Tupinambis teguixin ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

Ribeiro-Júnior, Marco A. & Amaral, Silvana, 2016, Catalogue of distribution of lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) from the Brazilian Amazonia. III. Anguidae, Scincidae, Teiidae, Zootaxa 4205 (5), pp. 401-430 : 418

Tupinambis teguixin ( Linnaeus, 1758)

Type-locality. Indiis, restricted by Presch (1973) to Paramaribo, Suriname.

Pertinent taxonomic references. Linnaeus (1758), Laurenti (1768), Latreille (1801), Daudin (1802), Spix (1825), Gray (1838, 1845), Duméril & Bibron (1839), Bates (1864), Boulenger (1885), Andersson (1900), Cunha (1961, 1981), Müller (1969, 1971), Gorman (1970), Hoogmoed (1973), Presch (1973), Hoogmoed & Lescure (1975), Duellman (1978), Vanzolini (1981), Hoogmoed & Gruber (1983), Cunha et al. (1985), Ávila-Pires (1995), Manzane & Abe (1997, 2002), Colli et al. (1998), Fitzgerald et al. (1999), Giugliano et al. (2007), Harvey et al. (2012), Murphy et al. (2016).

Taxonomic remarks. Recently, Murphy et al. (2016) revised Tupinambis teguixin species complex and described three new species from Amazonia and surroundings ( T. cryptus , T. cuzcoensis , and T. zuliensis ). The authors presented evidences for differentiation of each species based on molecular results. However, the morphological results failed in supporting such differences. Although specimens belonging to T. cryptus , T. cuzcoensis , and T. teguixin differed significantly in molecular from geographically separated groups, the same was not true for morphology. A large amount of geographic variation was observed in different populations of the species of Tupinambis teguixin group. Moreover, morphological results were not structured geographically either (e.g., the new species Tupinambis cryptus and T. cuzcoensis described from Guyana and Peru respectively, also occurs through Amazonia and northern Brazilian Cerrado, presenting the same distribution of T. teguixin ─ see Fig. 10 constructed based on voucher specimens available as supplementary material by Murphy et al. 2016). We agree with Murphy et al. (2016) that Tupinambis teguixin is composed by a complex of cryptic species. However, until a morphological study is not done and the species delimitation (morphologically and geographically) still needs to be improved, we prefer to be conservative, keeping the name Tupinambis teguixin for the complex of cryptic species.

Distribution and habitat. Tupinambis teguixin species complex is widespread in Amazonia and northern Brazilian Cerrado (in gallery forest contiguous with Amazonia), occurring in Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia ( Fig. 10 ). In Brazil it is known from the states of Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Tocantins, Amazonas, Roraima, Acre, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, and Goiás. Passos et al. (2013) reported the species in the state of Ceará, northeastern Brazil, in riparian forest within the Caatinga. Tupinambis teguixin species complex is terrestrial and diurnal, inhabits both terra firme and flooded forest (primary and secondary), as well as arboreal savannas and grassfields close to forest and perianthropic situations, even within cities, where it is found on the ground, and commonly associated with water sometimes entering it ( Crump 1971; Hoogmoed 1973; Dixon & Soini 1975, 1986; Duellman 1978; Cunha 1981; Martins 1991; Ávila-Pires 1995; Vitt & Carvalho 1995; Vitt et al. 2001, 2008; Molina et al. 2004; Schlüter et al. 2004; Ribeiro-Júnior et al. 2008; Waldez et al. 2013; Murphy et al. 2016).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Distribution of examined material of Tupinambis teguixin species complex. Records of T. cryptus, T. cuzcoensis, and T. teguixin were obtained from voucher specimens available as supplementary material in Murphy et al. (2016).