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Home , Ameiva ameiva, Ameiva bifrontata, Ameiva praesignis, Corallus ruschenbergerii, Mastigodryas, Mastigodryas boddaerti

Check List 8(6): 1220–1224, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of lists and distribution

Squamata of a fragment of tropical dry forest in pecies

S northwestern (Lake Maracaibo region)

of

Junior T. Larreal 1*, Gilson A. Rivas 2, Carlos Portillo-Quintero 1 and Tito R. Barros 2 ists L

Manejo de Zonas Áridas y Semiáridas (LPMZAS), Maracaibo, estado Zulia, Venezuela. 1 Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Centro de Estudios Botánicos y Agroforestales (CEBA), Laboratorio de Protección y Venezuela. 2 Universidad del Zulia (LUZ), Facultad [email protected] Experimental de Ciencias, Museo de Biología (MBLUZ), apartado postal 526, Maracaibo 4011, estado Zulia,

* Corresponding author. E-mail:

Abstract: We present a commented taxonomic list of the reptiles found during herpetological surveys carried out in an isolated fragment of tropical dry forest located in the municipality of San Francisco, Zulia state, northwestern Venezuela between January-December 2011. We report a total of 24 species belonging to the order , distributed in 12 families and 21 genera. is the most diverse family with six species, followed by Dipsadidae (four species), ,

Gekkonidae, and with a single species each. The species composition at this site matches what wouldGymnophthalmidae, be expected in Phyllodactylidaea tropical dry forest and in the region. with Our two study species suggests each, that and this finally isolated , tropical dry Iguanidae, forest fragment Elapidae, is the last refuge of the herpetofauna that once occupied much of the dry forests of the northern Maracaibo basin and should therefore be considered for conservation purposes.

Introduction Materials and Methods The tropical dry forests are one of the most threatened Study site ecosystems in (Yepes and Villa 2010). These The study was carried out in a tropical dry forest remnant, approximately 20 Km S of Maracaibo city, soils, due to cattle ranching and agricultural expansion Zulia State, northwestern Venezuela (10°35’17.35” N, (Janzenforests have 1983, suffered Ceballos intense 1995). and In fast Venezuela, modification these of their 71°42’36.15” W, Figure 1). The locality represents an of forests are found in the northern part of the country, isolated forest fragment that originally was a densely mainly in the coastal range, within the central lowlands forested region within the Maracaibo dry forest region. known as Llanos, the Andean cordillera de Merida and the Currently, very small fragmented areas of deciduous dry Lake Maracaibo basin. These forests are the most degraded forests are found west and east of Lake Maracaibo. The and fragmented forest ecosystem in the whole country, forest fragment is approximately 450 ha and is surrounded and only ca. 10% of its original extent remain (Fajardo et by very active anthropogenic activity including croplands, al. 2005). farms, highways, houses and an international airport. Studies on reptiles of the lake Maracaibo basin region mainly consist in inventories carried on in limited composition of this fragment include Tabebuia spp., geographic areas, such as Cienagas de Juan Manuel (Sur CaesalpineaSome of spp the., Pithecellobium species that spp dominate., Pereskia the spp. floral and del Lago), Serranía de Perijá and Península de La Guajira Capparis spp. Nocturnal and diurnal visits to the study site (e.g. Alemán 1953; Pirela et al. 2006; Infante-Rivero 2009), have also indicated the presence of a grey fox population and in descriptions of new species (e.g. Schargel et al. (Cerdocyon thous). 2007). In recent years, research has mainly focused on the Regarding climatic conditions, evapotranspiration evaluation of the conservation status of some turtles and exceeds precipitation for about 9 months (dry season) crocodilians (e.g. Rivas et al. 2007, Barros et al. 2010). Only between December and August, while the rainy season approximately 12% (3,522 km2) of the Lake Maracaibo occurs from September to November. Light showers occur basin original dry forest remain (Portillo-Quintero et al. from March to June stimulating changes in plant- 2012). One of the main dry forest remnants in the western interactions. coast of the Maracaibo lake basin is located in the vicinity of the Maracaibo botanical garden (JBM for its Spanish Data collection acronym) and the “La Chinita” International Airport, located a few kilometres from the city of Maracaibo in the Franco Licano), from January to December 2011, four days municipality of San Francisco, Zulia state. The main goal perThe month, fieldwork totaling was a carried sampling out effort by two of people 576 man-hour. (JTL and of this work was to provide new data on the composition Specimens were captured by the active-searching method of squamate reptiles in this dry forest remnant, as a result during both day and night (from morning to noon and from late evening to night). To handle specimens, we used dry forest ecoregion. Comments on some aspects of their hooks or leather gloves when necessary, mainly to avoid naturalof a one-year history long and fieldworktaxonomy atare the given. vicinity of Maracaibo bites of big such as ruschenbergeri.

1220 Larreal et al. | Squamata of a tropical dry forest in Venezuela

When pertinent, pholidosis, snout vent length (SVL, in which 18 species (75 %) also occur within our study site. mm), tail length (TL, in mm), and data on coloration are provided. mostly follows Rivas et al. (2012), Norops onca, a species from thorny scrub habitats close et al. (2012). Voucher toThe shoreline, remaining (2) six Norops species planiceps not collected (as Anolis in JBM chrysolepis were: (1)), specimens were deposited in the collection of the anole classification follows Nicholson of any species of the N. chrysolepis species group from Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela (MBLUZ). theprobably Maracaibo a misidentification Lake basin because (D’Angiolella there areet no al. records 2011). Museo de Biología, Facultad Experimental de Ciencias, Likewise, to our knowledge N. planiceps has not been Results and Discussion recorded from xerophytic environment, (3) Gonatodes We report a total of 24 species (Table 1) belonging petersi a forest species from Serrania de Perijá, which to the order Squamata, distributed in 12 families and 21 is restricted to this mountain chain (Rojas-Runjaic and genera. Colubridae is the most diverse family with six Infante Rivero 2008). Infante-Rivero (2009) cited four species, followed by Dipsadidae (four species, Figure 2A), specimens of Gonatodes petersi from La Guajira. According Boidae, , and Teiidae to the collector, the collecting locality is characterized by thorny scrub habitat, which does not correspond with the known habitat for the species. We had the opportunity to with atwo single species species each, each. and finally Dactyloidae, Iguanidae, examine these specimens, and after close inspection, these Elapidae,Comparing Gekkonidae, our results Sphaerodactylidae (see Table 1) to andother Viperidae studied G. albogularis, a common species in areas, we notice that the number of species found at the study area. Three of the four specimens are males, JBM is not much different when compared to that recorded withwere are-identified vertical white as line in the pre-humeral region that from the Palmar River (Lancini 1962), a place close to the is easily visible on preserved specimens. Rivero-Blanco study area (approximately 50 km) and mostly composed (1979) mentioned “ sometimes, a thin vertical bluish line of savannas and gallery forest. Likewise, our results do lies in the prehumeral region” (apparently in life). This vertical humeral line has also been observed in some by Infante-Rivero (2009) for the Venezuelan side of the specimens from Barquisimeto, a locality located 386 Km Penínsulanot significantly de la Guajira, differ approximately from the inventory 130 km NW, conducted an area lansbergii, (5) characterized by dunes and thorny scrub habitats. bifrontata, and (6) Lygophis lineatus (as Liophis lineatus). Infante-Rivero (2009) reports a total of 24 species TheSE from species La Guajira, listed by(4) Infante-Rivero (2009) as Ameiva of squamate reptiles from the Venezuelan Guajira, from ameiva (an Amazonian species sensu Ugueto and Harvey 2011) corresponds to A. praesignis (Figure 2B), while the mention of Thamnodynastes pallidus (a Guiano-Amazonian species, see Bailey et al. 2005) in Infante-Rivero’s (2009) table 1, could be T. paraguanae as later mentioned by the author in the appendix of specimens examined. The common house , Hemidactylus frenatus, is a species introduced to Venezuela (Rivas Fuenmayor et al. 2005, Rivas et al. 2012) and is well adapted to anthropogenic environments. It is often encountered on, or associated to human buildings. Native species of such as G. albogularis, ventralis, and Thecadactylus rapicauda were found in both anthropogenic and natural environments within the study site. as well as boddaerti are scrub and forest species, they are replaced by A. bifrontata and M. pleii, respectively, in more open habitats (Infante-Rivero 2009, the authors pers. obs.). Although there is no record of A. bifrontata in the study area, the species might inhabit adjacent areas outside the forest. The species Norops auratus, Iguana iguana and Boa constrictor were recorded for the area but not collected. We tentatively identify the specimen MBULZ 1189 as Leptodeira bakeri. This species is known only from Aruba Island, Dutch West Indies (Ruthven 1936, Duellman 1958) and on the adjacent Peninsula de Paraguana on mainland Venezuela (Mijares-Urrutia et al. 1995). MBULZ

Duellman (1958, Lopes-Costa comm. pers.), except that it1189 has is 80 a subcaudals. female and Duellm fits wellan the (1958) description recorded given 71–90 by subcaudals in female specimens of L. a. ashmeadii, 78–98 Figure 1. Location of the study site. The dry forest fragment is approximately 450 ha and is surrounded by very active anthropogenic in L. s. ornata and 63–71 in L. bakeri. Additional data about activity including croplands, farms, highways, residential areas and an international airport. mm SVL, 148 mm TL, 22 brown dorsal body blotches, the our specimen are the following: 19-19-15 scale rows, 415 1221 Larreal et al. | Squamata of a tropical dry forest in Venezuela

taxon described from Maracaibo and later synonymised with T. semicincta by Boulenger (1896), there are no blotches.first blotch Venter being pale single immaculate. in the nuchal We refer region this specimen (second– additional specimens collected in Venezuela with this tothird L. bakeri fused mainl and fourteen-fifteeny because the presence fused), of and a single 10 dark bar tail on pattern. All three T. semicincta we collected are females nape (vs two wide, distinct, longitudinal dark bars on nape and exhibit the usual banded pattern. The specimen in L. a. ashmeadii), body blotches large, 14–27 in number MBLUZ 1191 (SVL 303+TL 33, incomplete tail) has 16 (vs 29–51 of L. a. ashmeadii), extending to or nearly to dark bands of the body and two tail dark bands; MBLUZ the ventrals, and the lack of an ornate head pattern. This L. bakeri in the Lake Maracaibo basin repeats a tail, while MBLUZ 1193 (SVL 430+TL 112, Figure 2C) has geographic distribution pattern also found in other snakes 161192 bands (SVL on 303+TL the body 75) and has six16 ondark the bands tail. These and five numbers on the suchfinding as Coluberof mentovarius centralis and Thamnodynastes of bands on body and tail fall within the variation given paraguanae. Thus, the record of L. septentrionalis by Wilson (1976), but are higher than in the specimen ornata close to the study area (Lancini 1962) needs to be from . Wilson noted that the number of diagnostic reconsidered in order to verify the exact distribution of characters (mainly number of dark tail bands, among other both species, and if the population from Rio Palmar really characteristics) between the specimens from coastal range belongs to L. s. ornata of Venezuela and those from the western populations species for the Lake Maracaibo basin (Rivas et al. 2012). (western Venezuela and adjacent ) differs but the Our collecting of three. specimens This is the of first Tantilla mention semicincta of the is scarcity of specimens did not permit a decision to be made about the identity of the Caracas population compared to Venezuela. This species has only been recorded from the the western populations. northwesternan interesting partfinding of the because country it is (Maracaibo an uncommon basin, snake Sierra in Among the snakes, two (maybe three) are potentially dangerous to humans and represent a possible public health Caracas in the central coastal range (Rivas et al. 2012). In concern. One of them, the South American rattlesnake thede Perija,Central Cordilleracoastal range, de this Merida species and is Falcónapparently state) known and Crotalus durissus, has a low frequency of occurrence in from two specimens only (Roze 1966). All specimens the region and seems not to represent a major threat to examined in the different Venezuelan collections show a humans because there is no known recent accidents by C. banded pattern, which consists of dark transverse bands durissus in the study area. The pygmy coralsnake, Micrurus on a pale ground color. However, another morphotype of dissoleucus (Figure 2D), is quite common but its small this species has also been recorded from both Colombia size poses little threat and no accidents are reported. Nevertheless, this species may be the most killed snake by local people. Lansberg’s hog-nosed pitviper (Porthidium theand description Venezuela: ofa pattern Homalocranion consisting lineatum of a dark Fischer dorsolateral 1883, a lansbergii) was also recorded by Lancini (1962) but has stripe on a pale background. Except the specimens used in

A B

C D

Figure 2. Phimophis guianensis (MBLUZ 1183); B. Ameiva praesignis (uncollected); C. Tantilla semicincta (MBLUZ 1193); D. Micrurus dissoleucus (uncollected); Photos by Luis A. Rodríguez Jaraba. Some specimens of squamate reptiles found in the dry forest in the Jardín Botánico from Maracaibo: A.

1222 Larreal et al. | Squamata of a tropical dry forest in Venezuela

Table 1. List of squamate reptiles recorded from the study area. not been collected in our study site even though it could live there because of its proximity to the Palmar River. LIST OF SPECIES Some species that could inhabit the study area but ORDER SQUAMATA , FAMILY IGUANIDAE Oppel, 1811 Ameiva bifrontata Iguana Laurenti, 1768 Drymarchon caudomaculatus, Leptophis were not observed in our survey are: Iguana iguana (Linnaeus, 1758) occidentalis, Mabuya zuliae and Liotyphlops albirostris. It FAMILY DACTYLOIDAE Fitzinger, 1843 should be noted that another species of Drymarchon, D. Genus Norops Wagler, 1830 melanurus, was recorded from Palmar River by Lancini Norops auratus Daudin, 1802 (1962) but not found at our study site. According to FAMILY SPHAERODACTYLIDAE Underwood, 1954 Lancini (1962), the single specimen collected by him had Genus Gonatodes Fitzinger, 1843 a whitish head and a dark brown, almost black, body. This Gonatodes albogularis (Duméril and Bibron, 1836) description corresponds better to the description of the FAMILY GEKKONIDAE Gray, 1825 recently described D. caudomaculatus, a taxon restricted Genus Hemidactylus Gray, 1825 to the lowlands of northwestern Venezuela and adjacent Hemidactylus frenatus Schlegel, 1836 Colombia (Peninsula de la Guajira) (Wüster et al. 2005, FAMILY PHYLLODACTYLIDAE Gamble, Bauer, Greenbaum and Mendoza and Fernandez Lucero 2009). Wüster et al. Jackman, 2008 (2005) mention that the lack of any obvious change of Genus Phyllodactylus Gray, 1828 hue along the dorsal side of the body differentiates D. Phyllodactylus ventralis O’Shaughnessy, 1875 caudomaculatus from D. melanurus. Additionally, the Genus Thecadactylus Oken, 1817 locality is more appropriate to D. caudomaculatus than to Thecadactylus rapicauda (Houttuyn, 1782) D. melanurus, which is a species that inhabits premontane FAMILY GYMNOPHTHALMIDAE Merrem, 1820 forest. This is also supported by the collection of two Genus Gymnophthalmus Merrem, 1820 Gymnophthalmus speciosus (Hallowell, 1861) (MBLUZ 1171) and at km 106 on the road Maracaibo- Genus Tretioscincus Cope, 1862 Machiquesadditional specimens (MBLUZ 987) on the located road Elat Molinete-Carrasquero80 km N and 100 km Tretioscincus bifasciatus Shreve, 1947 S respectively from the study site. Infante-Rivero et al. FAMILY TEIIDAE Gray, 1827 (2005) also extend to 100 km SW of JBM. We conclude that Genus Ameiva Meyer, 1795 D. melanurus by Lancini (1962) Ameiva praesignis Cope, 1862 is very probably a D. caudomaculatus. Genus Cnemidophorus Wagler, 1830 the Tospecimen conclude, identified the JBM asis an area of conservation priority Cnemidophorus sp. (Linnaeus, 1758) FAMILY BOIDAE Gray, 1842 faunistic biodiversity of the disappearing dry forests Genus Boa Linnaeus, 1758 andbecause plains it represents of Maracaibo. a relict The zoneexcessive for the urban floristic pressure and Boa constrictor Linnaeus, 1758 and uncontrolled development of the city of Maracaibo Genus Corallus Daudin, 1803 eliminated most of the original vegetation and, as a Corallus ruschenbergerii (Cope, 1876) consequence, extirpated many organisms, such as reptiles FAMILY COLUBRIDAE Cope, 1886 Genus Coluber Linnaeus, 1758 hand, many semi-forested areas surrounding the city of Coluber mentovarius (Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854) that nowadays find refuge mainly in the JBM. On the other Genus Mastigodryas Amaral, 1843 the inclusion of trees and ornamental shrubberies, mainly (Sentzen, 1796) non-indigenousMaracaibo are nowplants. drastically altered or modified with Mastigodryas pleei (Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854) Genus Oxybelis Wagler, 1830 (Wagler, 1824) Acknowledgments: We thank Franco Licano and his family for Genus Tantilla Baird y Girard, 1853 Rodriguez J. provided photographs of the living specimens. For granting Tantilla melanocephala (Linnaeus, 1758) their hospitality to JTL while conducting fieldwork in the JBM. Luis A. Tantilla semicincta (Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854) access to specimens under their care, we thank F. Bisbal and E. Camargo FAMILY DIPSADIDAE Bonaparte, 1838 Jadin,(EBRG), P.J.R. as Kok,well J.as Lopes-Costa E. San Blas, and who G. provided Ugueto made a vehicle valuable during suggestions different Genus Lygophis Fitzinger, 1843 improvingvisits to the the study manuscript. area. L. Rincón helped with photo edition. Finally, R.C. Lygophis linneatus (Linnaeus, 1758) Genus Leptodeira Fitzinger, 1843 Literature Cited Leptodeira cf bakeri Ruthven, 1936 la sierra de Perijá. Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Genus Phimophis Wagler, 1830 Alemán,Salle G.C. 1953. Contribución al estudio de los reptiles y batracios de Phimophis guianensis (Troschel in Schomburgk, 1848) Bailey, J.R., R.A. Thomas and N.J. da Silva Jr. 2005. A revision of the South Genus Thamnodynastes Wagler, 1830 American35: 205-225. snake genus Thamnodynastes Wagler, 1830 (Serpentes, Colubridae, Tachymenini). I. Two new species of Thamnodynastes Thamnodynastes paraguanae Bailey and Thomas, 2007 FAMILY ELAPIDAE Boie, 1827 neotype designation for Thamnodynastes pallidus (Linnaeus, 1758). Genus Micrurus Wagler, 1824 Phyllomedusafrom Central 83-111. and adjacent areas, with a redefinition of a Micrurus dissoleucus (Cope, 1860) incubation of wild-collected 4: of American and Orinoco crocodiles FAMILY VIPERIDAE Gray, 1825 Barros,(Crocodylus T., M. Jiménez-Oraá, acutus and C. H.J. intermedius Heredia and), Guárico A. E. Seijas. and Zulia, 2010. Venezuela. Artificial Genus Crotalus Linnaeus, 1758 Conservation Evidence Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of snakes in the British Museum (Natural Linnaeus, 1758 Crotalus durissus History). 2010: 111-115.

Vol. 3. London: Taylor and Francis. 727 p. 1223 Larreal et al. | Squamata of a tropical dry forest in Venezuela

Ceballos, G. 1995. Vertebrate diversity, ecology, and conservation in Roze, J.A. 1966. La Taxonomía y Zoogeografía de los Ofidios de Venezuela. neotropical dry forest; p. 195-222 In Mooney (ed.). Tropical deciduous Forest Ecosystem Venezuela. 362 p. Cambridge University Press. S. Bullock, E. Medina and H.A. Ruthven,Caracas: A.G. 1936. Ediciones Leptodeira de La bakeri Biblioteca,, new species. Universidad Occasional Central Papers deof D’Angiolella, A.B., T. Gamble, T.C.S. Avila-Pires, G.R. Colli,. B.P Cambridge: Noonan the Museum of Zoology and L.J. Vitt. 2011. Anolis chrysolepis Duméril and Bibron, 1837 330: 1-2. Pseudoeryx) from taxonomy of the Anolis chrysolepis species group. Bulletin of the Schargel, W.E., G. Rivas Fuenmayor, T. R. Barros, J. E. Péfaur and L. F. (Squamata:Museum of Comprative Iguanidae), Zoology revisited: molecular phylogeny and courseNavarrete. of the 2007. Orinoco A new river. aquatic Herpetologica snake (Colubridae: Ugueto,the lakeG.N. Maracaiboand M.B. Harvey. basin, 2011.northwestern Revision Venezuela: of Ameiva aameiva relic of Linnaeus the past Leptodeira. Bulletin of the American160: 35-63.Museum of Natural History 63: 236−24. Duellman,1-152. W.E. 1958. A monographic study of the colubrid snake genus and status of introduced populations in southern Florida, USA. Fajardo, L., V. González, J.M. Nassar, P. Lacabana, C.A. Portillo Q.,114: F. Herpetological(Squamata: Teiidae) Monographs in Venezuela: recognition­ of four species Carrasquel and J.P. Rodríguez. 2005. Tropical d Wilson, L.D. 1976. Variation in the South American colubrid snake characterization and current conservation status. Biotropica Tantilla semicincta (Duméril, 25: Bibron, 113-170. and Duméril), with comments 546. ry forests of Venezuela: on pattern dimorphism. Bulletin Southern California Academy of 37: 531- Sciences Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Wüster, W., J.L Yrausquin and A. Mijares-Urrutia. 2001. A new species Infante-Rivero, E.E. 2009. Anfibios y reptiles de la Guajira Venezolana. 75: 42-48. distribution. Drymarchon caudomaculatus. Herpetological43: 263-277. Review Drymarchon). Herpetological Journal Infante-Rivero,203. E.E., P.V. Delgado and F.J.M. Rojas-Runjaic. 2005. Geographic of indigo snake from north-western Venezuela (Serpentes: Janzen, D.H. 1983. Seasonal changes in abundance of large nocturnal Cag-36: Colubridae: 11: 157-165. beetles (Scarabaeidae) in Costa Rica deciduous forest and adyacent Yepes,Pintada, A.P. and Antioquia). J. A. Villa. Revista 2010. SucesiónLasallista vegetal de Investigación luego de un proceso de horse pasture. Oikos restauración ecológica en un fragmento de bosque seco tropical (La 7: 24-34. serpientes del río Palmar, 41: 274-283. estado Zulia (Venezuela). Acta Biológica LanciniVenezuelica V., A.R. 1962. Notas taxonómicas sobre una pequeña colección de Received: June 2012 3: 195-200. Zootaxa Accepted: October 2012 Nicholson,1-108. K.E., B.I. Crother, C. Guyer and J.M. Savage. 2012. It is time for a Published online: December 2012 Mendoza,new classification J.S. and of M. anoles Fernández (Squamata: Lucero. Dactyloidae). 2009. Geogr 3477:aphic AppendixEditorial responsibility1. Specimens examined: Pedro M fromS Nunes Jardin Botanico de Maracaíbo, distribution. Drymarchon caudomaculatus. Herpetological Review 455. Mijares-Urrutia, A., A.L. Markezich and A. Arends R. 1995. Hallazgo 40: de municipio SanNorops Francisco, auratus Estado Zulia, Venezuela. Hemidactylus Leptodeira bakeri frenatus Phyllodactylus ventralis (MBLUZ Dactyloidae:1184), Thecadactylus rapicauda (MBLUZ 1201). Gekkonidae: RuthvenJournal (Serpentes: of Science Colubridae) en la Peninsula Gymnophthalmus (MBLUZ 1186). speciosus Phyllodactylidae: Ameiva de Paraguaná, Noroeste de Venezuela; con comentarios diagnósticos praesignis (MBLUZ 1188), Cnemidophorus (MBLUZ 1181). sp. (MBLUZ Gymnophthalmidae: 1178. 1180). y biológicos. 31: 77-82. Corallus ruschenbergerii (MBLUZ 1174–1177). Teiidae: Coluber Pirela,la cuencaD., A. Urdaneta, baja del F. rio Escola, Catatumbo, M. Chacín, estado J. Rojas, Zulia. C. CaslerCiencia and 14 J.(número Rincón. mentovarius (MBLUZ 1182), Mastigodryas boddaertii (MBLUZ 1196), 2006. Caracterización preliminar de la fauna vertebrada asociada a MastigodryasBoidae: pleei (MBLUZ 1195), Oxybelis (MBLUZ aeneus 1185). (MBLUZ Colubridae: 1187), Tantilla Portillo-Quintero, C.A., A.M. Sánchez, C.A. Valbuena, Y.Y. González and melanocephala (MBLUZ 1179), Tantilla semicincta (MBLUZ 1191–1193). J.T.especial Larreal. 2): 56-73.2012. Forest cover and deforestation patterns in the Leptodeira aff. bakeri (MBLUZ 1189), Phimophis guianensis (MBLUZ 1183), Thamnodynastes paraguanae (MBLUZ 1194). using MODIS and Landsat imagery. Applied Geography Dipsadidae:Micrurus dissoleucus (MBLUZ 1190). Northern Andes (Lake Maracaibo Basin): a synoptic assessment Elapidae: Rhinoclemmys diademata (Mertens, 1954) or “Galápago 35: 152–163. de Appendix 2. Additional specimens examined. Rivas,Maracaibo” G., W.P. (Testudines; McCord, T.R. Geoemydidae), Barros and an C.L. unprotected Barrio-Amorós. turtle in 2007. the Maracaibo basin, Venezuela. Radiata Gonatodes albogularis Drymarchon caudomaculatus 16: 16-23. Sphaerodactylidae: : Estado Lara: Barquisimeto Rivas,checklist. G.A., C.R. Zootaxa Molina, G.N. Ugueto, T.R. Barros, C.L. Barrio-Amorós and (EBRG 5232). Colubridae: Thamnodynastes: Estado Zulia: RivasP.J.R. Fuenmayor, Kok. 2012. G., ReptilesG.N. Ugueto, of Venezuela: A.M Bauer, an T. updatedBarros and and J. commentedManzanilla. paraguanaecarretera El Molinete-Carrasquero (MBLUZ 1171); km 106 de la carretera 3211: 1–64 . UniversidadMaracaibo-Machiques del Zulia, Maracaibo (MBLUZ (MBLUZ 987). Dipsadidae:1197). Hemidactylus mabouia) and : terrenos de la Facultad Experimental de Ciencias, La 2005.the discovery Expansion of H.and frenatus natural in history Venezuela. of a suc Herpetological­cessful colonizing Review gecko in Venezuela (Reptilia: Gekkonidae: Rivero-Blanco, C.V. 1979. The Neotropical genus Gonatodes 36: Fitzinger121−125. (Sauria: Sphaerodactylinae). Unpublished PhD Thesis. College Station. Department of Wildlife Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University. 233 p. Note added in proof While our manuscript was in press, one of us (JTL) observed several Gonatodes petersi specimens of Ameiva bifrontata in the JBM, which one was collected Rojas-Runjaic,tuqueque endémico F.J.M. and de E.E. la vertiente Infante venezolana Rivero. 2008. de la Redescripción sierra de Perijá. de Memoria de la Fundación Donoso-Barros, La Salle de 1967 Ciencias (Squamata: Naturales Gekkonidae), un the study area increased to 25 species. (MBLUZ 1229). According to this new finding, the number of species in 170: 81-98.

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