Herpetology Notes, volume 3: 247-248 (2010) (published online on 07 August 2010)

New records of Typhlops brongersmianus (Serpentes, Typhlopidae) in southeastern Brazil

Angele Reis Martins*, Adriano Lima Silveira, Svio Freire Bruno

Typhlops brongersmianus Vanzolini, 1976 (Squamata, Serpentes, Typhlopidae) is a widespread species in South America, occurring in several habitats (Dixon and Hendricks, 1979; Rodrigues and Junc, 2002). In Brazil, its distribution is known for scattered but widespread localities, and in the southeast, T. brongersmianus was registered in two localities in So Paulo (Barretos and Emas) and one in Minas Gerais (Frutal), further on being listed for the state of Rio de Janeiro in Restinga de Jurubatiba (Rocha and Van Sluys, 2005). The snake was described in 1972 as Typhlops brongersmai based on the holotype from Barra de Itaipe, Ilheus, Bahia [Brasil] (Vanzolini, 1972). Four years later, in 1976, the name T. brongersmai was replaced by T. brongersmianus (Vanzolini, 1976) since the former name was preoccupied by Typhlops florensis brongersmai Mertens, 1929. Here we present new records of Typhlops brongersmianus for southeastern Brazil, which expands the geographic distribution previously known for the species in that region, and present a map with these geographic records. New records were obtained based on field samplings

1 Universidade Federal Fluminense, Centro de Estudos Gerais, Instituto de Biologia. Campus do Valonguinho, Centro, Niteri, RJ CEP 24020-140; e-mail: angelemartins@hotmail.com 2 Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional, Departamento de Vertebrados, Setor de Herpetologia. Quinta da Boa Vista, So Cristvo, CEP 20940-040, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; e-mail: biosilveira@yahoo.com.br 3 Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Veterinria, Santa Rosa. Rua Vital Brazil Filho, 64, Santa Rosa, CEP 24230-340, Niteri, RJ, Brasil; e-mail: saviofreirebruno@hotmail.com * corresponding author

and analysis of scientific collections. The samplings took place in Ncleo Experimental de Iguaba Grande (NEIG), Iguaba Grande Municipality, Rio de Janeiro (2251`S, 4210`W), from July 2008 to August 2009, using the methods of direct search and pitfall traps. The area represents a restinga remanescent in Araruama lagoon system, with predominant steppe savannah vegetation (Silveira Primo and Bizerril, 2000). We analyzed the Coleo de Rpteis do Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ), obtaining records of Typhlops brongersmianus from southeastern Brazil. The taxonomic identification was made based on the diagnosis of Dixon and Hendricks (1979). We also present a map with new geographic records. Geographic coordinates were obtained with Google Earth program. During the herpetological fauna survey in NEIG, municipality of Iguaba Grande, Rio de Janeiro (2251`S, 42 10`W) three specimens of Typhlops brongersmianus were collected. In November 2008 and March 2009, two specimens were captured in a bushy restinga area with sandy ground, 20 meters away from Araruama`s lagoon margin. In 2009, the third specimen (figure 1) was captured in an impacted area with grassy covering, approximately 100 meters away from the margin. All three specimens were captured in pitfall traps, and were preserved and deposited in the MNRJ collection (MNRJ 17703, MNRJ 17482, MNRJ 18507). Twelve additional specimens of Typhlops brongersmianus were found in the MNRJ collection, from the following localities: state of Rio de Janeiro: MNRJ 17932 municipality of Maca (2222S, 4147W); MNRJ 18983 municipality of Niteri (2252S, 4306W); MNRJ 17434, 17435 municipality of So Joo da Barra, Porto do A (2138S, 4103W); MNRJ 15647 Restinga de

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Figure 2. Geographic distribution of Typhlops brongersmianus in southeastern Brazil. New records (circles): Minas Gerais state: 1) Alvorada de Minas, Itapanhoacanga; Esprito Santo state: 2) Sooretama, Juerana, 3) Linhares, 4) Aracruz; Rio de Janeiro state: 5) So Joo da Barra, Porto do A, 6) Maca, 7) NEIG, Iguaba Grande, 8) Niteri. Museum records and literature records (triangles): Rio de Janeiro state: 9) Restinga de Jurubatiba. Literature records (squares): So Paulo state: 10) Cachoeiras de Emas, 11) Barretos; Minas Gerais state: 12) Frutal.

Figure 1. Juvenile specimen of Typhlops brongersmianus collected in Iguaba Grande, state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil (MNRJ 18507).

Acknowledgements. We are greatful to Luiz Freire for help in field samplings.

References
Dixon, J.R., Hendricks, F.S. (1979): The wormsnakes (Family Typhlopidae) of the Neotropics, exclusive of the Antilles. Zool. Verh. 173: 1-39. Mertens, R. (1929): Bemerkungen ber Typhlops florensis, seine Rassen und Seine verbreitung. Treubia 11: 293-296. Rocha, C.F.D., Van Sluys, M. (2005): Herpetofaunas de restingas. In: Herpetologia no Brasil II, p. 44-65. Nascimento, L.B., Oliveira, M.E., Eds., Belo Horizonte, Sociedade Brasileira de Herpetologia. Rodrigues, M.T., Junc, F.A. (2002): Herpetofauna of the Quaternary sand dune of the middle Rio So Francisco: Bahia: Brazil. VII. Typhlops amoipira, sp.n., a possible relative of Typhlops yonenagae (Serpentes, Typhlopidae). Pap. Avul. Zool. 42: 325333. Silveira Primo, P.B., Bizerril, C.R.S.F. (2000): Perfil Ambiental do Maior Ecossistema Lagunar Hipersalino do Mundo. Rio de Janeiro, Semads. Vanzolini, P.E. (1972): Typhlops brongersmai spec. nov. from the coast of Bahia, Brasil (Serpentes, Typhlopidae). Zool. Mededel. 47(3): 27-29. Vanzolini, P.E. (1976): Typhlops brongersmianus, a new name for Typhlops brongersmai Vanzolini, 1972, preoccupied (Serpentes, Typhlopidae). Pap. Avul. Zool. 29: 247.

Jurubatiba (2212S, 4129W; without municipality in register book); state of Esprito Santo: MNRJ 4855, 4907 municipality of Aracruz (1949S, 4016W); MNRJ 12917 municipality of Sooretoma, Juerana (1911S, 4005W); MNRJ 12918, 12919, 13222 municipality of Linhares (1923S, 4004W); state of Minas Gerais: MNRJ 14130 municipality of Alvorada de Minas, Itapanhoacanga (1843S, 4322W) (figure 2). The distribution of T. brongersmianus in southeastern Brazil including these new records is shown in figure 2. These new localities fill in the distribution gap of Typhlops brongersmianus between the previously known localities in southeastern and northern Brazil. They represent the first species records for the state of Esprito Santo and the second record for the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. All new recorded localities belong to the Atlantic Forest domain. In Minas Gerais, Typhlops brongersmianus was collected in semideciduous stational forest area, on Rio de Janeiro in restinga formations, and on Esprito Santo in tropical rain forest and restinga.

Accepted by Zoltn T. Nagy