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Type: Articles
Published: 2012-08-02
Page range: 1–21
Abstract views: 34
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Morphological variation, polymorphism, and Taxonomy of the Atractus torquatus 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
Departamento de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, CP 399, CEP 66040-170, Brazil
Reptilia Atractus davidhardi Atractus janethae Atractus lucilae Morphological variation Polychromatism

Abstract

The taxonomic status of Atractus torquatus is revised on the basis of concordance between quantitative and qualitativeanalyses of morphological characters (meristic, morphometric, colour pattern, and hemipenis) throughout its geographicaldistribution. We propose the synonymy of Atractus davidhardi, A. janethae, and A. lucilae based on wide overlap of mor-phological characters (qualitative and quantitative). Despite some differences in the frequency of the number of suprala-bials, infralabials and maxillary teeth among A. torquatus populations, we find that these characters exhibit a high levelof polymorphism and therefore cannot unambiguously diagnose Guiana Shield and Amazon Basin populations. Addition-ally, we discuss the polymorphism and geographical variation in A. torquatus and its appropriateness for hypotheses of landscape evolution in Amazonia.

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