A new species of burrowing snake (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Apostolepis) from the state of Mato Grosso, Central-West region of Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. During a faunal rescue conducted at a hydroelectric power station constructed in a Cerrado savanna area in the state of Mato Grosso, a sample of five small stripe-patterned individuals of snakes of the genus Apostolepis Cope, 1862 document the existence of an undescribed species, which is named herein. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of scale counts, number of maxillary teeth and color pattern. The new species is most similar to Apostolepis borellii Peracca, 1904, A. lineata Cope, 1887, A. nelsonjorgei Lema & Renner, 2004, A. nigroterminata Boulenger, 1896, A. serrana Lema & Renner, 2006 and A. underwoodi Lema & Campbell, 2017 in its coloration pattern. However, it is distinguished from these species by having a pair of triangular blotches covering portions of the third to sixth supralabials, a white nuchal collar, the shape of the fourth supralabial and the shape of the tip of tail, the number of supralabials in contact with parietals, the size of the anterior chinshields, the color pattern of the paraventral side, parietal and terminal scales, the width of dorsal stripes, and a distinct number of subcaudals. The new species occurs in areas within the Cerrado biome.

New records of Apostolepis kikoi Santos et al., 2018 (Serpentes, Dipsadidae) in the state of Mato Grosso, Central-West Brazil

“…A digital caliper (Digimess 100.176BL) was used to measure the specimens and a stereoscopic microscope for counting and observing diagnostic characters. The identification of the collected specimens was based on the original description of Apostolepis kikoi (Santos et al 2018).…”

“…2); Mato Grosso state, São José dos Quatro Marcos municipality, Identification. Apostolepis kikoi differs from all congeners by a combination of the following diagnostic characters: triangular blotch covering portions of the third to sixth supralabials; white nuchal collar present; five dorsal stripes; distinct and wide paravertebral lines; paraventral sides without spots; 203-209 ventral scales; 26-30 subcaudals; 15 dorsal rows at midbody; six supralabials and seven infralabials (Santos et al 2018). In addition, according to Santos et al (2018), A. kikoi presents the fifth and sixth supralabials in contact with the parietals; lack of temporal scales; one preocular; one supraocular and one postocular; nasal scale in contact with the pre-ocular; fourth supralabial with rectangular shape; and four infralabials coming into contact with the first pair of chin shields.…”

“…Apostolepis kikoi differs from all congeners by a combination of the following diagnostic characters: triangular blotch covering portions of the third to sixth supralabials; white nuchal collar present; five dorsal stripes; distinct and wide paravertebral lines; paraventral sides without spots; 203-209 ventral scales; 26-30 subcaudals; 15 dorsal rows at midbody; six supralabials and seven infralabials (Santos et al 2018). In addition, according to Santos et al (2018), A. kikoi presents the fifth and sixth supralabials in contact with the parietals; lack of temporal scales; one preocular; one supraocular and one postocular; nasal scale in contact with the pre-ocular; fourth supralabial with rectangular shape; and four infralabials coming into contact with the first pair of chin shields. The three specimens of this study match the type series of A. kikoi (Santos et al 2018), except for some slight variations (Table 1): MZT 0011 (female) has a smaller number of subcaudals scales; MZT 0052 (male) has a smaller number of dorsal scales of black caudal band; and MZT 0058 (male) has a triangular blotch covering only the third to fifth supralabial portions.…”

“…Apostolepis kikoi Santos et al, 2018 is a small snake (snout-vent length, 152-310 mm) endemic to Brazil, described based on five individuals (one female as the holotype; three males and one female as paratypes) collected during a fauna rescue program in the reservoir of the Manso Hydroelectric Power Plant, Chapada dos Guimarães, state of Mato Grosso, Central Brazil (Santos et al 2018). This species is known only from its type locality, with no additional records in the literature since its description (Nogueira et al 2019).…”

“…In addition, according to Santos et al (2018), A. kikoi presents the fifth and sixth supralabials in contact with the parietals; lack of temporal scales; one preocular; one supraocular and one postocular; nasal scale in contact with the pre-ocular; fourth supralabial with rectangular shape; and four infralabials coming into contact with the first pair of chin shields. The three specimens of this study match the type series of A. kikoi (Santos et al 2018), except for some slight variations (Table 1): MZT 0011 (female) has a smaller number of subcaudals scales; MZT 0052 (male) has a smaller number of dorsal scales of black caudal band; and MZT 0058 (male) has a triangular blotch covering only the third to fifth supralabial portions.…”