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Zootaxa 2045: 33–42 (2009) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2009 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Notes on distribution, variation and characterization of Erythrolamprus pseudocorallus Roze, 1959 (Serpentes: Colubridae) with the first records from Colombia FELIPE FRANCO CURCIO1, SANTIAGO J. SÁNCHEZ-PACHECO3, JONH JAIRO MUESES-CISNEROS4 & MIGUEL TREFAUT RODRIGUES1, 2 1Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 11.461, CEP 05422-970, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 3Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul–UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil & Conservación Internacional Colombia, Bogotá, D. C. Colombia. E-mail: [email protected] 4Laboratorio de anfibios, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D. C. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The Maracaibo false coral snake Erythrolamprus pseudocorallus, previously known only from Venezuela, is recorded from five departments in Colombia. These new data include the westernmost and the southernmost records presently known for the species. Two specimens previously identified as E. aesculapii, from the localities of El Valle, Distrito Federal, Venezuela, and Yarumal, Antioquia, Colombia, are now attributed to E. pseudocorallus, the first one representing the northeasternmost record of the species. Morphological characterization of E. pseudocorallus is expanded based on the new specimens. Key words: Maracaibo false coral snake, new records, range extension, South America Resumen La serpiente “falsa coral de Maracaibo” Erythrolamprus pseudocorallus, previamente conocida solamente de Venezuela, es registrada en cinco departamentos de Colombia, incluyendo los registros más hacia el oeste y hacia el sur conocidos actualmente para esta especie. Dos especímenes previamente identificados como E. aesculapii, provenientes de El Valle, Distrito Federal, Venezuela y Yarumal, Antioquia, Colombia, son asignados a E. pseudocorallus, el primero representando el registro más hacia el noreste de la especie. Con base en estos nuevos especímenes, se amplía la caracterización morfológica de E. pseudocorallus. Introduction As presently understood, the genus Erythrolamprus Boie (Serpentes; Xenodontinae) includes six species of false coral snakes that occur in Central and South America, and also in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago (Roze, 1959a, 1966; Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970; Cunha & Nascimento, 1980; Hardy & Boos, 1995; Boos, 2001). In Colombia, the genus is represented by the taxa E. aesculapii aesculapii (Linnaeus), E. bizona Jan and E. mimus micrurus Dunn & Bailey (Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970; Pérez-Santos & Moreno, 1988; Sánchez et al., 1995). Roze (1959a) described E. pseudocorallus (Maracaibo false coral snake) from the state of Zulia, Venezuela, and reported its occurrence in highlands next to Maracaibo and Perijá (Roze, 1966). Later, range Accepted by D. Gower: 23 Jan. 2009; published: 18 Mar. 2009 33 extensions were published for the Venezuelan states of Mérida and Amazonas (La Marca & García, 1986; Fuentes & Barrio, 1999; La Marca & Soriano, 2004). Even though the species had never been formally recorded beyond the borders of Venezuela, Roze (1959a) mentioned the possibility of E. pseudocorallus occurring also in northwestern Colombia, and Pérez-Santos & Moreno (1988) suggested its possible occurrence in the Colombian department of Guajira, in Perijá region. Field surveys in the “Área Natural Única Los Estoraques”, municipality of La Playa de Belén, Norte Santander, Colombia, and examination of specimens housed in collections of Brazilian, Colombian and North American institutions, resulted in the detection of 22 specimens of Erythrolamprus from at least 15 different localities in Colombia, all matching most of the coloration and scale count features presented in the original description of E. pseudocorallus. These vouchers represent the first records of the species in Colombia and, along with a new record from Venezuela, allow us to more precisely characterize the species and report new information on its distribution, coloration, and lepidosis. Materials and methods All specimens examined in this study (see Appendix 1) were identified through direct comparison with the type series housed in the collections of the Museo de Biología, Universidad Central de Venezuela (MBUCV), and the Museo de Historia Natural La Salle [MHNLS (also SCN, Leviton et al., 1985)], both in Caracas, Venezuela. Specimens recorded from Colombia are deposited in the following collections: Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP; Philadelphia, PA, USA), American Museum of Natural History (AMNH; New York, NY, USA), Instituto Butantan (IBSP; São Paulo, SP, Brazil), Instituto de Ciencias Naturales–Universidad Nacional de Colombia (ICN), Museo de la Universidad La Salle (MLS) and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (MUJ) (last three institutions in Bogotá, D.C., Colombia). One specimen of E. a. aesculapii from the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, (Belém, PA, Brazil) is illustrated to allow comparison of color patterns (MPEG 19649, Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil). Ventral scale counts follow the wider-than-long system (Peters, 1964). Measurements were taken to the nearest mm with a graduated ruler. Terminology regarding color patterns follows Savage & Slowinski (1992). Monads on the body and tail were counted separately; the dark nuchal collar was not included in monad counts. In all specimens, there is always one monad placed exactly on the region of the vent; thus its anterior and posterior halves were included in body and tail monad counts, respectively. Monads and red ring lengths are somewhat difficult to measure precisely in preserved coral snakes because red pigment tends to fade in ethanol and thereby blends with the narrow outer pale rings of monads. For that reason we provide four different band-length measurements, always counted as the number of dorsal scales in the 8th vertebral scale row (Table 1). The length of a “monad” refers herein to the central black ring together with its respective narrow outer pale rings; when we refer strictly to black ring length, the indistinguishable outer pale rings are not considered. Accordingly, when we refer to red ring length, we only consider the red space between two monads and do not take into account the pale outer rings of the latter. When red coloration is indistinguishable from the outer pale rings, we use the measurement of “interblack rings”, i.e. the distance between two black rings, including the undetected scales of the pale rings of the monads. Monad and black ring lengths were measured for the first, fourth, and last monads; the last monad was considered as the one prior to the vent. Red and interblack rings were measured in the first, fourth, and last rings; the first red ring was considered as the one immediately behind the first monad, whereas the last red ring was considered as the one between the second-to-last and the last monad, according to the criterion explained above. Coordinate data of localities (included in Appendix 1) were taken from gazetteers (Paynter, Jr., 1982, 1997), provided by the institutions, or directly taken with GPS devices at the localities of concern. The software Google Earth was used to confirm and to refine coordinate data of most of the localities. 34 · Zootaxa 2045 © 2009 Magnolia Press CURCIO ET AL. Results Characterization and variation. A monadal patterned (sensu Savage & Slowinski, 1992) Erythrolamprus with symmetrical black rings, possibly showing pale spots on its ventrolateral surface (Fig. 1D); red rings generally varying from as wide as to more than three times longer than monads. Ventral scales 182–198 in males and 180–197 in females; subcaudal scales 46–62 in males and 45–57 in females. Dorsal (15/15/15), supralabial (7/7, 3rd and 4th pairs in contact with the orbit), infralabial (9/9), temporal (1+2) and ocular (1/2) counts are highly conservative for the genus and most specimens have these features, although abnormal fusions might occur in head scales. Maxillary teeth 9–11 slightly increasing in size posteriorly, followed by 1–2 strongly grooved fangs; diastema present. In most specimens, red pigment has faded and the rings show a yellowish, light red, or light pink color, making it difficult or impossible to distinguish it from contiguous outer pale rings of monads. Specimens collected more recently still maintain red coloration, allowing precise identification of pale bands (Table 1). FIGURE 1. Dorsal and ventral views of Erythrolamprus pseudocorallus (A-B: holotype, MBUCV 03789; C-D: a Colombian specimen, ICN 8932) and a monadal patterned E. a. aesculapii (E-F: MPEG 19649) from Brazilian Amazon. Head coloration allows distinction between both species. Snout pattern consists mostly of a pale rostral scale, marked by black on the region of its upper vertex; internasals mostly black, with narrow pale contours along their anterior margins; anterior margins of prefrontals marked with pale contours for about the first 1/3 of the total length of the scale; black head cap covering up to posterior 2/3 of prefrontals, the entire frontal, supraoculars, and anteromedial 1/2–2/3 of parietals; light head band anteriorly covering the lateroposterior 1/3–1/2 of parietals, all the temporals, 3rd to 7th supralabials and often the postoculars,