Thales de Lema

Comportamento alimentar e dieta de serpentes, generos Boiruna e Clelia (Serpentes, Colubridae)

Boiruna maculata Boulenger, 1896 and Clelia rustica (Cope, 1878) were observed in captivity feeding snakes and rodents, respectively. Both species have shown a similar procedure in relation to the prey. Major behavior differences among the two species were: rodents killed before being swallowed, and snakes were mostly swallowed alive; both species are able to find the rodents head faster than the snake one; the coils formed during constriction were also used to hold the prey, specially the last coil, while swallowing rodents. Informations on stomach contents was gathered by dissection of preserved specimens of Clelia clelia (Daudin, 1803) and C. plumbea (Wied, 1820) were also included in the dietary study. The majority of preys consisted on snakes and lizards. Other prey items were mammals and birds. Adult snakes prey relatively smaller animals than the juvenile snakes do.

Fauna reptiliana do norte da grande Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

This paper reports the preliminary results of two years of herpetogeographic studies in the region called «Grande Porto Alegre» at its northern portion. The physiognomy shows, at North, slopes of the Brazilian Southern Plateau, more or less forested in a general view; these elevations graaually decrease to the South until the levei of the sea to Atlantic littoral by the eastern border, and to Rio Grande do Sul savanah, which extends to Uruguay and Argentina. The biota is transitional from the highland prairies and forests of the plateau to lowland prairies of the pampas. Three faunistic Provinces are included: Guarani, Pampean, and Tupi. The most conspicuous dispersion is shown by the taxa proceeding from the plateau to savanah (Dispersion Centre Guarani); the pampean species occur in low percentage (Dispersion Centre Uruguay), and an inappreciable account of Tupi fauna (Dispersion Centre of «Serra do Mar»). The new records are: presence of Chironius pyrrhopogon, Hydrodynastes gigas, Bothrops neuwiedi para-naensis, Micrurus corallinus; intergradation zone of Guarani and Pampean geographic roces; and new taxa of snakes, which will be described brieflly. The systematic composition presents: Chelonia, 4 (3 Chelidae, 1 Testudinidae); Sauria, 10 (1 Gekkonidae, 2 Iguanidae, 1 Anguidae, 3 Teiidae, 3 Amphisbaenidae); Serpentes, 45 (35 Colubridae, 4 Elapidae, 6 Viperidae); Crocodylia (1 Crocodylidae).

Nova espécie de Phalotris, redescrição de P. tricolor e osteologia craniana (Serpentes, Elapomorphinae)

The comparison of the types of Phalotris tricolor (Dumeril, Bibron & Dumeril, 1854) and Elapomorphus punctatus Lema, 1979 showed that both names refer to a single species; up to date the current name P. tricolor is a compound of P. tricolor and an unknown species that is described here as P. matogrossensis sp. nov. from southwestern Brazil to adjacent Paraguay at Cerrado domain. The new species differs from P. tricolor mainly by white lower side of head, instead entirely black; white collar longer than the black collar, instead short with very longer black collar; black collar only dorsal, instead attaining ventral side; back ground coloration uniformly brilliant red, instead yellowish to brownish red, with widespread black dots usually in longitudinal series. The skull and hemipenis from both species do not present major differences. These species, plus P. mertensi (Hoge, 1955) and P. cuyanus (Cei, 1984), compose the tricolor group; a key is provided to identification of species.

The identity of Apostolepis pymi and placement of A. quinquelineata in the synonymy of A. nigrolineata (Serpentes, Xenodontinae)

The correct application of the names Apostolepis nigrolineata, A. quinquelineata, and A. pymi has been subject of considerable controversy. Based upon review of the literature and the characteristics used to distinguish these species from each other, we conclude that A. pymi is a valid species and that A. quinquelineata is a junior synonym of A. nigrolineata. They differ from each other in hemipenial morphology and coloration. The background color of A. nigrolineata is reddish brown (vs. brown in A. pymi). In addition, only the dorsal region of end of tail is covered by a black band in A. nigrolineata (vs. end of tail completely surrounded by a black band in A. pymi). Both species are sympatrically distributed along the lowlands of Amazonia but A. nigrolineata occurs in both western and eastern regions whereas A. pymi is restricted to eastern regions with additional records from the States of Amazonas, Rondonia, Mato Grosso and an endemic population in the state of Ceara, northeastern Brazil.

Contribuição à herpetologia da Argentina e do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil por William Wright Milstead (Amphibia, Reptilia)

In this paper we are presenting the list of the specimens and the taxa obtained; there are 73 names of species belonging to 40 genera, of which 32 species and 13 genera are amphibians, and 42 species and 27 genera are reptiles. There are several field notes of Milstead and many data on the snakes studied by Lema with Milstead. The collection was widespread by Milstead to several institutions, but mainly to Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, and Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Apostolepis intermedia Koslowsky, 1898 (Serpentes: Xenodontinae: Elapomorphini): first records for Paraguay

The fossorial snake Apostolepis intermedia is an Elapomorphini species currently known by two specimens from Brazil. In this study, we report the first records of the species in Paraguay, based on two female specimens from the Reserva Natural Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro, Paraguay. These records occurred 376 km south from the previously southernmost record, in Anastacio, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. We also provide data on the species morphological variation.

Distribution extension of the Yellow Anaconda Eunectes notaeus Cope, 1862 (Squamata: Boidae) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The yellow anaconda, Eunectes notaeus , was until recently considered as a species with accidental occurrence on southern Brazil, due to river floods from the Pantanal region on central Brazil. Here we provide monitoring records of a well-established population in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and also discuss its distribution in the area.

THE COMPLEXITY OF THE Apostolepis dimidiata GROUP, WITH PARTITION IN TWO GROUPS (SERPENTES: DIPSADIDAE: XENODONTINAE: ELAPOMORPHINI)

The species of Apostolepis located in the dimidiata group are heterogeneous, only justified by the projection of snout. The comparison of species located allowed the isolation of the small species from central-western Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay in a new group ambinigra. The new group differs from dimidiata main by having three infralabials contacting anterior chin-shields (vs. four), five supralabials (vs. six), five or six infralabials (vs. seven), background color brown or red (vs. red), with five stripes or none (vs. two), venter immaculate white (vs. blotched or immaculate), and very small size (vs. medium to large). The new group comprises the species: A. ambinigra, A. breviceps, A. christineae, A. intermedia, A. roncadori, and A. vittata; it occurs on central-western Brazil to Bolivia and Paraguay, Cerrado biome.

Apostolepis christineae Lema, 2002 (Serpentes: Xenodontinae: Elapomorphini): first record for Bolivia

The fossorial snake Apostolepis christineae is an Elapomorphini species known only from a single specimen in Brazil. In this study, we report its occurrence to Bolivia, based on a male (BMNH 1907.10.31.62) from Puerto Suarez, Provincia German Busch, Departamento Santa Cruz, which was previously misidentified as Apostolepis vittata . This record extends the species distribution ca. 576 km west from its type locality. We also provide data on its morphological variation.

Description of a new genus for allocation of "Elapomorpus lepidus" and the status of "Elapomorphus wuchereri" (Serpentes Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae: Elapomorphini)

Apresenta-se o novo genero Coronelaps g.n. para alocar a especie Calamaria lepida Reinhardt, 1861. O novo genero caracteriza-se pela presenca de um colar amarelo sobre a cabeca, pela cor geral dorsal de fundo vermelha com tres linhas pretas longitudinais que desaparecem na idade adulta, por ossos cranianos como processo do basioccipital muito desenvolvido, pela sutura do transverso entre o supraoccipital e exoccipital, alem de aspetos dos dentes e hemipenis. Externamente essa especie difere das demais especies de Elapomorphus , onde estava lotada, pelo longo e isodiametrico tronco e cauda grossa ate a extremidade e cabeca curta; das especies de Phalotris , pela presenca de dois prefrontais, principalmente; e das especies de Apostolepis , pela presenca de prefrontais e internasais pares, alem da ausencia da mancha preta extremo-caudal. Elapomorphus wuchereri Gunther, 1861 esteve confundida com esta especie e com Elapomorphus quinquelineatus (Raddi, 1820). Palavras-chave: Coronelaps, Elapomorphus wuchereri, Elapomorphus quinquelineatus , coloracao, crânio, dentes, hemipenis.