No abstract

We are presenting a list of the reptile species from Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (LMNP), Maranhão, Brazil, obtained during 235 days of field work. The study area is located in the contact zone between three major Neotropical ecosystems: Amazonia, Caatinga, and Cerrado. The PNLM encompasses the largest dune fields in Brazil, wide shrubby areas (restingas), lakes, mangroves, and many freshwater lagoons. We have recorded 42 species of reptiles in the area: 24 snakes, 12 lizards, two worm lizards, three turtles, and one alligator. About 81 % of the recorded species occurred only in restinga areas. Our data highlights the uniqueness of the PNLM in the context of the biomes that surround it and shows the importance of efforts to improve the conservation of reptiles living in the restinga, which currently comprise only about 20 % of the total area protected by the park, but which are the mesohabitat containing most of the reptile species in the Lençóis Maranhenses complex of habitats.

Within the diverse subfamily Dipsadinae, Imantodini represents one of the few groups distributed in North, Central and South America. The tribe comprises the genera Leptodeira and Imantodes, from which Leptodeira is the most diverse, including 15 species and 11 subspecies, distributed from southern USA to central Argentina. Taxonomy and affinities among these taxa are poorly resolved, and the phylogenetic relationships among the South American diversity were never properly assessed before. Here, we investigate the phylogenetic relationships and the taxonomic status of Leptodeira spp. based on a comprehensive multilocus dataset with emphasis in the South American radiation. Besides assessing the phylogenetic relationship and species cohesion, we also evaluate the morphological variation among the South American diversity of Leptodeira. Our results support the monophyly of Imatodini and Leptodeira, while indicating that several individuals classified as Leptodeira annulata and L. septentrionalis do not cluster together within their respective species. Moreover, specimens identified as belonging to the subspecies L. a. annulata, L. a. cussiliris, L. s. ornata and L. s. polysticta do not group together suggesting the current classification includes non‐natural groups. The analysis of morphological evidence also supports the phylogenetics results, indicating that several clades can be recognized as evolutionary units presenting distinct phenotypes. To equate the taxonomy to our results, we propose a new taxonomic arrangement for Leptodeira in which we are: (1) redefining the composition of L. annulata and L. septentrionalis; (2) elevating five subspecies to species level; (3) revalidating one species; (4) recognizing four species complexes; and (5) indicating the presence of hidden diversity (probably four undescribed species). Finally, we describe a new species (Leptodeira tarairiu sp. nov.) from the open formations of South America (Cerrado and Caatinga), and we provide detailed redescriptions for all South American species of Leptodeira.

We perform a review of the Erythrolamprus reginae species group and putative related taxa (E. dorsocorallinus, E. zweifeli, and E. oligolepis), based on external morphology and hemipenial characters. We infer species boundaries among taxa traditionally associated with this group, recognizing two nominal subspecies (Erythrolamprus reginae reginae and E. r. macrosomus) in the species level. We propose the synonymy of E. r. semilineatus with E. reginae and recognize the validity of the related taxa, such as: E. dorsocorallinus, E. zweifeli, and E. oligolepis. In addition, two specimens occurring in the state Amapá, Brazil, are herein described as a new species. Therefore, we provide an identification key for the species of the group and discuss some of the combination of morphological features useful to delimitate the species of this group, in comparison with other representatives of the genus Erythrolamprus.

We present the first species list of squamate reptiles of the municipality of Barcarena and surroundings, in state of Pará, north of Brazil. The study area is dominated by secondary florest at different successional stages. The list was drawn up as a result of data obtained from specimens deposited in the Herpetological Collection of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi and inventories of the herpetofauna conducted in the Barcarena region. This list comprises 17 families (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae; Sauria: Gekkonidae, Gymnophthalmidae, Iguanidae, Phyllodactylidae, Polychrotidae, Scincidae, Sphaerodactylidae, Teiidae, Tropiduridae; Serpentes: Aniliidae, Boidae, Colubridae, Dipsadidae, Elapidae, Typhlopidae and Viperidae), 44 genera and 59 species of squamate reptiles.