murinus (Green Anaconda) was described over two centuries ago and has been considered a single species broadly distributed throughout many South American biomes (Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970;Henderson et al. 1995;McDiarmid et al. 1999;Nogueira et al. 2019). Eunectes notaeus (Yellow Anaconda) occurs in the Paraguay river drainage, from the Pantanal Region in southeastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil, to northeastern Argentina (Henderson et al. 1995;Dirksen 2002;Waller et al. 2007;Kershaw et al. 2013). ...
Little information for Eunectes beniensis (Dirksen, 2002) (Serpentes, Boidae) exists in the scientific literature and museum data. We review the natural history, diet, reproduction, distribution of this species and discuss its identifying characteristics. We present new records and discuss the species' distribution in Bolivia. As reported in the previous literature, the geographic locality data of the holotype and paratypes are incorrect. We report corrected data for these specimens and update knowledge of the species' distributional status and natural history by summarizing novel and existing data from the entirety of this species' known range. We provide a distribution map based on vouchered museum specimens.
... Some authors suggest that taxonomic aspects of X. nattereri are unresolved, as it has been considered as a synonym of X. histricus (Peters and Orejas-Miranda;Cei 1993). Hoge et al. (1976) separated these species on the basis of color patterns, although they are the most similar species pair among Xenodon and phylogenetically closely related (Grazziotin et al. 2012). ...
Xenodon nattereri (Steindachner, 1869) is a diurnal snake primarily associated with the Cerrado ecoregion in South America, and it is considered endemic to Brazil. Here, we report a record of this species from Cerro Corá National Park (Amambay, Paraguay), extending the geographic range of this species by approximately 30 km to the southwest.
... Here, we report and describe two cases of yellow, patternless (xanthic) specimens of Corallus hortulana collected in the Department of Beni, Bolivia. The individuals were identified following Henderson (1993Henderson ( , 1997Henderson ( , 2002 and Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970) based on the following diagnostic characters: strongly laterally compressed body with smooth dorsal scales (midbody dorsal scale count 37-63); scales of the head: subocular scales present and in contact with supralabial scales; loreal scale fragmented and numerous infraloreal scales present; and nasal scales in contact and separating internasals from rostral. ...
Snakes display a wide range of skin colors and patterns, acting in ecological, behavioral, and physiological roles. Xanthism has been reported in numerous snake species, including many neotropical taxa. Corallus hortulana is a polychromatic species widely distributed throughout South America. Yellow, patternless individuals, while rare, have been recognized as within the species’ polychromatic range. We report the first yellow, patternless specimens of Corallus hortulana collected in Bolivia and discuss whether these individuals fit the criteria of xanthism.
KEYWORDS:
snakes; polychromatism; chromatic aberrancies; Amazon
... We compared the external morphology (morphometric and meristic characteristics, and coloration patterns) of specimens with original species' descriptions, dichotomous keys, geographically related inventories, and field guides (e.g., Peters & Donoso-Barros, 1986;Dixon et al., 1993;Ávila-Pires, 1995;Gascon, 1996, Lougheed et al., 1999, Gascon et al., 2000Morales, 2002;Peloso & Sturaro, 2008;Moravec et al., 2009;Souza, 2009;Angulo & Icochea, 2010;Maciel & Hoogmoed, 2011;Gordo et al., 2013;Brcko et al., 2013;Fouquet et al., 2014Fouquet et al., , 2021Peloso et al., 2014Peloso et al., , 2016Caminer & Ron, 2014, 2020Caminer et al., 2017;Rivadeneira et al., 2018;Simões et al., 2018;Cunha et al., 2019;Ferrão et al., 2020Ferrão et al., , 2022Sturaro et al., 2020;Magalhães et al., 2020;Rainha et al., 2021;Ribeiro-Júnior et al., 2021), as well as through direct comparisons with other voucher specimens deposited at INPA-H. Evidence for color in life were based on photographs taken during the expeditions of 2005-2007 and 2018. ...
Sampling gaps across the logistically challenging and extremely biodiverse Amazonia largely hamper our understanding of broad‑scale amphibian and reptile diversity patterns in this ecosystem.The Juruá River basin, a southwestern tributary of the Amazon River, is one of these undersampled areas, with only punctual information documented for these vertebrates that are spatially or temporally biased. This is especially the case for the lower‑middle courses of the Juruá River,which also has comparatively less protected areas than its upper course. In order to fill some biodiversity knowledge gaps associated with amphibians and reptiles in this river basin, we combined results of our field expeditions carried out in 1992, 2005‑2007, and 2018 to the Reserva Extrativista (Extractive Reserve) do Baixo Juruá, a Brazilian protected area in the right bank of the lower Juruá River. Amphibians and reptiles were sampled using four complementary methods: active surveys, pitfall traps, funnel traps, and trammel nets. We identified species or updated their taxonomic status with a reanalysis of the external morphology of the preserved material in the light of novel taxonomic literature (more than 1,500 specimens) and employment of DNA barcoding analyses for some newly collected specimens with contentious taxonomic status. Our combined sampling evidenced 149 species of amphibians and reptiles occurring in this protected area (72 amphibians, 68 squamates,six chelonians, and three crocodilians). Recorded species highlight the value of the lower Juruá River region as harboring quite diverse assemblages for these vertebrates, with species typical of the western and southwestern Amazonia sub‑regions.Remarkable species records are presented, as well as accounts on species with lower taxonomic resolution. Furthermore, wediscuss the biogeographic affinities of recorded assemblages based on the species geographic range and preferred habitats, and the value of this protected area to preserve the regional biological diversity
... for reptile specimens collected by J. C. Branner, deposited in collections registered in those databases, and in April 2019 I personally examined the extant specimens, all deposited in U.S. museums. To ensure a proper identification of these specimens, I compared their external morphology (mainly scale counts, but also the color pattern and measurements when necessary) with the original descriptions or updated taxonomic studies (Gans 1966;Roze 1967;Peters and Donoso-Barros 1970;Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970;Dixon and Kofron 1983;Dixon 1989;Etheridge and Williams 1991;Silva and Sites 1999;Vanzolini 2002;Campbell and Lamar 2004;Rodrigues et al. 2006;Centeno et al. 2010;Perez et al. 2012;Costa et al. 2015Costa et al. , 2019Breitman et al. 2018;Santos and Reis 2018). I took measurements; snout-vent length (SVL) and tail length (TL), with a ruler to the nearest millimeter and photographs in dorsal view of all but one of the specimens (one syntype of L. wilderi), for the purpose of illustration. ...
The snake species Typhlops wilderi (today Liotyphlops wilderi) was described in 1883 based on specimens from São Cyriaco, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The name of this type locality has been cited in different ways in the literature, making its geographic location confusing. Solving this question is an important issue for future taxonomy and systematic studies. After searching for information on the collector of the type series of L. wilderi (John Casper Branner) using the Google Scholar database, I found that São Cyriaco was a gold mining company located in the current municipality of Alvorada de Minas. Besides elucidating the type locality of L. wilderi, I searched for reptile specimens collected by Branner, deposited in collections registered at the VertNet Portal and SpeciesLink, and personally examined the extant material from Minas Gerais.
... His book, The Coralsnakes of the Americas: Biology, Identification, and Venoms, is the most complete monographic work on the topic. Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970) wrote other major works that set an important precedent for the study of Neotropical reptiles in the region (Carreira et al., 2012). The two titles by Lamar (1989, 2004) are among the most notable monographs on the venomous snakes of the Americas. ...
... His book, The Coralsnakes of the Americas: Biology, Identification, and Venoms, is the most complete monographic work on the topic. Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970) wrote other major works that set an important precedent for the study of Neotropical reptiles in the region (Carreira et al., 2012). The two titles by Lamar (1989, 2004) are among the most notable monographs on the venomous snakes of the Americas. ...
... Para la determinación de las especies de reptiles se usaron de guías de campo y claves (Ayala, 1986;Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970) y se usó el arreglo taxonómico de The Reptile Database (Uetz et al., 2020). Adicionalmente se anotaron características morfológicas y ecológicas relevantes, dado que la mayor proporción de las especies cuenta con un conocimiento mínimo de su ecología. ...
We evaluated the diversity of reptiles and birds in the Distrito de Manejo Integrado de Cabo Manglares Bajo Mira-Frontera, department of Nariño, Colombia, through samplings carried out in November 2018. We carried out time-constrained searches for reptiles, and free route and observation points for birds. We obtained 25 records of reptiles, belonging to three orders, 17 families, 23 genera and 24 species. For birds, we recorded 179 individuals, belonging to 16 orders, 40 families, 106 genera and 119 species. The records of the turtles Lepidochelys olivacea, categorized as Vulnerable, and Chelonia mydas, Endangered, stand out for reptiles, as well as the species Caiman crocodilus and Boa constrictor, included in Appendix II of CITES. The records of 31 migratory species stand out for birds, as well as three Near Threatened species (Ramphastos ambiguus, Campephilus gayaquilensis, Capito squamatus).
... Para la determinación de las especies de reptiles se usaron de guías de campo y claves (Ayala, 1986;Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970) y se usó el arreglo taxonómico de The Reptile Database (Uetz et al., 2020). Adicionalmente se anotaron características morfológicas y ecológicas relevantes, dado que la mayor proporción de las especies cuenta con un conocimiento mínimo de su ecología. ...
Evaluamos la diversidad de reptiles y aves en el Distrito de Manejo Integrado de Cabo Manglares Bajo Mira-Frontera, en el departamento de Nariño, Colombia, mediante muestreos hechos en noviembre de 2018. Para reptiles se realizaron búsquedas libres delimitadas por tiempo; para aves, se realizaron recorridos libres y puntos de observación. Se obtuvieron 25 registros de reptiles pertenecientes a tres órdenes, 17 familias, 23 géneros y 24 especies. De aves se registraron 179 individuos pertenecientes a 16 órdenes, 40 familias, 106 géneros y 119 especies. Para reptiles se destacan los registros de las tortugas Lepidochelys olivacea, categorizada como Vulnerable, y Chelonia mydas, En Peligro, y las especies Caiman crocodilus y Boa constrictor, incluidas en el apéndice II de CITES. Para las aves se destacan los registros de 31 especies migratorias, y tres especies Casi Amenazadas (Ramphastos ambiguus, Campephilus gayaquilensis, Capito squamatus).
... Thaís B. Guedes 1 identified through inspection of diagnostic characters on external morphology (pholidosis and pattern of colour) based on current literature (Peters and Orejas-Miranda, 1970). While examining the Spilotes sulphureus, I observed a bolus in its stomach and decided to investigate. ...
... Rhinobothryum bovalli occurs in lowlands from southern Honduras to Costa Rica and Panama in Central America, and from western Colombia to northwestern Ecuador and northeastern Venezuela in South America (Savage 2002, McCranie 2015, Rojas-Runjaic and Infante-Rivero 2018, Turcios-Casco et al. 2018, Martínez-Fonseca et al. 2019. In contrast, R. lentiginosum occurs in lowlands along the Amazon Basin in South America, with records from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, and Venezuela (Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970, Martins and Oliveira 1998, Miranda et al. 2009, Wallach et al. 2014, Gomes de Arruda et al. 2015. The geographic distributions of these species differ substantially; nevertheless, the limits of their ranges are uncertain. ...
Predicting distributions of rare species: the case of the false coral snake Rhinobothryum bovallii (Serpentes: Colubridae). Typically, the lack of enough high-quality occurrence data makes it difficult to define the geographic distribution of rare species. However, species distribution models provide a powerful tool for biodiversity management, including efforts to predict the distributions of rare species. Herein, new and historical data are used to model the distribution of the False Tree Coral snake, Rhinobothryum bovallii. The prediction map reveals a disjunct distribution for this species, from the Central American Isthmus to the northwestern portion of South America, with the species occupying lowlands and premontane forests below about 1500 m elevation. We identified 491,516 km 2 of suitable habitat for R. bovallii (minimum training presence threshold of 0.424) and 59,353 km 2 of core habitat, with concentrations in three relatively isolated core areas (10-percentile training presence threshold of 0.396), as follow: (1) a "northern core" along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Panama; (2) a "central core" in the Middle Magdalena Valley in Colombia; and (3) a "southern core" in the Ecuadorian Chocó. The occurrence of this species has a strong positive association with low precipitation seasonality, high precipitation in the warmest quarter, and low variability in annual temperature. Xeric and semiarid areas are unsuitable for this species and may pose environmental barriers limiting its distributional range. These results may lead to the discovery of additional populations of R. bovallii, identify priority survey areas, and by determining the extent of its natural habitat promote effective conservation strategies.
Snakes of the genus Boa are outstanding elements of the New World biota with a broad sociological influence on pop culture. Historically, several taxa have been recognized in the past 300 years, being mostly described in the early days of binomial nomenclature. As a rule, these taxa were recognized based on a suite of phenotypic characters mainly those from the external morphology. However, there is a huge disagreement with respect to the current taxonomy and available molecular phylogenies. In order to reconcile both lines of evidence, we investigate the phylogenetic reconstruction (using mitochondrial and nuclear genes) of the genus in parallel to the detailed study of some phenotypic systems from a geographically representative sample of the cis-Andean mainland Boa constrictor. We used cyt-b only (744bp) from 73 samples, and cyt-b, ND4, NTF3, and ODC partial sequences (in a total of 2305 bp) from 35 samples, comprising nine currently recognized taxa (species or subspecies), to infer phylogenetic relationships of boas. Topologies recovered along all the analyses and genetic distances obtained allied to a unique combination of morphological traits (colouration, pholidosis, meristic, morphometric, and male genitalia features) allowed us to recognize B. constrictor lato sensu, B. nebulosa, B. occidentalis, B. orophias and a distinct lineage from the eastern coast of Brazil, which we describe here as a new species, diagnosing it from the previously recognized taxa. Finally, we discuss the minimally necessary changes in the taxonomy of Boa constrictor complex; the value of some usually disregarded phenotypic character system; and we highlight the urgency of continuing environmental policy to preserve one of the most impacted Brazilian hotspots, the Atlantic Forest, which represents an ecoregion full of endemism.
A new species of Atractus from the “Estação Científica Ferreira Penna”, Eastern Amazonia, Pará State, Brazil is described, and diagnosed by the following set of characters: 17-17-17 smooth dorsal scales without pits; 162 ventrals and 30 pairs of subcaudals in the single measurable male and 171 ventrals and 24 pairs of subcaudals in the single avaliable female; the three available specimens (two males and one female) has frontal wider than long; nasal contacting loreal, internasals, rostral, and the two first pairs of supralabials; loreal contacting internasal, and second and third supralabials; preocular absent; two postoculars; two light spots on the back of the head; wide-black median ventral band; and subcaudals totally black.
Currently, the proposed diagnoses for the Chironius bicarinatus complex reflect a wide variation in color pattern and pholidosis. Herein, we review the Chironius bicarinatus complex based on morphological and molecular data from a sample of 485 specimens covering the species distribution. Our results corroborate the recognition of C. bicarinatus and C. gouveai , and diagnose a distinct lineage without an available name. Thus, here we describe this new species restricted to the Baturité Massif, a relictual rainforest isolated in the Caatinga xerophytic domain, in the state of Ceará, northeastern Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by its unique combination of qualitative and quantitative morphological characters (scale counts, morphometric, color pattern), and is also supported by molecular and ecological evidence. Additionally, we rectify data on the distribution and morphological variability of C. gouveai to accurately infer the boundaries between this taxon and C. bicarinatus , which was not properly addressed. Finally, we discuss our results in the light of previous studies that suggest diversification hypotheses in the Atlantic Forest already detected for other taxa, highlighting the importance of conserving the areas of “Brejos de Altitude”, in northeastern Brazil, and the southern limit of Serra do Mar up to Serra do Tabuleiro, in southern Brazil.
El distrito de Mórrope está ubicado en la región Lambayeque y cuenta con una amplia extensión territorial desértica, en la que predomina el bosque seco sub-tropical. En este sistema ecológico viven una serie de especies de fauna y flora silvestres, entre las especies de fauna destaca el lagarto Callopistes flavipunctatus, el que es típico de toda
la costa norte desértica del Perú; sin embargo, Mórrope dispone de una biodiversidad interesante que debería manejarse desde los principios de las Teorías de Biodiversidad, de la Sostenibilidad y de la Gestión Pública. La indagación realizada indica que una Reserva Comunal sería la estrategia más adecuada. El presente trabajo de investigación ha permitido determinar que los pobladores están dispuestos a participar en su implementación y conducción si es que son capacitados debidamente. En las observaciones de campo se pudo determinar algunos aspectos del lagarto (comportamiento, alimentación, reproducción) y documentar situaciones vinculadas a su problemática como la extracción desmedida, el conflicto con el hombre y su comercialización (especímenes vivos y disecados, pieles, grasa, y cecina) indiscriminada en las ciudades próximas más pobladas; así mismo, se ha confeccionado inventarios preliminares para aves y flora, cuya información es importante si se determina la creación de la Reserva Comunal.
Despite the recent advances in the systematics of snakes, the diversity of several Neotropical groups of species remains poorly understood. The lack of studies focused on the phylogenetic relationship within most of the 20 tribes of Dipsadidae precludes a better understanding of the evolution of this diverse family. Here, we present a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Tachymenini, a heterogeneous tribe that comprises 36 viviparous species of dipsadids, grouped in seven genera based on morphological similarities. The tribe is widely distributed throughout South America presenting very distinctive phenotypes, habitats, and behaviours. The phylogenetic relationship among tachymenins is a well‐recognized challenge regarding the systematics of the South American dipsadids. The similar morphotype of some generalist species, combined with the very derived morphology of some strict specialists, creates a complexity of traits that has prevented the comprehension of the systematics of the group. To address such a challenge, we combine molecular (six loci) and morphological (70 characters) datasets in an integrative phylogenetic approach. The resultant phylogenetic trees indicate, with strong support, that three of the seven current recognized genera (Tachymenis, Tomodon, and Thamnodynastes) are non‐monophyletic and, consequently, we propose a new systematic arrangement for Tachymenini. We revalidate two genera, Dryophylax and Mesotes, and we describe three additional monotypic genera, Apographon gen. n., Tachymenoides gen. n., and Zonateres gen. n. to accommodate Tomodon orestes, Tachymenis affinis, and Thamnodynastes lanei, respectively. We also include Tomodon ocellatus and Pseudotomodon trigonatus in Tachymenis and describe a new genus, Galvarinus gen. n., to accommodate the Tachymenis chilensis species group. Furthermore, we also provide an evolutionary scenario for the speciation events based on a time‐calibrated tree, commenting on the diversification and origin of the tribe, and on the probable existence of undescribed species of Mesotes and Dryophylax.
The brain is one of the most important organs of vertebrates. Over the years, several studies have investigated brain features under different approaches, such as comparative morphology. Although many recent studies use non-invasive methods, such as micro-CT scan, some methods require access to the brain, such as histological analyses and cell count methods. In addition, several researchers do not have access to those expensive devices and rely on the traditional dissection to conduct their studies. Still, for most vertebrates, very few protocols are available for removing the brain, especially those committed to minimizing the damage to the specimen for further examinations. Here we describe in detail a method to dissect the brains of anurans and squamates maintaining the specimen’s external morphology as undamaged as possible. This simple method can be performed using few tools and can be achieved in the first trials, representing an incentive for more research on vertebrate’s brains. This method contributes to the maximum utilization of each animal collected, a positive practice from both ethical and practical perspectives.
KEYWORDS:
Comparative anatomy; herpetology; histology; neuroanatomy; soft anatomy
The Neotropical parrot snake genus Leptophis comprises a group of 12 colubrine snakes widely distributed in Mexico, Central- and South America. Among the currently recognized taxa in the genus, L. ahaetulla constitutes a morphologically diverse assemblage of typically slender snakes, with subspecies recorded from Mexico to most of South America. Though extremely variable in scalation, coloration, size and dentition, many of these subspecies are still poorly known, with at least three being known from few specimens, hampering the diagnosability and determination of the taxonomic status of certain populations. Accumulation of new specimens and new analytical approach for species delimitation supported a comprehensive taxonomic revision of these snakes based on the examination of meristic, morphometric, color pattern and hemipenial characters of 1625 specimens. Accordingly, the following taxa are herein referred to as full species: L. a. ahaetulla, L. a. bocourti, L. a. bolivianus, L. a. liocercus, L. a. marginatus, L. a. nigromarginatus, L. a. occidentalis, L. a. praestans and L. a. urostictus. Moreover, L. a. ortoni is placed in the synonymy of L. nigromarginatus, whereas L. coeruleodorsus, a former subspecies recently elevated to species rank, is redescribed, and L. haileyi is placed in the synonymy of this latter taxon. In addition, a dichotomous key including all recognized species of Leptophis is provided.
The aquatic snakes of the genus Helicops are widely distributed throughout northern South America, but understudied concerning some aspects, including morphological traits and distribution. The most recent publication that provided an identification key to all species of Helicops is over 50 years old. This key is of limited value today since it includes taxa no longer recognised and lacks 8 of the 19 species currently recognised. There never was a publication trying to summarise distributional and morphological information of all species of Helicops . Most knowledge of these species is distributed throughout many small publications, such as short observation notes.
Here, we present distribution maps (point records), an identification key and comments on identification for all species in this genus. We base our results on a comprehensive literature review of over 300 scientific publications and own examinations. Our examinations comprise 190 specimens of 10 of the 19 currently recognised species and one Helicops sp. We report range extensions for the species H. danieli , H. infrataeniatus , H. leopardinus , H. pastazae and H. polylepis .
We describe a new watersnake species of the genus Helicops from the left bank of the upper Madeira River, southwestern Amazonia, Brazil. Due to its spotted dorsal pattern, it resembles the sympatric species H. hagmanni, H. leopardinus, and H. polylepis, but a combination of features including, scale counts, prominence of dorsal keels, and hemipenial morphology allows its unequivocal recognition. The new species also exhibits oviparous reproduction, representing the fourth egg-laying lineage reported in the genus. The evolution of viviparity among the lineages of Helicops comprises an important debate in the field of the natural history of reptiles, especially regarding the highly unlikely possibilities of reversals from viviparity to oviparity due to constraints of genetic, ecological, and physiological nature. Based on such premises, we reconstructed the reproductive modes within the genus using a preconceived topology and discussed hypothetical scenarios for the emergence of viviparity depending on three possible positions of the new taxon. Finally, we also provide considerations on the apparent restriction of this snake to the left bank of the upper Madeira in the light of classic biogeographic evidence that points to the potential role of this major river as a vicariant element between faunas on its opposite margins.
Since the rearrangement of all leptotyphlopid species previously known as “Leptotyphlops” in Adalsteinsson et al. (2009)'s paper, several taxa have remained untested regarding their generic identity and have been assigned to different genera based on phenotypic data or, in some cases, without any clear justification. Most of the difficulties in assigning some leptotyphlopid taxa are due to their conserved external morphology, summed with a relatively small number of available specimens, which complicate the recognition of a unique combination of characters for their reasonable generic allocation. On the other hand, recent osteological studies—especially those on the skull—provide relevant data combinations for species assignment and even for the recognition of new genera. In this work, we have attempted to determine the generic allocation of Epictia unicolor and Trilepida guayaquilensis—both species currently known only by their holotype—based on a detailed description of cranial and post‐cranial osteology. We confirm the assignment of E. unicolor to the genus Epictia despite the divergent configuration of cephalic shields. Based mainly on data from the skull, suspensorium, and cervical vertebrae but supported by external morphology as well as a redescription of the holotype, we propose the assignment of Trilepida guayaquilensis to the genus Epictia. This study provides not only detailed data on the osteology of Epictia, but also a first approach to the putative combination of osteological characters for the genus.
Philodryas olfersii é uma cobra amplamente distribuída na América do Sul, ocorrendo no Brasil, Peru, Bolívia, Paraguai, Uruguai e Argentina. É uma espécie de médio porte (chega a atingir 1,4m de comprimento total), caracterizada pela presença de glândulas de Duvernoy, de hábitos diurnos e semiarborícolas.
Boana lundii é uma espécie que habita ambientes da Mata Atlântica e Cerrado e sua distribuição inclui os estados do Centro-Oeste e Sudeste do Brasil. Esta espécie possui modo reprodutivo 4, que consiste na deposição de ovos em “bandejas” naturais ou construídas pelos machos. Embora alguns aspectos de sua história natural sejam relativamente bem conhecidos, ainda não há informações relevantes sobre seus principais predadores e, até o momento, apenas uma predação dessa espécie foi relatada por Callitrhrix penicillata.
A presente observação relata um evento de predação de B. lundii por P. olfersii na Reserva Natural Rolinha-do-Planalto, município de Botumirim, estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil (-16.86809S, -43.00739W). Em 7 de abril de 2019, registramos um indivíduo de P. olfersii por volta das 11h53. A cobra estava empoleirada em um arbusto, com sua boca segurando uma das patas traseiras da perereca B. lundii (Figura 1A e B). Depois de segurar a presa e ajustar sua boca, a cobra iniciou e completou o processo de ingestão (visto na Figura 1C, D, E e F)
Conforme observado neste registro, P. olfersii possui técnicas de forrageamento arbóreo. Segundo Sazima e Haddad (1992), esta espécie utiliza tanto o envenenamento quanto a constrição para imobilizar e finalizar suas presas, uma vez que diversas presas estão disponíveis no ambiente. Assim, B. lundii faz parte da dieta de P. olfersii .
Herpetofauna of a Caatinga region in Taquaritinga do Norte, State of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. The objective of this research was to make an inventory of the herpetofaunal community of a Caatinga region from Boa Vista's farm, in Taquaritinga do Norte, Pernambuco state, Brazil. We collected field data from August 2013 to July 2014 using diverse sampling methods: time-limited visual searches, pitfall trapping, record of vestiges and occasional encounters by local people. We could detect the presence of 42 species, 17 amphibians, and 25 reptiles. Rhinella jimi, Tropidurus semitaeniatus and Tropidurus hispidus were apparently the most abundant. The most efficient sampling method was time-limited visual searches, which allowed the record of 34 species. The species composition of the studied community is similar to other Caatinga areas in the state of Pernambuco. We highlight the importance of weirs and similar man-made habitats that provide shelter and reproduction, especially for anurans.
Snakes represent the richest Reptile group in Brazil, amounting to 412 species and 40% of them are endemic for the country. This great richness combined with the poor taxonomic knowledge makes the identification a difficult process. To correctly identify a specimen, guides, taxonomic revisions, identification keys, and consulting specialists are the most used methods. Identification keys are based on separation and segregation of characters, where the chosen paths lead to the appropriate taxa. These tools are normally used by students and non-taxonomists. Also, they can be very helpful with the general public, where they can identify the species with simple characters. This study aims to develop keys for the snakes from the State of Santa Catarina state, Brazil, focusing on the Itajaí Valley species. We surveyed 351 specimens deposited in Universidade Regional de Blumenau Zoological Collection (CZFURB), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (CHUFSC), and Natural History Museum of Capão da Imbuia (MHNCI) herpetological collections. Characters including pholidosis, dentition, and coloration patterns were examined from the 46 snake species registered from Itajaí Valley.
The variations that the diastrophic events, as well as the climatic changes, inflicted to the Pampean Province gave special geographic and biotic features. The study of these historical events was divided by specialists, especially vertebrate paleontologists, in two big cycles, the Pan Araucanian and the Pan Pampean. Each of these vast time spans were subdivided in stages, which carry fossil elements of determined and specific taxa. In addition to the fruitful paleovertebrate work, there was research done by paleobotanists and detailed work by geologists and sedimentologists. The latter then added the study on paleosols. Finally, the ichnological studies began to provide certain details about the biota which circulated and inhabited those paleosols. This new set of information verifies numerous statements provided by previous researchers and, in turn, it allows specifying some subtle biological–climatic details.
Background
Studies with integrative approaches (based on different lines of evidence) are fundamental for understanding the diversity of organisms. Different data sources can improve the understanding of the taxonomy and evolution of snakes. We used this integrative approach to verify the taxonomic status of Hydrodynastes gigas (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854), given its wide distribution throughout South America, including the validity of the recently described Hydrodynastes melanogigas Franco, Fernandes & Bentim, 2007.
Methods
We performed a phylogenetic analysis of Bayesian Inference with mtDNA 16S and Cytb, and nuDNA Cmos and NT3 concatenated (1,902 bp). In addition, we performed traditional morphometric analyses, meristic, hemipenis morphology and coloration pattern of H . gigas and H . melanogigas .
Results
According to molecular and morphological characters, H. gigas is widely distributed throughout South America. We found no evidence to support that H. gigas and H. melanogigas species are distinct lineages, therefore, H. melanogigas is a junior synonym of H. gigas . Thus, the melanic pattern of H. melanogigas is the result of a polymorphism of H. gigas . Melanic populations of H. gigas can be found in the Tocantins-Araguaia basin.
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