Francisco Dal Vechio

A New Two-Pored Amphisbaena Linnaeus, 1758, from Western Amazonia, Brazil (Amphisbaenia: Reptilia)

Abstract. Recent efforts to improve sampling of Brazilian biodiversity have yielded a number of undescribed species of amphisbaenids. Herein, we describe a new species of small, two-pored Amphisbaena from western Brazilian Amazonia. The new species can be distinguished from all congeners by the combination of the following characters: two precloacal pores arranged in a continuous series; snout rounded in lateral and dorsal views; tip of tail rounded; 233–250 body annuli; 20–24 caudal annuli; autotomy sites on caudal annuli 6–9; 10 dorsal and 12–14 ventral segments per annulus at midbody; absence of postmalars; suture between frontals slightly smaller than parietal and nasal sutures; and tail short relative to body length (tail length/body length = 0.10). The new species inhabits the rain forest and small patches of savanna vegetation within the Amazon Forest. A Bayesian analysis based on two mitochondrial (16S and ND2) and three nuclear (cmos, BNDF and RAG1) markers recovered the new species as sister to a clade formed by A. hastata + A. cuiabana; however, support for this relationship is low. Genetic divergence between populations from both sides of the middle Madeira River is low.

The herpetofauna of the Estação Ecológica de Uruçuí-Una, state of Piauí, Brazil

Este trabalho foi realizado com objetivo de analisar a herpetofauna amostrada numa area de Cerrado no estado do Piaui, Brasil, influenciada pelos biomas vizinhos e uma das regioes menos conhecidas dentro do dominio. A herpetofauna de diferentes fisionomias da Estacao Ecologica de Urucui-Una (EEUU) foi amostrada intensivamente durante tres campanhas (duas na estacao chuvosa e uma na seca). Nos registramos 90 especies da herpetofauna, 64 repteis e 26 anuros, uma alta riqueza quando comparada com outras localidades bem amostradas do Cerrado. As curvas de rarefacao, tanto para lagartos como para anuros, indicam que a riqueza observada se aproxima da real e os estimadores de riqueza apontam que novos registros podem ser adicionados a lista de especies obtida. As analises de co-ocorrencia mostram que as especies nao estao distribuidas aleatoriamente na paisagem, indicando que elas usam preferencialmente os diferentes tipos de habitats. Apesar se localizar em uma area transicional e ser influenciada pelos biomas vizinhos, as analise de agrupamento por similaridade sugerem que a herpetofauna da EEUU e tipica do Cerrado. Desse modo, os resultados desse estudo indicam que a herpetofauna da EEUU desempenha um importante papel na conservacao de uma riqueza faunistica regional.

A new Amphisbaena (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae) from southern Espinhaço Range, southeastern Brazil

A new species of Amphisbaena is described from a semi-deciduous forest in Conceição do Mato Dentro, southern Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The following combined characters can diagnose the new species from all congeners: head round-shaped; two or three precloacal pores sequentially arranged; 190-199 body annuli; 2-3 lateral annuli; 23-25 caudal annuli; autotomy sites on caudal annuli 7-9; 12-14 dorsal segments on midbody annulus; 14-16 ventral segments on midbody annulus; three supralabials; three infralabials; postmalar row present or absent; dorsum light brown, with cream intersegmental sutures; venter cream. To date, the new species is known only from the Espinhaço Range, highlighting the importance of conservation actions for these mountains.

Rediscovery of the earless microteiid lizard Anotosaura collaris Amaral, 1933 (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae): a redescription complemented by osteological, hemipenial, molecular, karyological, physiological and ecological data.

More than a century after its discovery by Ernest Garbe, and almost 80 years after its original description, we obtained a series of specimens of the earless gymnophthalmid Anotosaura collaris, the type species of the genus, up to now known only by a single specimen. On the basis of the material obtained at and close to the type locality we redescribe the species, adding information about the external and hemipenial morphology, osteology and karytoype. Molecular data confirm its sister relationship with Anotosaura vanzolinia as well as the close relationship of Anotosaura with the Ecpleopodini Colobosauroides and Dryadosaura. We supplement this information with thermophysiological, ecogeographical, karyotypic and ecological data.

A new species of Atractus (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Serra do Cipó, Espinhaço Range, Southeastern Brazil, with proposition of a new species group to the genus

Descrevemos uma nova especie de Atractus da Serra do Cipo, na vertente sudeste da Serra do Espinhaco, uma cadeia montanhosa continental aproximadamente paralela a costa Atlântica brasileira. A nova especie e morfologicamente similar a A. paraguayensis e A. potschi com as quais compartilha: 15 series de escamas dorsais; regiao occipital branca em especimes jovens; coloracao dorsal de fundo variando de rosa avermelhado a vermelho (em vida) com pontuacoes, manchas e/ou bandas transversais pretas; sete supralabiais e infralabiais; ventrais e subcaudais creme esbranquicado; hemipenis levemente bilobado, semicapitulado e semicaliculado. A nova especie difere de ambos os taxons principalmente a partir de caracteres exclusivos de coloracao (numero e forma das bandas transversais), da morfologia hemipeniana (face mediana dos lobos sem ornamentacao) alem de diferencas meristicas (numero de escamas ventrais e dentes maxilares) e morfometricas (comprimento rostro-cloacal dos adultos). Apresenta-se uma discussao sobre as possiveis afinidades da nova especie e redefinem-se alguns grupos de especies de Atractus no sentido de acomodar melhor as especies que compartilham combinacoes unicas de caracteres morfologicos.

Natural history of Micrablepharus maximiliani (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) in a Cerrado region of northeastern Brazil

Micrablepharus maximiliani (Reinhardt & Luetken, 1861) is a microteiid lizard widely distributed in the open areas of South America. Little is known about its ecology and reproductive biology. Here, we analyzed aspects of the natural history of a population of M. maximiliani from a Cerrado area in the state of Piaui, northeastern Brazil. Our results suggest that the reproductive activity of M. maximiliani might be seasonal in the Cerrado, since reproductive females were observed only in the dry season, whereas reproductive males were present in both seasons. Vitellogenic follicles and oviductal eggs were found simultaneously in one female, suggesting that females may produce more than one clutch per season. Sexual dimorphism was observed in body shape, and individuals were mainly restricted to a typical savanna physiognomy. The diet consisted of small arthropods, including spiders, crickets and cockroaches as the most important items.

The herpetofauna of Parque Nacional da Serra das Confusões, state of Piauí, Brazil, with a regional species list from an ecotonal area of Cerrado and Caatinga

Different physiognomies at Parque Nacional da Serra das Confusoes (PNSCo) were intensively sampled aiming to access the distribution pattern of its herpetofauna. Sixty six species were found in the park (47 reptiles and 19 amphibians); the rarefaction curve for lizards, although not fully stabilized in an asymptote, indicates that the sampling effort was enough to reveal most lizard species occurring in the area; and richness estimators recovered values close to observed. For amphibians, the curve shows a weak tendency to stabilization with richness estimators indicating that additional records could be done. Field work carried out at PNSCo has highlighted an unique herpetofauna: five new species were described and there are three candidates as new species. The regional list including Cerradoss units - Estacao Ecologica Serra Geral do Tocantins (EESGT) and Estacao Ecologica de Urucui-Una (EEUU) with Caatingas ones - PNSCo and Parque Nacional da Serra da Capivara (PNSCa), shows a high herpetofaunal diversity (191 species) to the region. The cluster analysis recovered the Cerradoss units and Caatingas ones, in separate clusters evidencing a species turnover between domains, despite its geographical proximity. Thus, although there is widespread fauna throughout region shared by the units, each reserve holds its own faunal identity, harboring a singular assemblage of species.

Reconquering the water: Evolution and systematics of South and Central American aquatic lizards (Gymnophthalmidae)

The Cercosaurini tribe stands out from other Gymnophthalmidae lizards for including several species with morphological adaptations to aquatic lifestyle (“Crocodile‐Like Morphology” – CLM). Recent molecular phylogenies of Cercosaurini demonstrated the paraphyly of CLM species, implicitly suggesting that adaptations to the aquatic life evolved more than once. However, CLM species have remained poorly sampled, and a number of uncertainties persist, such as the monophyly of Neusticurus and the placement of Potamites apodemus within the tribe. Based on a more extensive molecular and morphological data set, we propose a phylogenetic hypothesis for Neusticurus and investigate, for the first time, the phylogenetic position of P. apodemus. We recovered a monophyletic Neusticurus clade; however, Neusticurus rudis as currently understood was recovered as paraphyletic, with two lineages that also show consistent morphological diagnosis; as a result, we resurrect and provide a taxonomic redescription of Neusticurus surinamensis Müller, . Moreover, because P. apodemus was recovered as sister to all other Echinosaura, we propose a new combination for this species (Echinosaura apodema). We also review the distribution of Neusticurus species, offering a comprehensive view of their biogeography. Lastly, our ancestral character reconstruction and dating analyses indicate that the CLM phenotype evolved four times independently during Cercosaurini′s evolutionary history. We hypothesize that the CLM phenotype and subsequent adaptation to aquatic life may be linked to the development of the Pebas Lake in western Amazonia during the Miocene.

Morphological similarities between Amphisbaena mitchelli Procter, 1923 and A. miringoera Vanzolini, 1971 (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae): phylogenetic relatedness or morphological convergence?

To date, 22 species of amphisbaenids have been recorded at Brazilian Amazon (Ribeiro et al. 2008), six of them are small and have two pre-cloacal pores (Hoogmoed & Ávila-Pires 1991; Teixeira Jr. et al. 2014). Most of these species have narrow distributions, and its biology and phylogenetic relationships are poorly understood (Hoogmoed & Ávila-Pires 1991). Amphisbaena mitchelli Procter, 1923 and A. miringoera Vanzolini, 1971 share several morphological similarities that could reflect phylogenetic relatedness (Vanzolini 1971). Both have two pre-cloacal pores and a similar pattern of head scutelation, but whereas the first has 193-220 and 26-29 body and tail annuli, respectively, the latter has 250-264 and 22-24 (Vanzolini 1971).

Diagnostic clarification, new morphological data and phylogenetic placement of Amphisbaena arenaria Vanzolini, 1991 (Amphisbaenia, Amphisbaenidae)

Several decades ago, Vanzolini (1991) described Amphisbaena arenaria Vanzolini, 1991 based on a single individual (MZUSP 65817) collected at Raso da Catarina, a large flat sandy deposit at the southern bank of São Francisco River. In the same paper he described A. frontalis Vanzolini, 1991 based on specimens collected at another sandy area, at the northern bank of São Francisco River, both in Bahia state, Brazil. As conflicting values are presented throughout his paper, the diagnosis of A. arenaria still needs clarification. We here comment on these differences and re-diagnose A. arenaria including new topotypic material, providing its phylogenetic placement and a new state record.