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A NEW INSULAR SPECIES OF PITVIPER FROM BRAZIL, WITH COMMENTS ON EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF THE BOTHROPS JARARACA GROUP (SERPENTES, VIPERIDAE)

2002; Herpetologists' League; Volume: 58; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1655/0018-0831(2002)058[0303

1938-5099

Otávio Augusto Vuolo Marques, Marcio Roberto Martins, Iván Sazima,

Turtle Biology and Conservation

We describe a new pitviper species, Bothrops alcatraz, of the Bothrops jararaca group, from Alcatrazes Island, off the coast of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil. It differs from the mainland coastal populations of B. jararaca in southeastern Brazil mostly by its darker coloration; smaller size; lower number of ventrals, subcaudals, and infralabials; number and shape of anterior cephalic scales; shape of hemipenis spines; intense coagulant activity of venom; and three specific venom proteins. From Bothrops insularis, another island species from southeastern Brazil, the new species differs mainly by its color pattern, smaller size, lower number of subcaudals in males, and absence of hemiclitoris in females. Bothrops alcatraz presents some features that may be viewed as paedomorphic within the B. jararaca group, such as small adult size, proportionally large eyes, intense coagulant venom activity, and diet composed of centipedes and lizards. We postulate that the dwarfism and characteristics of venom in B. alc...