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Issue: Vol. 4392 No. 3: 12 Mar. 2018
Type: Article
Published: 2018-03-11
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4392.3.4
Page range: 491–520
Abstract views: 101
PDF downloaded: 3

Species delimitations in the Atractus collaris complex (Serpentes: Dipsadidae)

Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20940-040, Brazil.
Laboratório de Herpetologia, Coordenação de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, PB 399, Belém, PA 66040-170, Brazil.
Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20940-040, Brazil.
Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas-Sinchi, Sede principal, Av. Vásquez Cobo, Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia.
Laboratorio de anfibios, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Apartado 1495, Bogot DC, Colombia.
Reptilia Atractus gaigeae Atractus limitaneus Atractus alphonsehogei species boundaries color patterns morphometry microdermatoglyphics hemipenis Amazonia

Abstract

We reassessed the taxonomic status of the species in the Atractus collaris complex (A. alphonsehogei, A. collaris, A. limitaneus, and A. gaigeae) on the basis of congruence between quantitative and qualitative morphological characters (meristic, morphometric, color pattern, hemipenis, and scale microdematoglyphics) along its wide geographical distribution. Our results support the recognition of three species with apparently fixed diagnostic characters. We propose the synonymization of Atractus limitaneus with A. collaris based on the wide overlap of all morphological character systems here analyzed, as well as on the basis of examination of the holotype and two topotypes of A. limitaneus. Finally, we discuss the geographical variation and morphological distinction of A. alphonsehogei, A. collaris and A. gaigeae. Furthermore, we provide a dichotomous key for all recognized species in the A. collaris species group.

 

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