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

Abstract

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.

Morphological characteristics of worm lizard, Diplometopon zarudnyi (Squamata: Trogonophidae), in the central region of Saudi Arabia

“…Both males and females of D. zarudnyi have 4–6 pre-cloacal pores in a continuous series. Majority of the specimens of D. zarudnyi (93.23%) usually present four precloacal pores which agree with the majority of other amphisbaenians such as Amphisbaena darwinii, A. heterozonata and A. trachura, A. ibijara, A. cunhai, A. medemi, A. carvalhoi and A. frontalis (Rodrigues et al, 2003, Costa et al, 2015) but few (6.01%) have five and only one speciemen have six precloacal pores. Although most amphisbaenians possess caudal autotomy e.g.…”

“…The number of pre-cloacal pores in Amphisbaenia in general ranged between 2 and 12 (Vanzolini, 2002, Pinna et al, 2010, Roberto et al, 2014, Costa et al, 2015). Both males and females of D. zarudnyi have 4–6 pre-cloacal pores in a continuous series.…”

“…The species belonging to Trogonophidae family, share many derived features including acrodont dentition, absence of caudal autotomy, strong craniofacial angle, short tail, enlarged sternal plate and spade-shaped head with sharp cutting edges except genus Trogonophis (Kearney, 2003). These morphometric features were recently described and discussed in several other new species belonging to family Amphisbaenidae such as Amphisbaena carli (Pinna et al, 2010), Amphisbaena littoralis (Roberto et al, 2014) and Amphisbaena metallurga (Costa et al, 2015).…”

An updated diagnosis of the rare Amphisbaena slateri Boulenger, 1907, based on additional specimens (Squamata, Amphisbaenia, Amphisbaenidae)

“…This variation regarding the postmalar row is not a common feature. It was also described for A. metallurga, from southeastern Brazil, and is linked with a polymorphism in the shape of the malars (Costa et al 2015). The only specimen of A. slateri with a postmalar row (KUH 135171) has small malars that do not touch the third infralabials, contrary to the other four specimens.…”

Clinical and post mortem examination of white worm lizards (Amphisbaena alba) in the State of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil: morphological, pathological and radiographic findings of a secretive species

“…These highly specialized burrowing reptiles have fossorial habits and are distributed primarily in South America, Caribe, and Sub-Saharan Africa (Teixeira Junior et al 2019). In Brazil, more than 70 species have been described (Teixeira Junior et al 2019), many of them in the last decade (Pinna et al 2010, Ribeiro et al 2011, 2016, 2019, Roberto et al 2014, Teixeira Junior et al 2014, Costa et al 2015, Almeida et al 2018, Oliveira et al 2018. Three species, Amphisbaena kiriri, Amphisbaena longinqua and Amphisbaena mongoyo, have been recently described in Northeastern Brazil (Ribeiro et al 2018, Teixeira Junior et al 2019.…”