Amphisbaena ibijara Rodrigues, Andrade and Lima, 2003 is a Junior Synonym of Amphisbaena frontalis Vanzolini, 1991 (Squamata, Amphisbaenia)
We reassessed the type-series of Amphisbaena ibijara and Amphisbaena frontalis to evaluate the characters used to diagnose and distinguish them, and compared these data with additional specimens of A. ibijara. We found broadly overlapping ranges of the quantitative diagnostic characters, and no differences between the qualitative characters, that could support differences between A. frontalis and A. ibijara. Based on our morphological results, and the geographic proximity of the distribution ranges of both species, we consider A. ibijara as a junior synonym of A. frontalis. We provide updated data on intraspecific variation in the diagnostic characters of A. frontalis. Nós reanalisamos as séries-tipo de Amphisbaena ibijara e Amphisbaena frontalis para avaliar os caracteres usados para diagnosticar e distinguir essas espécies, e nós comparamos estes dados com espécimes adicionais de A. ibijara. Nós encontramos ampla sobreposição entre os caracteres quantitativos diagnósticos, e nenhuma diferença entre os caracteres qualitativos que poderiam suportar diferenças entre A. frontalis e A. ibijara. Baseados nos nossos resultados morfológicos, e na proximidade geográfica da distribuição de ambas espécies, nós consideramos A. ibijara como sinônimo júnior de A. frontalis. Nós fornecemos também dados atualizados da variação intraespecífica dos caracteres diagnósticos de A. frontalis.Abstract
Resumo
Boxplots showing variation, mean, and standard deviation of the characters presented in Table 1 (abbreviations in the same table): (A) SVL; (B) HL; (C) HW; (D) JL; (E) JW; (F) BA; (G) D; (H) V; (I) Pc; (J) Ptc; (K) P; (L) A. (M) Principal component analysis (PCA) comparing the overlapping degree of Amphisbaena frontalis and Amphisbaena ibijara considering external morphology (meristic characters and measurements).
Head views of the paratypes of Amphisbaena frontalis MZUSP 72991 from Alagoado, Bahia (A, B, C), and Amphisbaena ibijara MZUSP 91984 from Urbano Santos, Maranhão (D, E, F), showing identical condition of the frontal scales (blue Fr), the presence of the third infralabial (green 3rd IL), the first row of postgenials (red 1st PG), second and third rows of postgenials (yellow 2nd PG, and 3rd PG). Alagoado and Urbano Santos are the type-localities.
Distributional records of Amphisbaena frontalis and Amphisbaena ibijara, including type-localities, examined specimens for morphological analyses, and records from literature. Large black circles present the distribution of A. frontalis as results of this study. Brazilian biomes: pink = Atlantic Forest; yellow = Caatinga; orange = Cerrado; green = Amazonia (source: Biomas e sistema costeiro-marinho do Brasil 2019, available at: https://www.ibge.gov.br/).
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