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Based on specimens housed in scientific collections, we present here a list of snake species from the Municipality of Viçosa, which is located in an Atlantic Forest portion of the State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. Thirty four... more
Based on specimens housed in scientific collections, we present here a list of snake species from the Municipality of Viçosa, which is located in an Atlantic Forest portion of the State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. Thirty four species were confirmed in Viçosa. Two others have uncertain reports and five that were registered in neighboring municipalities could also occur in Viçosa. Information concerning snakes distribution and natural history is also presented, based on scientific literature data and sporadic field observations in the study area. In general, we can consider that the snake fauna of Viçosa is comprised of species which are able to use environments modified by human action, though some of them are dependent on the remaining forest fragments. Fieldwork is still required to improve the knowledge of snake species richness in forest fragments, to confirm the presence of species with uncertain records and potential occurrence in Viçosa, and to investigate the possibility of population declines of those species without records from the last decade.
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We performed a survey of lizards and amphisbaenians from municipality of Viçosa, in Atlantic Forest from state ofMinas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, based on data of the herpetological collections of Museu de Zoologia João... more
We performed a survey of lizards and amphisbaenians from municipality of Viçosa, in Atlantic Forest from state ofMinas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, based on data of the herpetological collections of Museu de Zoologia João Moojen,Universidade Federal de Viçosa, and Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo. One hundred and forty sixspecimens of 14 species were analyzed, belonging to the following families: Amphisbaenidae, Anguidae, Gekkonidae,Gymnophthalmidae, Leiosauridae, Polychrotidae, Scincidae, Teiidae and Tropiduridae. We hope to supply basicinformation that helps to understand species distribution of this group in the Atlantic Forest of Minas Gerais andsoutheastern Brazil.
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A taxonomia das serpentes brasileiras tem experimentado mudanças em sua nomenclatura, as quais foram sumarizadas aos profissionais da área médica por Bernarde(5), com enfoque nas formas peçonhentas. No presente trabalho apresentamos... more
A taxonomia das serpentes brasileiras tem experimentado mudanças em sua nomenclatura, as quais foram sumarizadas aos profissionais da área médica por Bernarde(5), com enfoque nas formas peçonhentas. No presente trabalho apresentamos argumentos contra a aplicação na literatura médica de tais mudanças nomenclaturais recentes (exceto aquelas em nível de espécie), como: o conhecimento incipiente das relações filogenéticas das serpentes, que tem levado à publicação de propostas distintas em um ou vários aspectos; a confusão que a assimilação dessas alterações pode causar entre profissionais não familiarizados com taxonomia; a possibilidade de gastos financeiros para republicação de documentos, materiais educativos, bancos de dados, etc.; a já existente não aplicação das regras rígidas da taxonomia animal pelos profissionais da área médica para com seus objetos de pesquisa. Por fi m, salientamos também o cuidado que deve ser tomado com a aplicação de nomes “populares” para se referir às e...
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Research Interests: Herpetology, Biogeography, Reptiles, Lizards, Biogeografia, and 3 moreSquamata, Tupinambis, and Kentropyx
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ABSTRACT Pseudoautotomy (no spontaneous tail breakage without regeneration) occurs in the snakes Drymoluber brazili (Gomes, 1918) and Drymoluber dichrous (Peters, 1863) throughout their geographic range. Examination of 197 specimens of D.... more
ABSTRACT Pseudoautotomy (no spontaneous tail breakage without regeneration) occurs in the snakes Drymoluber brazili (Gomes, 1918) and Drymoluber dichrous (Peters, 1863) throughout their geographic range. Examination of 197 specimens of D. dichrous and 60 D. brazili show, respectively, a frequency of tail breakage (FTB) in 26% and 40% of specimens, similar or higher than observed for most species with pseudoautotomy. There is no sexual difference in FTB for D. brazili, and no relationship between tail breakage and snout–vent length (SVL). For D. dicrous, tail breakage is more frequently observed in males when specimens are D. dichrous, suggesting that they are subject to similar predation pressures and escape rates, or minor or no effect of habitat structure on predation risk. The FTB increases with SVL in D. dichrous (but not in D. brazili, probably due to sample size), which is an indication that as the snake grows, the chance of being injured increases and partial tail loss becomes an efficient defense. The multiple tail break hypothesis is not supported for the genus Drymoluber Amaral, 1930, remaining restricted to taxa with specialized pseudoautotomy.
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The genus Tupinambis Daudin, 1803 occurs in the most part of South America, from east of Andes to Uruguay and northern Argentina (Ávila-Pires 1995). It contains seven species: T. teguixin (Linnaeus, 1758), T. merianae (Duméril & Bibron,... more
The genus Tupinambis Daudin, 1803 occurs in the most part of South America, from east of Andes to Uruguay and northern Argentina (Ávila-Pires 1995). It contains seven species: T. teguixin (Linnaeus, 1758), T. merianae (Duméril & Bibron, 1839), T. rufescens (Günther, 1871), T. ...
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Abstract: Siphonops annulatus has a wide distribution in South America. Here we provide a new geographic distribution map for this species and two new records from the state of Pará, Brazil, from where it has not been reported since 1876.... more
Abstract: Siphonops annulatus has a wide distribution in South America. Here we provide a new geographic distribution map for this species and two new records from the state of Pará, Brazil, from where it has not been reported since 1876. A specimen collected in the municipality of Senador José Porfírio is the largest specimen of S. annulatus ever recorded.
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1 Museu de Zoologia João Moojen, Vila Gianetti 32, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, CEP 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brasil. E-mails: ccostah@yahoo.com.br, clodoassis@yahoo.com.br, biovalle@yahoo.com.br, rfeio@ufv.br 2 Departamento de Ciências... more
1 Museu de Zoologia João Moojen, Vila Gianetti 32, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, CEP 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brasil. E-mails: ccostah@yahoo.com.br, clodoassis@yahoo.com.br, biovalle@yahoo.com.br, rfeio@ufv.br 2 Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, ...
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A new species of Amphisbaena is described from a semi-deciduous forest in Conceição do Mato Dentro, southern Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The following combined characters can diagnose the new species from all congeners: head... more
A new species of Amphisbaena is described from a semi-deciduous forest in Conceição do Mato Dentro, southern Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The following combined characters can diagnose the new species from all congeners: head round-shaped; two or three precloacal pores sequentially arranged; 190–199 body annuli; 2–3 lateral annuli; 23–25 caudal annuli; autotomy sites on caudal annuli 7–9; 12–14 dorsal segments on midbody annulus; 14–16 ventral segments on midbody annulus; three supralabials; three infralabials; postmalar row present or absent; dorsum light brown, with cream intersegmental sutures; venter cream. To date, the new species is known only from the Espinhaço Range, highlighting the importance of conservation actions for these mountains.
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Herein, we report necrophilia (Davian behaviour) in the lizard Ameiva ameiva in Brazilian Atlantic Forest Domain. A male A. ameiva was found during a sunny day courting and trying to copulate with a road-killed female. The presence of... more
Herein, we report necrophilia (Davian behaviour) in the lizard Ameiva ameiva in Brazilian Atlantic Forest Domain. A male A. ameiva was found during a sunny day courting and trying to copulate with a road-killed female. The presence of developed ovarian follicles confirmed that the female was in breeding condition. The female probably died while making a chemical trail to attract reproductive males. Apparently the male’s behaviour was influenced by the high temperature of the female’s body that was warmed up by the heat of the sun. Although Davian behaviour is not expected to occur frequently, a high number of dead reproductive females in Brazilian roads could result in a high frequency of necrophilia in A. ameiva.
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We correct and clarify some nomenclatural issues involving family‐level and species‐level nomina of Platyrrhini. First, we found that the authorship of Ateles hypoxanthus, Cebus xantosternos, and Callithrix melanochir should be attributed... more
We correct and clarify some nomenclatural issues involving family‐level and species‐level nomina of
Platyrrhini. First, we found that the authorship of Ateles hypoxanthus, Cebus xantosternos, and Callithrix
melanochir should be attributed to Wied (1820) not Kuhl (1820), based on the date of publication. We also
conclude that: i) Thomas (1903) is the author of Callitrichidae; ii) there is no available family‐group name
based on the genus Saguinus Hoffmannsegg, 1807; iii) Mico leucippe is the original name combination and the
author's name should not be set off by parentheses; and iv) we comment on the emendation of genitives of
species and subspecies names derived from personal names, and recommend authors of new nomina explicitly
state the number and gender(s) of the dedicatee(s), and whether the name has been Latinized.
Platyrrhini. First, we found that the authorship of Ateles hypoxanthus, Cebus xantosternos, and Callithrix
melanochir should be attributed to Wied (1820) not Kuhl (1820), based on the date of publication. We also
conclude that: i) Thomas (1903) is the author of Callitrichidae; ii) there is no available family‐group name
based on the genus Saguinus Hoffmannsegg, 1807; iii) Mico leucippe is the original name combination and the
author's name should not be set off by parentheses; and iv) we comment on the emendation of genitives of
species and subspecies names derived from personal names, and recommend authors of new nomina explicitly
state the number and gender(s) of the dedicatee(s), and whether the name has been Latinized.