Isolated by dry lands: integrative analyses unveil the existence of a new species and a previously unknown evolutionary lineage of Brazilian Lanceheads (Serpentes: Viperidae: Bothrops) from a Caatinga moist-forest enclave

Abstract

Here we describe a new species of Lancehead (Bothrops jabrensis sp. nov.) based on three individuals sampled from a previously unknown population from Pico do Jabre, an isolated and small Caatinga moist-forest enclave (CMFE) located in northeastern Brazil. Although this new species has an external morphology resembling those found in representatives of the Bothrops jararaca (Wied-Neuwied, 1824) species group, B. jabrensis can be diagnosed by a combination of meristic and color characters. Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates the new species represents a unique and highly divergent lineage within Bothrops revealing the existence of a previously unknown phylogenetic lineage that has been evolving as an independent unit for more than 8 million years. Additionally, the estimated divergence time of this lineage conflicts with some proposed scenarios of historical processes associated with the evolution of CMFEs. Finally, the uniqueness of this species indicates its relevance for the maintenance of the phylogenetic diversity of Lanceheads in South America. Like other CMFEs, Pico do Jabre is consistently threatened by poaching, illegal fires, deforestation for agricultural purposes, and illegal logging. The restricted distribution of B. jabrensis, in a small and disturbed CMFE, strongly suggests that this species is critically endangered and is likely approaching extinction as a natural population.

Overcoming the phantoms of the past: Influence of predatory stimuli on the antipredator behavior of island pitvipers

“…The Alcatrazes lancehead Bothrops alcatraz and the Golden lancehead Bothrops insularis are pitvipers endemic to Alcatrazes Island and Queimada Grande Island, respectively located about 30 to 35 km off the coast of the state of São Paulo, southeast Brazil [ 17 – 19 ]. Both species have similar origins [ 17 – 19 ].…”

“…The Alcatrazes lancehead Bothrops alcatraz and the Golden lancehead Bothrops insularis are pitvipers endemic to Alcatrazes Island and Queimada Grande Island, respectively located about 30 to 35 km off the coast of the state of São Paulo, southeast Brazil [ 17 – 19 ]. Both species have similar origins [ 17 – 19 ]. During the Pleistocene, the sea level oscillated many times and the isolation of these islands from the mainland occurred about 11,000 years ago, splitting pitviper populations [ 17 – 19 ].…”

“…Both species have similar origins [ 17 – 19 ]. During the Pleistocene, the sea level oscillated many times and the isolation of these islands from the mainland occurred about 11,000 years ago, splitting pitviper populations [ 17 – 19 ]. Genetic studies show that both B .…”

“…alcatraz and B . insularis are restricted to small area islands [ 17 – 19 ] with different predation profiles ( Fig 1 ). The Queimada Grande Island has an area of 43 ha with no terrestrial predators, but houses 56 forest bird species, some of which are potential snake predators [ 18 , 22 ].…”

>b<Determinação do ciclo reprodutivo da jararaca do norte (>i<Bothrops Atrox>/i< - Linnaeus 1758) através de dosagens hormonais e análise ultrassonográfica das gônadas>/b<

“…A jararaca-da-Amazônia (Bothrops atrox) pertence à família Viperidae, a qual inclui cascavéis, surucucus-pico-de-jaca, víboras europeias, africanas e asiáticas, sendo assim uma família de ampla distribuição geográfica, desde regiões temperadas até equatoriais (PYRON; BURBRINK; WIENS, 2013;HAMDAN et al, 2020;THE REPTILE DATABASE, 2021). O gênero Bothrops, que inclui cerca de 30 espécies de jararacas em território brasileiro, é caracterizado por serpentes vivíparas, com dimorfismo sexual, cujas fêmeas são maiores que machos (ALMEIDA-SANTOS; SALOMÃO, 2002;HAMDAN et al, 2020;BARBO et al, 2022aBARBO et al, , 2022b A capacidade da fêmea acumular reservas de energia corpórea para investir em reprodução é diretamente dependente da disponibilidade de presas em seu habitat (BARROS; ROJAS; ALMEIDA-SANTOS, 2020 GINTHER, 1992). A técnica permite a avaliação frequente ou contínua de animais individuais, permitindo o acompanhamento de relações sequenciais dentro e entre as estruturas.…”