New records of the rare Troschel's Pampas Snake, Phimophis guianensis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) in Brazil.

Omar M Entiauspe-Neto,Weverton S Azevedo,Valquiria O Pereira,Arthur D Abegg,Anderson M Rocha,Daniel Loebmann

doi:10.1590/0001-3765201820180132

Omar M Entiauspe-Neto, Weverton S Azevedo + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765201820180132

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Abstract

The Troschel's Pampas Snake, Phimophis guianensis (Troschel, 1848), is widely distributed in Amazonian Savannas at northern South America and a small portion of southern Central America, being recorded to Brazil based on three historical records, that ranged from 1997 to 2002, in Amapá and Pará states. In this study, we revise all known records of P. guianensis, providing an updated distribution map, and the first record to Roraima state.

Highlights

Amazonian Savannas are sparsely distributed and fragmented across northern South America, being characterized by a unique phytophysiognomy of arbustive and grassland plant species, that contrast with the tall-canopy tropical rainforest that encircle it (Eiten 1978, França et al 2006, Carvalho et al 2016)
It has been suggested that these grassland enclaves within the Amazon forest constitute relictual portions of a once wide savanna formation, that encompassed most of northern South America, southwards to central Brazil, and rose during the Pleistocene epoch, as the outcome
Phimophis guianensis was first recorded in Brazil based on three specimens from Amazonian Savanna areas at Amapá and Pará states, in northern Brazil, that ranged from a timespan of 1997 to 2002 (Frota et al 2005 and França et al 2006)

Summary

Introduction

Amazonian Savannas are sparsely distributed and fragmented across northern South America, being characterized by a unique phytophysiognomy of arbustive and grassland plant species, that contrast with the tall-canopy tropical rainforest that encircle it (Eiten 1978, França et al 2006, Carvalho et al 2016). Phimophis Cope 1860 is a Pseudoboini genus that encompasses three species, Phimophis guerini (Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril 1854), Phimophis guianensis (Troschel 1848) and Phimophis vittatus (Boulenger 1896), distributed from Central America, in Panama, to South America, in Argentina and southern Brazil (Peters et al 1970, Uetz et al 2017). These are terrestrial or fossorial, nocturnal, small. We provide new records of this species at Brazilian territory

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