Jensen's Ground Snake

distribution

Distribution. Known from Brazil and Paraguay, mostly along the South American open diagonal (Plt. 408 A). In Brazil, widespread in the Cerrado, with marginal isolated records in the Atlantic Forest, Araucaria Forest, and contact areas between Caatinga and Atlantic Forest (Plt. 408 A), mostly at intermediate to high elevations (Plt. 408 B). Observed in the field in gallery forest and upland forest (FranÇa et al., 2008; Loebmann and Haddad, 2010).

Atlas of Brazilian Snakes: Verified Point-Locality Maps to Mitigate the Wallacean Shortfall in a Megadiverse Snake Fauna

Xenopholis undulatus (Jensen 1900) Jensen 1900

Xenopholis undulatus (Jensen, 1900) (Figs. 20.4 and 32.3) It was recorded in the states of Ceará, Paraíba, and Alagoas only in highland areas above 850 m elevation (Borges- Nojosa & Lima 2009; Loebmann & Haddad 2010; Filho & Montingelli 2011), with a single record in contact areas next to the Atlantic Forest, 20 m elevation. It is a rare snake in the field and collections and is considered endemic to the Cerrado region (Nogueira et al. 2010, 2011) where it apparently inhabits riparian forests (CN pers. obs). In the Caatinga, this snake seems to be associated to moist relictual, forested areas in isolated plateaus, and to interior dry forest (agreste) close to the Atlantic coast. It has cryptozoic habits, is diurnal and feeds on frogs (TBG pers. obs).

Diversity, natural history, and geographic distribution of snakes in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil