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Issue: Vol. 5763 No. 3: 4 Mar. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-03-04
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5763.3.7
Page range: 421-434
Abstract views: 10
PDF downloaded: 0

New species of Amphisbaena (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae) from the coastal zone of Northeast Brazil

Faculdade de Educação de Itapipoca—FACEDI; Universidade Estadual do Ceará—UECE; Itapipoca; Ceará; Brazil.
Núcleo Regional de Ofiologia (NUROF); Centro de Ciências; Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC); Fortaleza; Ceará; Brazil.; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemática; Uso e Conservação da Biodiversidade; Departamento de Biologia; Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC); Fortaleza; Brazil.
Laboratório de Biologia e Ecologia de Animais Silvestres; Instituto de Formação de Educadores; Universidade Federal do Cariri (UFCA); Ceará; Brazil.
Núcleo Regional de Ofiologia (NUROF); Centro de Ciências; Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC); Fortaleza; Ceará; Brazil.
Reptilia Amphisbaenians taxonomy herpetological collection Ceará

Abstract

While revising Amphisbaena specimens deposited in the herpetological collection of the Núcleo Regional de Ofiologia da Universidade Federal do Ceará (NUROF—UFC), we identified specimens belonging to an undescribed species. After a detailed comparison with their congeners, we describe a new species collected in the municipalities of Aracati and Icapuí in the coastal zone of the state of Ceará, Brazil. The new species is characterized by the presence of six pre-cloacal pores arranged in sequence, absence of shields forming the parietal region and three supralabial shields, in addition to having 257–272 body annuli and 31–34 caudal annuli. Amphisbaena eleutheria sp. nov. inhabits coastal plains, an area affected by environmental degradation and various activities related to energy generation, including at least five wind farms currently in operation.

 

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How to Cite

Perez, R., Ramos, A.R.L., Oliveira, C.R.D. & Ávila, R.W. (2026) New species of Amphisbaena (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae) from the coastal zone of Northeast Brazil. Zootaxa, 5763 (3), 421–434. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5763.3.7