Lema's Ground Snake

distribution

Distribution. Known from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay mostly at the South American open diagonal (Plt. 391 A). In Brazil, widespread in the Caatinga, and restricted to the western portion of the Cerrado and its contact with the Chaco and Pantanal, forming a disjunct distribution along the open diagonal of South America (Plt. 391 A). Recorded from low to intermediate elevations (Plt. 391 B). Previous map and taxonomy in Dixon (1989). Observed in the field in xerophytic forest and semi arid shrubland (Giraudo, 2001; Giraudo and Scrocchi, 2002; Guedes et al., 2014).

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

Lygophis dilepis (Cope 1862) Cope 1862

Lygophis dilepis (Cope, 1862) “Cobra-de-cadarço” (Figs. 16.3 and 29.1) Recorded in the states of Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Bahia, and Minas Gerais. It can be found both in low or upland localities, with maximum recorded altitude of 850 m in the Araripe Plateau, Ceará State. This species is also recorded in the Cerrado region (Nogueira et al. 2010, 2011). Most records are in xerophytic caatinga that includes bushy, herbaceous and arboreal vegetation, and we believe that this snake also inhabits xerophitic vegetation in highlands. It has terrestrial habits, is diurnal, and feeds on frogs (Dixon 1989; Guedes 2006).

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