Amphisbaena carvalhoi Gans, 1965

Sales, Raul Fernandes Dantas, Caramaschi, Ulisses & Freire, Eliza Maria Xavier, 2024, Amphisbaena lumbricalis Vanzolini, 1996 is a synonym of Amphisbaena carvalhoi Gans, 1965 (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae), Zootaxa 5496 (1), pp. 72-88 : 78-82

Amphisbaena carvalhoi Gans, 1965

Amphisbaena carvalhoi Gans, 1965 . Holotype: MNRJ 2095 . Type Locality: “Poção, Municipio de Pesqueira , Pernambuco, Brazil ”.

Amphisbaena lumbricalis Vanzolini, 1996 . Holotype: MZUSP 79433 . Type locality: “ Hydroelectric plant of Xingó, on the lower Rio São Francisco , on the side of the state of Alagoas (left bank)”.

Holotype. MNRJ 2095 ( Fig. 4 ). Currently the specimen is discolored and broken in three pieces, but basic taxonomic characters are present. The specimen was collected by Antenor Leitão de Carvalho (1910–1985), in June to November 1936, during a trip to the states of Pernambuco, Paraíba, and Ceará, Northeastern Brazil ( Carvalho, 1937). However, neither Carvalho (1937), nor Miranda-Ribeiro (1937), who studied the fishes and amphibians obtained, referred to the collection of amphisbaenians.

Type locality. Gans (1965) referred the type locality of A. carvalhoi as “Poção, Municipio de Pesqueira, Pernambuco, Brazil ”. He added: “Poção lies on the Serra do Acahy at 1035 m elevation, and the specimen was collected in broken up granite graves near the top of the mountain range (cf. Carvalho, 1937)”. However, Carvalho (1937) didn’t present this information. It is possible that Carl Gans obtained it directly from Antenor Carvalho’s personal communication.

At the time of the collection of the type specimens in 1937, Poção was a district subordinate to the Municipality of Pesqueira. Poção was raised to the grade of municipality through a decree from 29 December 1953, dismembered from Pesqueira. The installation of the Municipality of Poção , Pernambuco state, occurred on 22 May 1954. Currently , the type locality of A. carvalhoi must be quoted as Municipality of Poção (8.1865° S, 36.7023° W; 995 m a.s.l.), Pernambuco state, Northeastern Brazil ( Table1 ; Fig. 2 ).

Definition. A species of Amphisbaena with: (1) a round head in dorsal and lateral view, more or less pointed and dorsoventrally compressed; (2) suture lengths: prefrontal> frontal> nasal; (3) precloacal pores four, round, variably expressed, without median hiatus (rarely 2, 5 or 6); (4) lateral sulcus present, dorsal and ventral sulci absent; (5) body annuli 223–249; (6) lateral annuli 3–4; (7) caudal annuli 19–26; (8) autotomy on 6 th to 10 th caudal annulus (not apparent in the intact tail of some specimens); (9) tail round in cross-section, throughout its length until the tip; (10) dorsal surface of tail with non-tuberculate segments; (11) dorsal segments 12–14 and ventral segments 16–20 in a midbody annulus; (12) supralabials three; (13) infralabials three; (14) first parietals very variable in size and shape, but usually contacting postoculars; (15) postocular one; (16) temporal one; (17) postgenials usually in two rows, the first one with two and the second one with three scales (some individuals with two rows of three scales, two rows of three and four scales, or one row of two or three scales); (18) postmalar row absent; (19) small body size (SVL <170 mm); (20) in preservative, dorsal ground color cream (pinkish in life), with center of segments brown, and venter immaculate cream after the first to seventh segment below the lateral sulcus; tail slightly darker than body, with center of segments brown dorsally and brown or immaculate cream ventrally; head slightly lighter than body ( Fig. 5 ).

Diagnosis. Comparisons are made with all species of Amphisbaenidae from South America. The presence of a round head distinguishes Amphisbaena carvalhoi from A. anomala and all species of Leposternon (head shovelshaped), and from A. acrobeles , A. bilabialata , A. kingii , and Mesobaena spp. (head keel-shaped). Among species with a round head, the presence of four precloacal pores in A. carvalhoi (97% of examined specimens) distinguishes it from (number of pores inside parentheses) A. maranhensis and A. uroxena (0), A. dubia and A. hiata (0 in females, 2 in males), A. absaberi , A. anaemariae , A. brevis , A. caiari , A. carli , A. crisae , A. filiformis , A. kiriri , A. leeseri , A. longinqua , A. mebengokre , A. miringoera , A. mitchelli , A. neglecta , A. persephone , A. roberti , and A. silvestrii (2), A. mertensii (5–8), A. pretrei (5–9), A. littoralis (5–6), A. ignatiana , A. kraoh , A. saxosa , and A. stejnegeri (6), A. fuliginosa (6–10), and A. leucocephala (10–13).

Among round-headed amphisbaenians from South America with four precloacal pores ( Table 3 ), the absence of median hiatus in the series of pores of A. carvalhoi distinguishes it from A. arenaria , A. bedai , A. borelli , A. brasiliana , A. cuiabana and A. steindachneri (pores separated by a median hiatus). The presence of 223–249 body annuli distinguishes A. carvalhoi from A. albocingulata , A. angustifrons , A. arenicola , A. caetitensis , A. camura , A. cegei , A. darwinii , A. heathi , A. heterozonata , A. hogei , A. metallurga , A. mongoyo , A. munoai , A. myersi , A. nana , A. pericensis , A. prunicolor , A. ridleyi , A. rozei , A. slateri , A. slevini , A. spurrelli , A. tiaraju , A. trachura and A. tragorrhectes (body annuli <223), and from A. arenaria , A. bedai , A. cuiabana , A. hastata , A. occidentalis , A. polygrammica , A. sanctaeritae , A. steindachneri , A. supernumeraria and A. townsendi (body annuli> 256).

Additionally, A. carvalhoi possesses 19–26 caudal annuli, which distinguishes it from A. acangaoba , A. angustifrons , A. bahiana , A. brasiliana , A. caetitensis , A. medemi , A. ridleyi and A. steindachneri (caudal annuli <18), and from A. arda and A. hastata (caudal annuli> 30). The autotomic site on 6 th to 10 th caudal annulus distinguishes A. carvalhoi from A. acangaoba , A. alba , A. angustifrons , A. bahiana , A. brasiliana , A. caetitensis and A. ridleyi (absence of autotomic site), from A. bolivica and A. camura (autotomic site on 3 rd to 5 th caudal annulus), and from A. hastata and A. hogei (autotomic site on 12 th to 16 th caudal annulus).

In possessing 12–14 dorsal segments at midbody annuli, A. carvalhoi can also be distinguished from A. acangaoba , A. alba , A. angustifrons , A. arda , A. bedai , A. bolivica , A. brasiliana , A. camura , A. cegei , A. hoogmoedi , A. myersi , A. occidentalis , A. plumbea , A. polygrammica , A. ridleyi , A. rozei , A. spurrelli , A. townsendi and A. vermicularis (dorsal segments> 14), and from A. nigricauda and A. sanctaeritae (dorsal segments <12). Finally, the 16–20 ventral segments at midbody annuli distinguishes A. carvalhoi from A. alba , A. arda , A. bolivica , A. camura , A. occidentalis , A. polygrammica and A. townsendi (ventral segments> 21), and from A. rozei , A. sanctaeritae , A. slevini and A. tragorrhectes (ventral segments <15).

The only species that cannot be distinguished from A. carvalhoi by any of the abovementioned characters are A. cunhai , A. elbakyanae , A. frontalis , A. gracilis , A. talisiae and A. vanzolinii . These six species can be distinguished from A. carvalhoi by a combination of other characters, as detailed next (divergent values from A. carvalhoi in parentheses). Amphisbaena carvalhoi is a small amphisbaenid, reaching up to 168.5 mm SVL, being smaller than A. cunhai (maximum SVL 246 mm), A. elbakyanae (maximum SVL 237 mm), A. frontalis (maximum SVL 283 mm) and A. gracilis (maximum SVL 252 mm). The presence of three supralabials, first and second subequal to each other, third the smallest, distinguishes A. carvalhoi from A. cunhai (second and third supralabials distinctly smaller than the first one) and A. vanzolinii (only two supralabials). The presence of three infralabials, second by far the largest, distinguishes A. carvalhoi from A. cunhai (first and second infralabials subequal to each other) and A. vanzolinii (only two infralabials). The prefrontal suture distinctly longer that frontal and nasal sutures distinguishes A. carvalhoi from A. cunhai and A. vanzolinii (nasal suture longer than prefrontal and frontal sutures), and from A. frontalis (frontal suture slightly longer than prefrontal suture). The presence of one pair of enlarged malars distinguishes A. carvalhoi from A. elbakyanae , A. gracilis and A. vanzolinii (malar scales absent). The postgenials commonly in two rows of two and three scales, or rarely in two rows of three scales, two rows of three and four scales, or one row of two or three scales distinguish A. carvalhoi from A. cunhai (a single row of postgenials with two or three scales), A. elbakyanae (a single row of postgenials with four scales), A. frontalis (three rows of postgenials or two rows with four and five scales), A. gracilis (two rows of postgenials with four and seven or eight scales), A. talisiae (a single row of postgenials usually with two scales, rarely three), and A. vanzolinii (a single row of postgenials with three scales). The absence of postmalars distinguishes A. carvalhoi from A. cunhai , A. elbakyanae and A. gracilis (postmalars present). Finally, the dorsal ground color cream in preservative (pinkish in life) with center of segments brown, and venter immaculate cream, distinguishes A. carvalhoi from A. elbakyanae (dorsal and ventral surfaces homogeneously dark brown or dark-brown-reddish), A. frontalis (dorsal ground color dark brown with center of segments darker), and A. gracilis (dorsal and ventral surfaces dark-purplish color).

Geographic distribution and habitat. Amphisbaena carvalhoi is known from Northeastern Brazil, in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Sergipe ( Fig. 3 ). It has been recorded mostly in the Caatinga region , both in lowlands and altitudinal areas, but also occurs in transitional areas between Caatinga and Atlantic Forest, and in the Atlantic Forest ( Fig. 3 ). Regarding soil types, the species occurs in areas dominated by luvisols, neosols, planosols and argisols ( Fig. 3 ). Locally, the occurrence of A. carvalhoi seems to be more associated with sandy soil microhabitats ( Tavares et al. 2017).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Head in dorsal, lateral, and ventral views, caudal region, and general view of four new examined specimens of A. carvalhoi: (A) UFRN-CH 5143, from Serra das Vacas, Paranatama, Pernambuco; (B) UFRN-CH 4711, from Serra de Santana, Lagoa Nova, Rio Grande do Norte; (C) UFRN-CH 6432, from Serra de Santana, São Vicente, Rio Grande do Norte; (D) UFRN- CH 6683, from Fazenda Riacho do Navio, Campina Grande, Paraíba. Scale bars: head = 1 mm; caudal region = 5 mm; general view = 10 mm.

FIGURE 3. Geographic distribution map of literature records Amphisbaena carvalhoi (black circles), literature records of A. lumbricalis (white circles), and new records presented in this study. Locality names are in Table 1. Acronyms: CE—Ceará state; RN—Rio Grande do Norte state; PB = Paraíba state; PE: Pernambuco state; AL = Alagoas state; SE = Sergipe state; BA = Bahia state.

FIGURE 4. Amphisbaena carvalhoi Gans, 1965. Holotype, MNRJ 2095, general view.

FIGURE 5. Living specimens of Amphisbaena carvalhoi: (A) UFRN-CH 4711, from Serra de Santana, Rio Grande do Norte; (B) UFRN-CH 5143, from Serra das Vacas, Pernambuco (tail was damaged at time of collection); (C) UFRN-CH 6683, from Fazenda Riacho do Navio, Paraíba. Photos taken by Matheus Meira-Ribeiro (A) and Raul Fernandes Dantas Sales (B, C).