This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Entiauspe-Neto, Omar Machado, Quintela, Fernando Marques, Regnet, Ruth Anastasia, Teixeira, Victor Hugo, Silveira, Franck, Loebmann, Daniel (2017): A New and Microendemic Species ofOphiodesWagler, 1828 (Sauria: Diploglossinae) from the Lagoa dos Patos Estuary, Southern Brazil. Journal of Herpetology 51 (4): 515-522, DOI: 10.1670/17-007, URL: https://doi.org/10.1670/17-007
ABSTRACT.— Ophiodes Wagler, 1828, is a poorly known legless lizard genus, widely distributed across South America east of the Andes, and composed of five described species and other additional taxa that have not been formally described but are widely referred to in recent publications. After reviewing major herpetological collections in Rio Grande do Sul and conducting fieldwork for more than 2 decades in the Lagoa dos Patos Estuary, we came across a new species of Ophiodes, herein described. The new species is diagnosed from its congeners based on the combination of a dorsum with three wide, dark brown longitudinal stripes and two pairs of conspicuous light yellow stripes, one pair paravertebral and another dorsolateral; dark vertebral line absent; background coloration of sides light gray with four to five pale and narrow longitudinal stripes; ventral region uniformly light gray; hind limb extending to the posterior vent scale margin; small eyes, smaller than half of snout–ocular distance; supralabials with well-defined, although small, supralabial blotches, restricted to their outer margins. We also provide comments on its distribution range and propose that a‘ ‘Critically Endangered’’ CR B1b (i,ii,iii) extinction risk classification should be officially assessed and given.
RESUMO.— Ophiodes Wagler, 1828, é um gênero de lagartos ápodos pouco conhecido, amplamente distribuído na América do Sul àleste dos Andes. O gênero é composto de cinco espécies e outros taxons ainda não formalmente reconhecidos, embora referenciados em publicaç˜oes recentes. Após revisar coleç˜oes herpetológicas no Rio Grande do Sul e conduzir trabalho de campo por mais de duas décadas no Estuário da Lagoa dos Patos encontramos uma nova espécie de Ophiodes, aqui descrita. A nova espécie é diferenciada de seus congêneres com base na combinação de um dorso com três largas listras longitudinais marrom escuras e duas listras conspícuas amareloclaras, um par composto de uma paravertebral e outra dorsolateral; linha vertebral escura ausente; coloração de fundo nos lados cinza claro, com quatro àcinco listras longitudinais e estreitas; região ventral cinza claro uniforme; membro posterior estendendo-se até a margem posterior da escama cloacal; olhos pequenos, menores que metade da distância entre focinho e olho; supralabiais com manchas bem definidas e pequenas, restritas àsuas margens exteriores. Também apresentamos comentários sobre sua distribuição, e propomos que o seu status de conservação seja definido oficialmente como‘ ‘Criticamente em Perigo’’ CR B1b (i,ii,iii).
The Anguidae family encompasses 13 genera with ~131 living or extinct species, being distributed worldwide, and recorded in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Central America, and South America (Pianka and Vitt, 2003; Pyron et al., 2013; Uetz, 2016). The Anguidae subfamily Diploglossinae contains the genera Celestus Gray, 1839, Diploglossus Wiegmann, 1834, and Ophiodes Wagler, 1828, with ~51 species distributed in the Caribbean Islands, Central America, and South America (Pianka and Vitt, 2003; Carreira et al., 2005; Vitt and Caldwell, 2014). Diploglossines usually present an elongated body, small but well-developed limbs and long, easily autotomic tails, and with terrestrial, arboricolous, and fossorial habits (Vanzolini et al., 1980; Lema, 2002; Carreira et al., 2005; Vitt and Caldwell, 2014).
Ophiodes is distributed in most of South America east of the Andes, occurring in several biomes in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay (Peters and Donoso-Barros, 1970; Lema, 1994; Borges-Martins, 1998; Pizzatto, 2005); the genus is diagnosed by the lack of forelimbs, hind legs reduced to flaps, presence of osteoderms, a relatively long autotomous tail (up to twice its body length), and a relatively small head (Carreira et al., 2005; Barros and Teixeira, 2007).
Although stable as a genus, Ophiodes has had an intricate taxonomic history in regard to its species: Raddi (1820) presented the description of Seps fragilis based on two specimens from Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. In the same year, Merrem (1820) presented the description of Pygodactylus gronovii. Five years later, Spix (1825) presented the description of Pygopus striatus and Pygopus cariococca, both also from Rio de Janeiro. Boie (1826) synonymized P. striatus and P. cariococca with Pygodactylus gronovii Merrem, 1820.
Wagler (1828) revalidated P. striatus, describing the genus Ophiodes to place this species while relegating P. cariococca to the synonymy of the former. Peters (1877) considered P. striatus and P. cariococca as synonyms of Seps fragilis. Bocourt (1881) presented the description of Ophiodes vertebralis, based on specimens from Uruguay and southern Brazil, diagnosed from Ophiodes striatus because of its dark vertebral line (absent in O. striatus) and black bars on the posterior portion of supralabial scutes (absent in O. striatus).
Boulenger (1893) described Ophiodes intermedius, based on specimens from Paraguay, with a specific epithet referring to its intermediate characters between O. striatus and O. vertebralis (Cacciali and Scott, 2015). Boulenger (1913) also described Ophiodes grilli based on a single individual from Paraná, southern Brazil, distinguishing it from O. striatus based on a prefrontal contact with the second supraocular pair. Burt and Burt (1930) suggested that O. vertebralis and O. grilli should be considered subspecies of O. striatus, which Amaral (1937, 1949) followed. Later, Vanzolini (1948) considered O. grilli as a synonym of O. striatus while elevating O. vertebralis to a full species level.
2 Corresponding Author. E-mail: omarentiauspe@hotmail.com DOI: 10.1670/17-007
Gallardo (1966) presented the most-comprehensive revision to date of the genus while providing a redescription of the genus Ophiodes and its species, describing Ophiodes yacupoi and presenting a key to the species in Argentina. Shortly after, Peters and Donoso-Barros (1970) recognized O. intermedius, O. striatus, O. vertebralis, and O. yacupoi as valid species. Hoogmoed and Gruber (1983) designated a lectotype and a paralectotype for O. striatus based on Spix’s material, also highlighting that the name of Raddi (1820), Seps fragilis, should have priority over the former.
FIG. 1. Holotype of Ophiodes enso sp. n. (CHFURG 3589) exhibiting coloration in life.
In a doctoral thesis with unpublished results, Borges-Martins (1998) presented an extensive revision of the genus, resurrecting Ophiodes fragilis, considering O. yacupoi as its synonym, and presenting the identification of three new species: 1) Ophiodes sp. from central and southeastern Brazil; 2) Ophiodes sp. from southeastern and northeastern Brazil; and 3) Ophiodes sp. from southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay (Cacciali and Scott, 2015). Cacciali and Scott (2015) later presented the description of Ophiodes luciae based on a single preserved specimen from Departamento Presidente Hayes, Paraguay.
In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, Lema (1994) recorded Ophiodes vertebralis and Ophiodes striatus, suggesting that O. striatus was a very common species and O. vertebralis was rare, being seen only in the southeastern portion of the state. The author also commented that O. yacupoi possibly occurs in the state, referring to two‘ ‘phenotypes’’ that possibly constituted undescribed species. Lema (2002) would later recognize only Ophiodes cf. striatus and Ophiodes fragilis in the state. Quintela et al. (2006) presented records of Ophiodes striatus and Ophiodes vertebralis in the city of Rio Grande, in the southern region of the Rio Grande do Sul state in the Lagoa dos Patos Estuary region. Later, Quintela and Loebmann (2009) and Quintela et al. (2011) would refer to these specimens as Ophiodes sp.
While conducting a revision of Ophiodes specimens from Rio Grande do Sul, we came across the literature record of Quintela et al. (2006) labeled as‘ ‘ Ophiodes vertebralis’ ’ as well as those of‘ ‘ Ophiodes sp. ’’ aforementioned and, while examining its photographs and a specimen, observed a series of inconsistencies in its morphology regarding its attributed species. During a flooding caused by the El Niño climatic event at the Patos Lagoon Estuary in the city of Pelotas, we collected a comprehensive series of specimens that could not fit the description of Ophiodes vertebralis nor any other described taxa; these are herein described as a seemingly range-restricted new species to which we provide comments on its geographical distribution and conservation status.
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