ORIGINAL ARTICLE Sympatric amphisbaenids from Manso Dam region, Mato Grosso State, Western Brazil,...

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Sympatric amphisbaenids from Manso Dam region, Mato Grosso State, Western Brazil, with thedescription of a new two-pored species of Amphisbaena (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae)

Christine Strussmanna* and Tamı Mottb

aDepartamento de Ciencias Basicas e Producao Animal, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinaria, Universidade Federal

de Mato Grosso, Cuiaba, Mato Grosso, Brazil; bPrograma de Pos Graduacao em Ecologia e Conservacao da Biodiversidade,

Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiaba, Bolsista PRODUC CAPES, Brazil

(Received 14 July 2004; accepted 14 November 2008)

A new species in the genus Amphisbaena is described based on a single specimen road killed on MT 351 in theregion under the influence of Manso Dam, at Chapada dos Guimaraes municipality, state of Mato Grosso,Brazil. It is a small amphisbaenid with two precloacal pores, 139 body annuli, 18/14 segments on the midbodyand an immaculate white belly. A checklist of the 25 species of amphisbaenids recorded for the Cerrado biome ispresented. Although ecological and/or historical features might be the reason for the unusual amphisbaenidrichness of eight sympatric species at Manso Dam region, the extensive collecting efforts at this site seem to offera better explanation for finding eight sympatric species.

Uma nova especie de Amphisbaena e descrita com base em um exemplar coletado na rodovia MT 351, regiao deinfluencia da usina hidreletrica de Manso, Chapada dos Guimaraes, estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil. A novaespecie distingue-se de todos os demais anfisbenıdeos que possuem dois poros pre-cloacais pelo menor numero deaneis corporais (139), 18 escamas dorsais e 14 escamas ventrais em um anel no meio do corpo e ventre imaculado.E apresentada uma lista dos anfisbenıdeos registrados no Cerrado, da qual constam 25 especies. Embora fatoresecologicos e/ou historicos possam ser empregados para explicar a elevada riqueza de anfisbenıdeos na regiao doreservatorio de Manso, o intenso esforco amostral naquela area parece melhor justificar o registro de oitoespecies simpatricas.

Keywords: Amphisbaenidae; Amphisbaena brevis sp. n.; new species; sympatry; Cerrado; Mato Grosso

Introduction

Amphisbaenians, or worm lizards, constitute an

array of approximately 190 species of highly specia-

lized fossorial squamates (Gans 2005). They comprise

a monophyletic group (Macey et al. 2004; Kearney &

Stuart 2004; Townsend et al. 2004), distributed over

all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Six

families are recognized in the suborder Amphisbaenia

(Vidal et al. 2008), but only the most speciose family,

Amphisbaenidae, occurs in Brazil, for which at least

57 species in six genera are listed (Gans 2005).

Amphisbaenids are widely distributed in Brazil,

and approximately 50% of the species recorded for

this country are known to occur in the Cerrado. That

region is Brazil’s second largest biome, covering

approximately 2 million km2 in the Central Brazilian

Plateau. Ancientness and the mosaic nature of

ecological conditions in the Cerrado may have

contributed to the development of a diverse herpeto-

fauna, and to a high level of local turnover of species,

at least for lizards (Araujo 1994). Due to biological

richness and high level of menace to this biodiversity,

the whole biome is being treated as a hotspot (see

Myers et al. 2001; Conservation International 2005).

In the last three decades, owing to expanding

agriculture and cattle ranching, the original Cerrado

area was reduced by more than 70% (Alho & Martins1995; Conservation International 2005).

Construction of new hydroelectric power plants in

Cerrado also has been responsible for the loss of huge

extensions of natural habitats, otherwise providing

unique opportunities to locate fossorial fauna,

because underground animals emerge from the soil

following such profound disturbances as soil rooting

and flooding. While conducting herpetofaunal inven-tories in the region of the Manso hydroelectric power

plant in mid-southern Mato Grosso State (western

Brazil), we found an unusual number of sympatric

species of amphisbaenids, one of them still unde-

scribed. Here, we present data on the local amphis-

baenid species composition and provide a description

of the new taxon. Where appropriate, range exten-

sions and meristic data are presented and discussed.

*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment

Vol. 44, No. 1, April 2009, 37–46

ISSN 0165-0521 print/ISSN 1744-5140 online

# 2009 Taylor & Francis

DOI: 10.1080/01650520802628295

http://www.informaworld.com

Downloaded By: [University of Sao Paulo] At: 17:08 13 May 2009

Materials and methods

Study area

The reservoir behind Manso Dam was created by the

inundation of about 428 km2 of diverse Cerrado

physiognomies from the confluence of Casca and

Manso rivers (approximately at 14u529S, 55u489W)

upstream. The Manso River is the main contributor

to the Cuiaba River, a major tributary of the left

bank of the Paraguay River, which forms the main

axis of the Paraguay River Basin. The climate is

generally hot and semi-humid, with a well-marked

seasonality (Nimer 1979). Mean annual temperature

is around 26uC, with the coldest month being July,

and the hottest, October. The rainy season occurs

during the summer, from October/November to

April/May. Total annual precipitation is, on average,

around 1350 mm. There are 4–5 months of drought

(May to September), and from July to September

relative air humidity may drop to less than 30% (Alho

2000).

The ‘‘region under the influence of the Manso

Dam’’ referred to in this paper is the whole area now

inundated by the reservoir, plus a buffering zone of

10 km along the margins (area of direct influence),

and a few collecting sites situated within 30 km from

those margins (sections of the paved road MT 351

and of the unpaved road to Agua Fria, see Figure 1).

We particularly and repeatedly sampled habitats on

both margins of the Casca River, from its confluence

with the Manso up to the mouth of the Quilombo

River, a major tributary of the Casca (Figure 1).

Fieldwork was mostly done in areas of Fazenda

Morro do Chapeu, Fazenda Jopejo, and in the

neighborhood of Manso facilities, from August

1998 to March 2002.

Sampling of amphisbaenids

Specimens were collected opportunistically in visual

encounter surveys, pitfall traps (without drift fences)

and while following bulldozers during biological

inventories and monitoring activities in the area to

be inundated by the reservoir of the Manso, and also

during the filling of the reservoir. All the specimens

mentioned in the text are deposited at the Vertebrate

Collection of the Federal University of Mato Grosso,

Cuiaba, Brazil (UFMT collection), except for the

holotype of the new species, which is housed at the

State University of Campinas (UNICAMP, Campinas,

Sao Paulo, Brazil; ZUEC collection). Museum acro-

nyms other than UFMT follow Leviton et al. (1985).

Counts of annuli were made along the left side of

the ventral surface (except when otherwise indicated),

according to Gans & Alexander (1962). We also

followed these authors when describing the pholido-

sis of the new species. Species in Tables 1 and 2 are

arranged as in Vanzolini (2002a), by ascending order

of the number of precloacal pores.

Results

Amphisbaena brevis sp. n.

(Figures 2A–D, 3A–E)

Holotype

Male specimen (ZUEC 2834), road killed near km 63

of the paved road MT 351 (14u579220S, 55u529000W),

70 km north of Cuiaba, municipality of Chapada dos

Guimaraes, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, collected

on 16 December 2001 by Christine Strussmann.

Etymology

The specific name is derived from the Latin word

brevis, meaning short. It refers to the general

appearance of the holotype, and addresses the most

remarkable trait of this two-pored species: the lowest

number of body annuli among all species presently

known in the genus Amphisbaena.

Diagnosis

Among the two-pored species of Amphisbaena, A.

brevis sp. n. has only 139 body annuli, while A. dubia

Muller, 1924, A. mitchelli Procter, 1923, A. leeseri

Gans, 1964, A. miringoera Vanzolini, 1971, and A.

hiata Montero & Cespedez, 2002 have more than 200.

Amphisbaena brevis sp. n. can be easily distinguished

from A. silvestrii Boulenger, 1902, A. neglecta Dunn

& Piatt, 1936, A. crisae Vanzolini, 1997 and A.

anaemariae Vanzolini, 1997 by the belly that lacks

pigment, in striking contrast with the heavily

pigmented ventral surface of the tail, and the least

number of body annuli (139 instead of more than 150

for the other species). It can be further distinguished

from these four species by a higher number of dorsal

midbody segments (18 instead of 10–12, 12–14, 10,

and 14–16, respectively). The new species differs from

A. trachura Dumeril & Bibron, 1839 and A. hetero-

zonata Burmeister, 1861 by the lower number of body

annuli (139 instead of 178–199 and 190–207, respec-

tively), and lower number of midbody ventral

segments (14 instead of 16–22 and 15–22).

Description

Holotype male: small, robust, with abbreviated,

conical blunt tail. No dorsal or ventral sulci. Faint

38 C. Strussmann and T. Mott


lateral sulci. Head not distinct from trunk, with a

relatively wide, rounded snout, without major fusion

of head shields. Paired nasals, prefrontals, frontals

and parietals. Prefrontals are largest scales on top of

the head, being as long as wide, and rhomboidal.

Frontals longer but narrower than prefrontals,

almost trapezoidal in shape. Suture between frontals

is the longest on the top of the head. Parietals

irregular in shape, in point contact in sagittal line.

Anterior tip of each parietal approximately at the

same level of contact point between the third

supralabial and postocular. Parietal in broad contact

with frontal, postocular, and, on the right side, with

three large scales of the second body annulus. On left

side, two of these scales fused, and left parietal in

posterior contact with only two scales of the second

body annulus. Postocular about the same size as

parietal, lance-shaped, and in broad contact with

frontal, parietal, ocular and temporal. Postocular

also in point contact with prefrontal. Three

Figure 1. Region under direct influence of the Manso Dam (gray area) and a portion of Chapada dos Guimaraes plateau(elevations 600–900 m above sea level, stippled). Star: type-locality of Amphisbaena brevis sp. n.; dashed lines: paved roads;dotted line: unpaved road; insert gray area: limits of Cerrado biome.

Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 39


Table 1. Meristic and metric data for the amphisbaenids obtained at Manso Dam region, Chapada dos Guimaraes, Mato Grosso, Brazil (measurements in mm).

Collection number

Number of

precloacal pores

Annuli

(body+lateral+caudal)a

Segments (dorsal/

ventral)

Cloacal segmentsHead

width

Midbody

width

Length

(snout–vent+tail)Pre- Post-

Leposternon infraorbitale (Berthold, 1859)b

UFMT 368 0 367/297+8+16 36/36 - 6.62 7.46 220+9

UFMT 369 0 325/255+5+9 35/35 - 11.82 14.91 381+16

UFMT 370 0 319/236+5+9 30/33 - 11.47 15.03 488+18

Amphisbaena brevis sp. n.

ZUEC 2834 2 139+4+9c 18/14 4 11 4.73 8.50 137+11

Amphisbaena silvestrii Boulenger, 1902

UFMT 364 2 180+3+6d 10/12 4 8 4.30 4.81 163+8

UFMT 365 2 179+4+20 10/10 4 8 3.17 3.56 110+13

UFMT 366 2 181+3+21 12/12 4 8 3.47 3.52 131+17

UFMT 367 2 181+3+21 10/12 4 8 2.60 2.74 76+9

Cercolophia roberti (Gans, 1964)

UFMT 360 2 232+5+19 16/16 7 10 3.91 5.47 189+16

UFMT 361 2 242+3+20 16/16 6 10 4.25 6.73 242+20

UFMT 362 2 240+4+19 16/16 8 10 3.97 5.35 189+16

UFMT 363 2 247+3+20 16/16 8 9 4.87 5.93 268+22

Cercolophia cuiabana Strussmann and Carvalho, 2001

UFMT 355 4 297+4+21 14/16 8 12 3.16 3.75 182+17

UFMT 356 4 320+4+20 16/15 7 14 2.52 2.76 136+12

UFMT 357 4 294+4+20 15/16 8 12 3.00 4.49 220+20

UFMT 358 4 294+4+19 18/18 10 12 3.40 4.41 220+16

UFMT 359 2 283+4+17 18/18 11 15 4.53 6.82 284+22

Amphisbaena alba Linnaeus, 1758

UFMT 345 6 208+3+18 31/40 9 12 9.39 10.84 290+26

UFMT 346 6 214+3+16 31/39 13 13 6.40 6.49 160+19

UFMT 347 6 215+3+16 39/31 8 13 13.0 15.34 358+31

UFMT 348 7 209+3+17 33/38 8 11 10.24 13.39 298+27

UFMT 371 7 212+3+16 41/32 11 12 16.79 19.13 406+32

Amphisbaena amazonica Vanzolini, 1951

UFMT 349 6 201+4+24 23/22 9 13 8.27 8.88 243+34

UFMT 350 8 200+4+27 24/22 10 11 10.68 14.20 308+46

UFMT 351 8 191+4+24 24/21 10 12 10.93 12.29 296+41

UFMT 352 8 201+4+25 25/23 10 13 7.34 7.80 186+24

Amphisbaena mertensii Strauch, 1881

UFMT 353 9 246+3+28 24/20 9 11 6.71 7.69 326+43

UFMT 354 8 194+4+26 22/22 8 13 6.31 7.30 272+36

aFor specimens in the genus Leposternon, counts are expressed as in Gans (1971). bThe three specimens from Manso show higher counts of body annuli than the two from Cuiaba (Gans 1971).

Considering the low number of specimens, it is plausible to attribute the discrepancy to intraspecific variation. cTail short and blunt, probably once autotomized and completely healed. dTail

possibly autotomized.

40

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supralabials, the third one slightly larger than the

other two. First supralabial smallest, in broad contact

with rostral and nasal. Second supralabial in contact

with anterior half of lateral edge of prefrontal.

Second and third supralabials in broad contact with

ocular. Ocular diamond-shaped, almost 50% smaller

than third supralabial. Ocular in point contact with

frontal and temporal, and in broad contact with

prefrontal, postocular, and second and third supra-

labials. Three infralabials, the first smallest, the

second largest. Mental as long as wide. Post-mental

shield-shaped, almost transversally segmented by a

crease in anterior portion of scale. Post-mental in

broad contact with second infralabial and first row of

postgenials. Post-mental also in point contact with

malars. Malars about the same size as second

infralabial, almost trapezoidal in shape, and kept

from medial contact by five postgenials, in two rows.

No postmalar row.

The form has 139 body annuli and 10 caudal

annuli. First body annulus well defined only ven-

trally, formed by 17 segments (including temporals,

postoculars and parietals). Segment counts in the

next seven annuli: 18, 23, 20, 18, 20, 24, 25, the

annulus with fewest segments corresponding to

discreet nuchal constriction. Lateral sulcus beginning

at level of 40th annulus on right side, and 45th on left

side. Middorsal segments 1.5 times longer than wide,

lateral segments as long as wide and midventral

segments two times wider than long. Cloacal region

with four lateral and 11 precloacal and postcloacal

segments, respectively. Two round, small precloacal

pores, situated near posterior suture of the scale

bearing them. Number of segments on tail posterior

to postcloacal segments: 22, 21, 18, 20, 19, 17, 15, 13

and 10. Tail short, cylindrical, without autotomy

constriction, with rounded tip, probably a healed

autotomized tail.

Figure 4 shows some body proportions; numerical

data are summarized in Table 1.

Color pattern

In 70% ethanol, the tip of the head is whitish. Rest of

dorsal surface of head, body and tail uniform dark

brown, each pigmented segment bordered by thin

lighter edges (Figure 3A, B). Ventral segments

slightly pigmented starting at fourth body annulus.

From this point to cloaca, pigmented ventral

segments lighter than dorsal ones, due to thicker

lighter edges. Pigmentation in the ventral surface not

extending beyond fifth ventral segment thus entire

ventral surface with immaculate pattern, in striking

contrast to dorsum (Figure 3C, D). Ventral surface of

tail completely dark brown (Figure 3E).

Natural history

The only specimen available was found in a region

where the original cerrado (sensu stricto) vegetation

had in part been transformed into pasture. Local soil

is highly sandy, with a small percentage of clay.

Examination of the reproductive tract of the holotype

revealed convoluted epididymes.

Species composition at Manso Dam region

Eight species of amphisbaenids were found in the

Manso Dam region (Table 2), after 4 years of

herpetological studies in the area, 1452 person/hours

of field observations, and 728 buckets/month of

pitfall trapping. Meristic and metric data of available

specimens of each species are presented in Table 1.

Discussion

All amphisbaenid specimens collected at Manso were

found within the limits of Chapada dos Guimaraes

municipality (altitudinal range from 200 to 400 m),

although they may come from different habitats

(cerrado sensu stricto, pasture, gallery forest).

Because Chapada dos Guimarares is the type locality

for A. neglecta, there are actually nine species of

Table 2. Species and numbers of amphisbaenids found in Manso Dam region, Chapada dos Guimaraes, Mato Grosso,between August 1998 and March 2002.

Species No. of specimens Source of specimensa Habitats

Leposternon infraorbitale 3 I, M, R Gallery forest

Amphisbaena brevis sp. n. 1 M Pasture

Amphisbaena silvestrii 4 I, R Semidecidual forest

Cercolophia roberti 4 R –

Cercolophia cuiabana 7 I, R Cerrado sensu stricto

Amphisbaena alba 76 I, M, R Ecotone pasture/cerrado sensu stricto

Amphisbaena amazonica 13 M, R Gallery forest

Amphisbaena mertensii 2 M, R Cerrado sensu stricto

aI, biological inventory program (1998–1999); M, monitoring program (2000–2002); R, faunal rescue program (1999–2001).



amphisbaenids known to occur in the region. This

number of sympatric (but not necessarily syntopic)

species of amphisbaenids is presently unparalleled in

any other locality in Brazil.

Following an analysis of the herpetological

material housed in the Universidade de Brasılia

collection (CHUNB), Araujo & Colli (2003) stated

that for localities in the better sampled East–West

main axis of the Cerrado, evidence suggests the

coexistence of only two sympatric species of amphis-

baenids, in a radius of 20 km. This suggestion clearly

needs to be reexamined, in the light of recent findings,

at least for Amazon Forest–Cerrado contact zones.

Five species of amphisbaenids were found in an

area of 1784 km2 flooded by the Serra da Mesa

hydroeletric power plant (Castro-Mello 1999). In

Figure 2. Holotype of Amphisbaena brevis sp. n. (ZUEC2834). (A–C) Dorsal, lateral (right side), and ventral view ofthe head; (D) ventral view of the cloacal region and tail.Scale bars: 1.5 mm.

Figure 3. Holotype of Amphisbaena brevis sp. n. (ZUEC2834); pigmentation pattern and relative segmental propor-tions. (A) Dorsal view of head; (B) dorsal view of midbody;(C) lateral view of midbody; (D) ventral view of midbody;(E) ventral view of cloacal region and tail.



another open formation, the Brazilian Caatinga,

Rodrigues (2002) reported the presence of seven

species of amphisbaenids on Quaternary sand dunes

of the Middle Sao Francisco River (9–11uS, 41–

43uW), in the state of Bahia. Although this appears

an impressive number of sympatric amphisbaenids, it

must be considered that sand dunes represent an

extensive area (approximately 5000 km2, according to

Rodrigues 1996). Additionally, the Sao Francisco

River represents a geographical barrier between

herpetofaunal assemblages from opposite riverbanks,

and no more than four sympatric amphisbaenids

were recorded on the same bank.

The total number of amphisbaenid individuals

obtained at Manso Dam region is less than the

amount recorded for other hydroelectric power

plants in the Cerrado (Table 3). Data in Table 3

indicate that the number of specimens is not

proportional to the size of the reservoir. Therefore,

differential faunal rescue efforts, timing of reservoir

filling, and topography, among other factors, may

have influenced the numbers of amphisbaenids

obtained in the hydroelectric power plants. This

point needs further investigation.

Although ecological and/or historical features

might be the reason for the unusual amphisbaenid

richness at Manso Dam region, the extensive collecting

efforts at this site seem to offer a better explanation for

finding eight sympatric species. Despite the dearth of

appropriate methodologies for capturing fossorial

herpetofauna and scant zoological knowledge of the

Cerrado, the Manso Dam site has become a unique

opportunity for researchers. The reservoir of Manso

not only flooded a huge area, but also demanded the

longest zoological inventory, faunal rescue and long-

term monitoring programs ever done in Mato Grosso

state. Field efforts spent in this area were likely to be

decisive for finding several species of sympatric

amphisbaenids at Chapada dos Guimaraes. In fact,

the high rate at which new species of amphisbaenids are

being described in recent years is clearly related to the

increasing number of rescue operations during the

filling of reservoirs from hydroelectric power plants.

The types of six out of the 12 species of Amphisbaena

Figure 4. Scatter diagram of (A) head width versus midbody width and (B) head width versus snout–vent length forspecimens of sympatric two-pored Amphisbaenidae from Manso region, belonging to Amphisbaena brevis sp. n., A. silvestrii,and Cercolophia roberti.



described from Brazil in the last decade were obtained

during faunal rescue operations.

Currently, 25 species of amphisbaenids are men-

tioned as occurring in Cerrado (see Table 4). Only

two species (Amphisbaena silvestrii and Cercolophia

cuiabana, and possibly three, if A. neglecta is

included) seem either to be restricted to Cerrado or,

due to collecting artifact, were not recorded for other

biomes. We cannot infer habitat preferences with our

single specimen of Amphisbaena brevis sp. n.

In spite of the increasing opportunities to obtain

amphisbaenians, particularly during dam construc-

tion, we believe that there is an urgent need for

systematic collection and analysis of data on soil

characteristics whenever an amphisbaenian is found.

This information would reveal interesting patterns

of the ecological requirements of distinct species.

For example, we observed that Amphisbaena silves-

trii and A. amazonica occur in forested habitats with

well-structured soils, whilst A. mertensii and

Cercolophia cuiabana occur in sandy soils of cerrado

sensu stricto, with a small percentage of organic

matter. With such additional information, collecting

efforts might be maximized and a better

estimation of the underground diversity would be

attained.

Table 3. Comparison among hydroelectric powerplants in the Cerrado region, regarding physical characteristics, number ofamphisbaenid species, and number of specimens obtained during faunal rescue operations.

Hydroelectrical

powerplant Geographic position

Inundation

area (km2)

Duration of rescue

operations (months) Habitats

Total no. of

species

Total no. of

specimens

Guapore, MT 15u109S, 58u559W 4.32 6 Semidecidual seasonal forest;

pasture

3 1248

Serra da Mesa, GO 13u319S, 48u139W 1,784.00 26 Cerrado (sensu stricto) 5 440

Manso, MT 14u529S, 55u489W 428.00 16 Cerrado (sensu stricto);

cerradao; gallery forest;

valley forest; pasture

8 106

Sources: Guapore, C. Strussmann (unpublished); Serra da Mesa, Castro-Mello (1999) and Santos and Silva (1999); Manso, present study.

Table 4. Species of amphisbaenids presently known from the Cerrado biome.

Species Some evidence for assigning each species to the Cerrado biome

Distribution

patterna

Amphisbaena alba Linnaeus, 1758 Vanzolini (1948); Gans (1962); Castro-Mello (1999); present

study

W

A. amazonica Vanzolini, 1951 Castro-Mello (1999); Vanzolini (2002a, 2002b); present study R

A. brevis sp. n. Present study R

A. anaemariae Vanzolini, 1997 Vanzolini (1997); Castro-Mello (1999); Nogueira (2001) R

A. camura Cope, 1862 Montero (1996) P

A crisae Vanzolini, 1997 Vanzolini (1997) R

A. leeseri Gans, 1964 Gans (1967) P

A. mensae Castro-Mello, 2000 Castro-Mello (1999, 2000) R

A. mertensii Strauch, 1881 Vanzolini (1948); present study W

A. miringoera Vanzolini, 1971 Vanzolini (1971) R

A. neglecta Dunn & Piatt, 1936 Costa et al. (1981) R

A. prunicolor albocingulata Boettger, 1885 Costa et al. (1981) ?

A. sanctaeritae Vanzolini, 1994 Vanzolini (1994) R

A. silvestrii Boulenger, 1902 Costa et al. (1981); Valdujo & Nogueira (2001); present study P

A. talisiae Vanzolini, 1995 Vanzolini (1995) R

A. vermicularis Wagler, 1824 Castro-Mello (1999) W

Bronia bedai Vanzolini, 1991 Vanzolini (1991b) P

B. kraoh Vanzolini, 1971 Vanzolini (1971, 1991b) R

B. saxosa Castro-Mello, 2003 Castro-Mello (2003) R

Cercolophia absaberi Strussmann & Carvalho, 2001 Strussmann & Carvalho (2001) R

C. cuiabana Strussmann & Carvalho, 2001 Strussmann & Carvalho (2001); present study R

C. roberti (Gans, 1964) Vanzolini (1991a, 1992); present study W

C. steindachneri (Strauch, 1881) Costa et al. (1981); Vanzolini (1992) P

Leposternon infraorbitale (Berthold, 1859) Cope (1887); Gans (1971); present study W

L. microcephalum Wagler, 1824 Barros Filho (2000); Colli et al. (2002) R

aP, peripheral; R, restricted; W, widespread.



Range extensions

Amphisbaena amazonica

Known distribution of the species is based on reports

by Vanzolini (1951), Castro-Mello (1999), Chalkidis

(2000), Chalkidis et al. (2002), and Vanzolini (2002b).

The only records for the Cerrado region are those of

Castro-Mello (1999): Minacu (13u319S, 48u139W),

and of Vanzolini (2002b): Piracanjuba (17u189S,

49u019W), both in the state of Goias. All other

specimens mentioned in the literature are from

localities in Amazonian or Atlantic rainforest. The

presence of A. amazonica at Manso is the first record

for the Paraguay River Basin (see Brasil 1997), and

the westernmost record in the Cerrado biome,

extending its known distribution for approximately

750 km northwestwards of Piracanjuba.

Amphisbaena mertensii

In his redescription of the species, Gans (1966)

provided a distribution map depicting Igarapava

(state of Sao Paulo, near 20uS) as the northernmost

known record for A. mertensii. Actually, the north-

ernmost locality cited by Gans in the text is Colonia

Teresa Cristina, the type locality of A. mattogrossen-

sis Peracca, 1898, a junior synonym for A. mertensii.

This locality was misplaced in Gans’ map, beyond

Igarapava and far from its actual geographic position

(approximately 16u389S, 55u149W), in the state of

Mato Grosso instead of Mato Grosso do Sul, as one

can infer from the map. Presence of A. mertensii at

the Manso Dam region extends the known range of

the species ca. 200 km northwards of Colonia Teresa

Cristina (most probably, an indigenous reserve

mentioned as ‘‘Aldeia Teresa Cristina’’ in recent

maps.

Cercolophia cuiabana

This species has been recorded only from the type

locality Cuiaba (Strussmann & Carvalho 2001). The

occurrence in the neighborhood of the Manso Dam

extends its known range for about 60 km to the

northeast.

Cercolophia roberti

At the time of its description as Amphisbaena roberti,

the species was known from 11 localities in the

Brazilian states of Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, and

Goias (Gans 1964). Examination of additional

material allowed the range of the species to be

expanded to localities in the states of Espirito Santo

and Parana (Vanzolini 1991a; Moura-Leite et al.

1996). Montero and Terol (1999) referred to

Paraguayan material from Amambay (20u179S,

58u179W), this being the westernmost record for the

species. The presence of C. roberti at the Manso Dam

region adds another Brazilian state to the list: Mato

Grosso.

Acknowledgements

Jair Serratel offered permission and facilities for the

fieldwork at Fazenda Morro do Chapeu; Cleber J.R.

Alho led the biological programs conducted at

Manso; many volunteers and workers involved in

these programs offered field companionship and/or

specimens; Wolf Dieter Eberhard helped with the

map; Catia Nunes da Cunha (Project Ecologia do

Gran Pantanal/Federal University of Mato Grosso)

offered us the laboratory support which made it

possible to examine and draw the type specimen.

Sheda Morshed reviewed our English on a first draft

of the manuscript, and Marvalee Wake gave valuable

suggestions to improve the text. We express our

gratitude to all these people.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE Sympatric amphisbaenids from Manso Dam region, Mato Grosso State, Western Brazil,...

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