Oueimadas Blackhead

distribution

Distribution. Endemic to Brazil (Plt. 240 A). Known only from three nearby localities in the Caatinga (Fig. 240 A) at low elevations (Fig. 240 B). Observed in the field in xeric scrubland on sandy soil (Rodrigues, 2003; Guedes et al., 2018 b).

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

materials_examined

Type locality. Village of Queimadas, left margin of the São Francisco River, Pilão Arcado, state of Bahia, Brazil.

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

description

(Figs. 1 – 2, Table 1). Described based on a single specimen (MZUSP 10290) from Queimadas (10 ° 23 ’ S, 42 ° 30 ’ W; 295 m a. s. l.), municipality of PilÃo Arcado, state of Bahia, Brazil. A slim juvenile female 215 mm SVL, 20 mm TL (8.5 % of total length); body diameter 2.5 mm (1.2 % SVL); head length 5.64 mm (2.4 % SVL), head width 2.26 mm at broadest point (40.1 % head length); head not distinct from neck; dorsal scales rows 15 / 15 / 15; ventrals 229, divided cloacal plate; paired subcaudals 31; rostral plate slightly wider (0.84 mm) than long (0.66 mm), visible in dorsal view; prefrontals large, slightly wider (0.98 mm) than long (0.89 mm), in broad median contact, shorter than frontal scale; frontal longer (1.31 mm) than wide (1.01 mm), anteriorly exceeding anterior border of supraoculars; parietals very long (2.77 mm), almost two times longer than frontal scale; parietal laterally contacting 5 th and 6 th supralabials, in contact anteriorly with frontal, supraocular and postocular, posteriorly with first rows of dorsals slightly increased; supraoculars smaller than frontal, with their anterior margin very straight; nasal plate entire, longer than high, thinner posteriorly, in

Morphological variation of the rare psammophilous species Apostolepis gaboi (Serpentes, Dipsadidae, Elapomorphini)

distribution

Distribution and natural history notes. Apostolepis gaboi is a psammophilous species endemic of the Caatinga ecoregion (Rodrigues 1992, 2003; Guedes et al. 2014) with a restricted distribution known to encompass only the municipalities of Barra and PilÃo Arcado, in the eastern sandy bank of the SÃo Francisco River, state of Bahia, Brazil (Fig. 5). The vegetation of the area is bushy and herbaceous Caatinga that grows on sandy soil and dunes (Rodrigues 1992; Guedes et al. 2014). Apostolepis gaboi is both diurnal and nocturnal (Rodrigues 1992; Guedes et al. 2014), with a probable feeding preference for elongated preys, as suggested by the only prey item registered so far and identified as Amphisbaena hastata (Damasceno 2002).

Morphological variation of the rare psammophilous species Apostolepis gaboi (Serpentes, Dipsadidae, Elapomorphini)