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Zootaxa 2165: 52–58 (2009)
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Copyright © 2009 · Magnolia Press
ZOOTAXA
ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)
A new Amphisbaena with chevron-shaped anterior body annuli from state of
Pernambuco: Brazil (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae)
TAMÍ MOTT1,4, MIGUEL TREFAUT RODRIGUES2 & EDNILZA MARANHÃO DOS SANTOS3
1
Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Av. Fernando Correa da Costa s/n, Coxipó,CEP 78060-900, Cuiabá,
MT, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]
2
Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 11.461, CEP 05422-970, São Paulo,
SP, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]
3
Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada, Fazenda Saco, s/n,
Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]
4
Correspoding author. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Abstract
A new species of Amphisbaena is described from Fazenda Porto Seguro, municipality of Buique, state of Pernambuco, in
the Caatingas of northeastern Brazil based on four specimens. The new species is a small and slender amphisbaenian
with four precloacal pores, 333–337 body annuli, 22–23 tail annuli with discrete evidence of an autotomic site on the
10–12 tail annuli, and 14 dorsal and 17–18 ventral segments per annuli at midbody. The high number of body annuli, the
presence of chevron-shaped anterior body annuli, and the fusion of frontal scales distinguish Amphisbaena
supernumeraria sp. nov. from its congeners.
Key words: Amphisbaena supernumeraria, new species, Amphisbaenia, Taxonomy, Caatingas
Resumo
Uma nova espécie de Amphisbaena é descrita com base em quatro espécimes obtidos na Fazenda Porto Seguro,
município de Buique, estado de Pernambuco, nas Caatingas do Nordeste brasileiro. A nova espécie é pequena e delgada,
apresenta quatro poros precloacais, 333–337 anéis corpóreos, 22–23 anéis caudais com discreta evidência de um sítio
autotômico entre o 10–12 anel caudal, 14 dorsais and 17–18 segmentos ventrais em um anel corpóreo no meio do corpo.
O número elevado de anéis corporais, a presença de anéis corpóreos na parte anterior do corpo em “V” e a fusão das
escamas frontais diferenciam Amphisbaena supernumeraria sp. nov. de todos os seus congenéricos.
Palavras chave: Amphisbaena supernumeraria, nova espécie, Amphisbaenia, Taxonomia, Caatingas
Introduction
Amphisbaenians are fossorial squamates with 196 species actually recognized (Ribeiro et al. 2009; Ribeiro et
al. 2008; Mott et al. 2008; Gans 2005; Castro-Mello 2003). Among six families (Vidal et al. 2008),
Amphisbaenidae has far more species than any other amphisbaenian family. It includes 16 recognized genera
and at least 178 species (Vidal et al. 2008; Gans 2005). This family is geographically widespread, with extant
species occurring in Africa, South and Central America (Gans 1978, 1990, 2005; Kearney & Stuart 2004;
Macey et al. 2004; Vidal et al. 2008). In Brazil, 64 species of amphisbaenids are known (Ribeiro et al. 2009;
SBH 2008; Ribeiro et al. 2008), 43 of them included in the genus Amphisbaena.
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Accepted by S. Carranza: 20 Jun. 2009; published: 22 Jul. 2009
Several new species of Amphisbaena have been described in the last years from previously unexplored
regions in South America (Rodrigues 2003; Rodrigues et al. 2003; Mott et al. 2008) suggesting that new
discoveries are expected for the near future. In a recent survey conducted in the Caatingas of State of
Pernambuco, Brazil to collect additional specimens of a new genus of sand swimming gymnophthalmid lizard
(Rodrigues & Santos in press), we obtained four specimens of a small species of Amphisbaena with chevronshaped anterior body annuli, a condition rare in amphisbaenians. Compared with Amphisbaena hastata
Vanzolini 1991 and A. plumbea Gray 1872, the only other species of South American Amphisbaena with
similar condition of anterior body annuli, it becomes evident that our series represented an undescribed new
species, which we describe below.
Material and methods
Length measurements were taken, after fixation, to the nearest mm with a ruler; scale counts were performed
with a stereomicroscope Zeiss STEMI SV6. Scale nomenclature follows Gans & Alexander (1962). All
comparative data were taken from preserved specimens housed at MZUSP (Museu de Zoologia, Universidade
de São Paulo) and from literature (Vanzolini 2002).
Results
Taxon description
Amphisbaena supernumeraria, sp. nov.
(Figs. 1, 2)
Holotype: MZUSP 98101 (Figs. 1, 2), an adult male collected at Fazenda Porto Seguro (08°29’13’’S, 37°16’
52’’W), Parque Nacional do Catimbau, municipality of Buique, state of Pernambuco, Brazil, by Miguel T.
Rodrigues and Ednilza Maranhão dos Santos on 7th March, 2008. Field number MTR 15383.
Paratypes: MZUSP 98098-98100; same data as for the holotype.
Etymology: The specific name derives from the Latin “super” (beyond), and “numeraria” (number),
referring to the highest number of body annuli of this species comparing with its congeners.
Diagnosis: A small and slender Amphisbaena with four precloacal pores, 333–337 body annuli, 22–23
caudal annuli, discrete autotomic site on annuli 10–12, and tip of the tail pointed or keeled (Fig. 3), 14 dorsal
and 17–18 ventral segments per annuli at midbody, fainted ventral sulcus. Nasal and prefrontal scales absent,
fused with the rostral; frontal scales fused forming a single, large and wide heptagonal scale, the largest scale
on top of head; three supra and three infralabials. The presence of more than 300 body annuli as well as the
presence of frontal scales fused, forming a single large scale on top of head, and the tenth anteriormost body
annuli chevron-shaped are unique characters among Amphisbaena and separate this species from all other
congeners.
Description of the holotype (Figs. 1, 2): A small and slender amphisbaenian, with head not distinct from
the body, elongated snout, mouth ventral, and 212 mm of total length (17 mm corresponding to tail). Rostral,
nasal and prefrontal scales fused, forming a single scale in the anterior part of head; triangular, contacting
anterolaterally first supralabial, and posteriorly frontal. Frontal scales fused, forming the largest scale on top
of head; pentagonal, slight wider than long, contacting anterolaterally second supralabial, laterally the ocular
and posteriorly the parietals. Paired parietals, wider than long, approximately one-tenth of size of frontal and
half size of ocular, contacting broadly the dorsal side of ocular. Temporal and postocular not differentiated,
included as part of the first body annulus. Ocular pentagonal, with an anteriorly oriented pointed tip,
contacting second and third supralabials, frontal, parietals, and two segments of the first complete body
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FIGURE 1. Lateral, ventral, and dorsal views of the head of the holotype of Amphisbaena supernumeraria (MZUSP
98101).
annulus. Eye barely visible, situated just dorsal to the suture between second and third supralabials. Three
supralabials, first smallest, trapezoid, anteriorly in broad contact with the tip of the snout, and posteriorly with
the second supralabial. Second supralabial slightly larger than third, quadrangular, contacting anterolaterally
first supralabial, dorsally the frontal and the ocular, and posteriorly third supralabial. Third supralabial nearly
two-third of the size of the second supralabial. Three infralabials, the second trapezoidal, being the largest
scale in the lower jaw. First infralabial trapezoidal, slightly smaller than mental. Second infralabial in broad
contact with postmental and malar. Third infralabial smallest, contacting broadly the malar. Mental trapezoid,
long and wider anteriorly, slightly longer than postmental. Postmental pentagonal, contacting anteriorly
mental, laterally first and second infralabials, and posteriorly the first row of postgenials. Two rows of
postgenials, first with two segments, second with three. Malar trapezoid, nearly the same size of second
infralabial, contacting anteriorly second infralabial, medially the two rows of postgenials, laterally the third
infralabial, and posteriorly in contact with the first body annulus. Postmalar row absent. Body annuli with
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well marked sulcus. The five anteriormost body annuli strongly oblique back and downward. The 3th to 9th
body annuli forming chevrons on the dorsal view. Follow these differentiated body annuli, 328 normally
transverse annuli. Total body annuli 337, with six intercalated ones (annuli 93, 276, 282, 331, 332, 333). The
last body annulus ends in the row bearing the precloacal pores. Four rounded precloacal pores, sitting on the
hind margin of moderately elongated segments. Ventral sulcus fainted starting on body annulus 75th. Lateral
sulcus evident, dorsal sulcus absent. Fourteen rectangular dorsal and 17 ventral segments per midbody
annulus, ventral segments squared, with nearly the same size as dorsal segments. Twenty-two tail annuli with
a discrete autotomic site on annulus 12th and a pointed end.
FIGURE 2. Ventral view of the cloacal region of the holotype of Amphisbaena supernumeraria (MZUSP 98101).
Coloration in preservative: Uniform coloration, dorsal ground pale brown, and ventral region
immaculate.
Variation: The paratypes MZUSP 98099 and 98100 have fainted precloacal pores. The former has three
segments in the first row of postgenials (other specimens have two), and the later has an autotomized tail (the
tail was broken in the annulus 10th). The number of intercalated annuli varies from three to five, and the keeled
tail is well defined on MZUSP 98098 and 98099.
Distribution and Natural History (Fig. 4): The Parque Nacional do Catimbau, with an area of about
62.000 hectares, protects habitats included or surrounding for highly eroded plateau of Silurian-Devonian
sedimentary deposits of Tacaratu formation (Projeto RADAMBRASIL 1983; CPRM 2005) in the semiarid
Caatingas of state of Pernambuco. The plateau has elevations varying from 700 to about 1000 m and is
covered by xeromorphic Caatinga vegetation with dominance of Euphorbiaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Myrtaceae,
Mymosaceae, Fabaceae and Cactaceae (Gomes et al. 2006). Areas of accumulation of sandy soils resulting
from erosion of the plateau are sparsely covered by tickets of vegetation with a dry and thin leaf litter. More
data and a figure with details of the general aspect of the relief and vegetation of the area are in Rodrigues &
Santos (in press). The four specimens of Amphisbaena supernumeraria were found while searching in sandy
soils for the fossorial lizard Scriptosaura catimbau, recently described as a new genus and species from the
same area (Rodrigues & Santos in press).
Discussion
Amphisbaena supernumeraria differs from all South American amphisbaenians by the highest number of
body annuli (all its congeners has fewer than 300 body annuli). Furthermore, the chevron-shaped anterior part
of body annuli is a rare character in amphisbaenians, found only in Amphisbaena hastata, a slender species
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from the dunes of the River São Francisco, state of Bahia, Brazil (Vanzolini 1991), and A. plumblea, a slender
species from Mendonza, Argentine (Gans 2005). The new species differs from A. hastata, and A. plumbea by
the number of body annuli (266–273 in A. hastata, 210–181 in A. plumbea; 333–337 in A. supernumeraria),
number of tail annuli (40 in A. hastata, 16–21 in A. plumbea; 22–23 in A. supernumeraria) and the number of
segments per annulus at midbody (35–37 in A. hastata, 38–57 in A. plumbea; 31–32 in A. supernumeraria).
Additionally, the fusion of rostral, nasals and prefrontals forming a single scale, and the fusion of frontals
reinforces the uniqueness of this new taxon.
FIGURE 3. Photo of lateral (A) and ventral (B) view of the tail of the holotype of Amphisbaena supernumeraria
(MZUSP 98101).
Fusion of head scales similar to those found in Amphisbaena supernumeraria are also characteristic in the
South American genus Leposternon Wagler 1824 where rostral and nasals scales are fused (Gans 1971).
Nevertheless, the head of Leposternon is always dorsoventrally compressed whereas in A. supernumeraria it
is laterally compressed. Other differences between them includes the presence of a very short tail with a
rounded tip in Leposternon (long with a pointed or keeled tip in A. supernumeraria), absence of an autotomic
site on tail in Leposternon (autotomic site distinctive, although discrete in the tail annuli 10–12 in A.
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MOTT ET AL.
supernumeraria), and the presence of a differentiated pectoral region with enlarged plates in Leposternon
which are absent in A. supernumeraria.
FIGURE 4. Type locality of Amphisbaena supernumeraria (MZUSP 98101) in the state of Pernambuco, northeastern
Brazil.
Considering the above and the overall similarity in scalation, head and body shape with other
Amphisbaena we atribute the new taxon to the genus. The overall morphological similarity between A.
supernumeraria and A. hastata reinforced by the presence of chevron-shaped anterior body annulli in both
suggests close relationship. This hypothesis needs to be tested in a phylogenetic framework. From the
distributional point of view it is interesting to note that Calyptommatus, a genus of elongate and limb reduced
gymnophthalmid also occurs and have endemic species restricted to the same sand dunes of the Rio São
Francisco where Amphisbaena hastata occurs. Curiously, its putative sister genus was recently described from
Parque Nacional do Catimbau (Rodrigues & Santos in press), the type locality of Amphisbaena
supernumeraria.
Acknowledgements
We thank IBAMA (permit 12957-1), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP),
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento
de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Unidade de Serra
Talhada (UFRPE-ST) for support. We also thank João Ferreira da Silva and the following students of the
Biology course of UFRPE-ST for help in the field: G. V. L. Almeida, S. L. S. Muniz, T. F. Campos, and G. L.
Silva, Luciana Lobo for the drawings, José Cassimiro da Silva Júnior, Mauro Teixeira Junior for the map, and
Hussam Zaher and Carolina Castro-Mello for access to specimens at MZUSP.
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