Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 511-515 (2017) (published online on 15 September 2017)

Range extension for Erythrolamprus epinephelus bimaculatus (Cope, 1899) and E. e. opisthotaenius (Boulenger, 1908) in Venezuela (Serpentes: Colubridae)

Moisés Escalona1,*

The Golden-bellied snakelet Erythrolamprus Here I report new records of E. e. bimaculatus and epinephelus (Cope, 1862) is a diurnal terrestrial E. e. opisthotaenius that extend the known distribution colubrid that mainly feeds on anurans (Savage, 2002). of both subspecies for Venezuela. These records were The total maximum length of this species is 775 mm in based on museums specimens housed at Colección de females (incomplete tail; Dixon, 1983) and 805 mm in Vertebrados de la Universidad de Los Andes (CVULA), males (Ramírez-Jaramillo, 2015). This species inhabits Mérida, Venezuela, and the Museo de Historia swamps and riverbanks in open areas, grasslands, Natural La Salle (MHNLS), Caracas, Venezuela. and humid forests (Savage, 2002). Apparently, it The specimens were in a good condition and allowed prefers high Andean forests and open areas (Acevedo reliable identification based on Dixon (1983) and et al., 2016), and it is present in Costa Rica, Panama, Kornacker (1999). Measurements provided include Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru at elevations snout–vent length (SVL) and tail length (TL), measured from 0–3400 m (Dixon, 1983). Currently, the known to the nearest mm using � ������������������������������ geographic distribution of the species in Venezuela known for E. epinephelus in Venezuela, including these includes noticeable gaps, with records known for new records, are listed in Table 1. All localities were elevations between 170 m (Esqueda et al., 2007) and verified and georeferenced (when necessary) using 2300 m (Natera et al., 2015). Google Earth. Below I provide additional information Erythrolamprus epinephelus comprises nine for the new records. subspecies (Uetz et al., 2017), of which three have been Two specimens were identified as E. e. bimaculatus. reported for Venezuela. Erythrolamprus e. bimaculatus The first, collected during the Proyecto Uribante (Cope, 1899) is only known from a single locality, 17 Caparo on 4 November 1985, is an adult male specimen km N Guaraque [= road to Tovar, 17 km N Guaraque], (CVULA IV-4321, SVL = 415 mm, TL = 131 mm; Fig. according museum data (Table 1), in the Cordillera de 1A,B) from Boca de Monte, Michelena Municipality, Mérida (CM), Mérida State (Fig. 2A; Dixon, 1983). Táchira State (8.0505° N, 71.8506° W; WGS 84), Erythrolamprus e. kogiorum (Bernal-Carlo, 1994) is elevation 2192 m (Locality 1 in Fig. 2A). An adult male known from two localities in the Sierra de Perijá, Zulia road-killed specimen (CVULA IV-8526, SVL = 571 State (Fig. 2A, Table 1; Rojas-Runjaic et al., 2007). mm, TL = 182 mm) was collected by Jesús Molinari Erythrolamprus e. opisthotaenius (Boulenger, 1908) is on 10 July 1999, at Páramo de San José, Campo Elías known from the Tamá Massif and several localities in Municipality, Mérida State (8.3381° N, 71.3036° W; the CM (Fig. 2A, Table 1; Dixon, 1983). WGS 84), elevation 2980 m (Locality 2 in Fig. 2A). Three specimens could be identified as E. e. opisthotaenius. One adult specimen �������������� (CVULA IV- 4273, SVL = 481 mm, TL = 145 mm; Fig. 1C,D) was collected on 26 June 1985 at 5 km S Barinitas, Bolívar Municipality, Barinas State (8.7064° 1 Laboratório de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida N, 70.3905° W; WGS 84), elevation 353 m (Locality Ipiranga, 6681, CEP 90619-900, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande 3 in Fig. 2A). Another adult male specimen (MHNLS do Sul, Brazil 22008, unknown measurements) was collected by * Author e-mail: [email protected] Fernando Rojas-Runjaic and Michelle Castellanos 512 Moisés Escalona

Table 1. Records of Erythrolamprus epinephelus from Venezuela. Acronyms include AMNH = American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA; BMNH = British Museum of Natural History, London, England; CVULA [= UAM in Dixon, 1983] = Colección de Vertebrados de la Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela; MBLUZ = Museo de Biología de La Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela; MCNC = Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Los Caobos (Plaza Morelos), Caracas, Venezuela; MCZ = Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; MHNLS = Museo de Historia Natural La Salle, Caracas, Venezuela; USNM = National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA; ULABG = Colección de Anfibios y Reptiles, Laboratorio de Biogeografía, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. Coordinates are given with datum WGS 84. References include (1) Dixon, 1983; (2) this study; (3) Rojas-Runjaic et al., 2007; (4) Rivas and Fuentes, 2002; (5) Esqueda et al., 2007; (6) Natera et al., 2015. Specimen in Esqueda et al. (2007) was referred to as Liophis epinephalus opisthotaenia.

Specimen Number Locality: State Latitude Longitude Elevation (m) Reference E. e. bimaculatus CVULA IV-1160 Road to Tovar, 17 km N Guaraque: Mérida 8.2932°N 71.7371°W 1317 1 CVULA IV-8526 Páramo de San José: Mérida 8.3380°N 71.3036°W 2980 2 CVULA IV-4321 Boca de Monte: Táchira 8.0504°N 71.8506°W 2192 2 E. e. kogiorum MBLUZ-R 0318–19 Mesa Turik, Sierra de Perijá: Zulia 10.4120°N 72.7016°W 1700 3 MBLUZ-R 0235 Valle del Ocari, cañón del rio negro, Sierra de Perijá: Zulia 10.0520°N 72.8283°W 1300 3 E. e. opisthotaenius MCZ 112415 Betania [= region of] Páramo de Tamá: Táchira 7.4770°N 72.4559°W 2000 1 BMNH 1905.6.30.59–60 Chama [=sector Chama, Mérida city]: Mérida 8.5584°N 71.1757°W 1271 1 BMNH 1905.5.31.56–58 Mérida [= Mérida city]: Mérida 8.5948°N 71.1512°W 1568 1 BMNH 1908.5.29.146–147 Mérida [= Mérida city]: Mérida 8.5948°N 71.1512°W 1568 1 BMNH 1912.11.1.73–76 Mérida [= Mérida city]: Mérida 8.5948°N 71.1512°W 1568 1 BMNH 1946.1.4.54–55 Mérida [= Mérida city]: Mérida 8.5948°N 71.1512°W 1568 1 CVULA IV-602 Valle Grande: Mérida 8.6754°N 71.1014°W 2196 1 CVULA IV-771 Monterrey, El Valle: Mérida 8.6752°N 71.1128°W 2278 1 CVULA IV-1046–48 Near Canaguá: Mérida 8.1397°N 71.4201°W 1358 1 CVULA IV-1050–51 Laguna de El Joque: Mérida 8.5840°N 71.3437°W 1970 1 CVULA IV-1162 Monte Zerpa: Mérida 8.6268°N 71.1578°W 1948 1 CVULA IV-1697 Valle Grande: Mérida 8.6754°N 71.1014°W 2196 1 CVULA IV-1710 Monte Zerpa: Mérida 8.6268°N 71.1578°W 1948 1 CVULA IV-2318 Monte Zerpa: Mérida 8.6268°N 71.1578°W 1948 1 USNM 162827 Misisi, 14 km E Trujillo: Trujillo 9.3535°N 70.3143°W 1943 1 BMNH 1903.6.30.37–38 Rio Albarregas: Mérida 8.5976°N 71.1478°W 1587 1 USNM 162822 Rio Albarregas: Mérida 8.5976°N 71.1478°W 1587 1 AMNH 13418–19 Rio Albarregas and Milla: Mérida 8.6082°N 71.1400°W 1665 1 MHNLS 1096 San Cristobal: Táchira 7.7670°N 72.2249°W 902 1 MHNLS 22000 Between Las Adjuntas and La Osa: Mérida 8.6487°N 71.4794°W 1551 2 CVULA IV-4273 5 Km S Barinitas: Barinas 8.7063°N 70.3904°W 353 2 CVULA IV-4541 Hacienda Santa Rosa, Santa Bárbara del Zulia: Zulia 8.7967°N 71.7900°W 75 2 MCNC 7705 Curimagua: Falcón 11.171°N 69.6723°W 1093 4 ULABG 6620 Pica auxiliar 8, Reserva Forestal de Caparo: Barinas 7.4552°N 71.0478°W 147 5 Not vouchered Ticoporo: Barinas 7.7917°N 70.1711°W 105 6

on 8 July 2015 at a locality between Las Adjuntas 4321 (Locality 1 in Fig. 2A) is at the Los Llanos flank and La Osa, Andrés Bello Municipality, Mérida State or the vertiente llanera of the CM (Arismendi, 2007) (8.6487°N, 71.4794°W; WGS 84), elevation 1551 m and corresponds to a Montane High Evergreen Forest (Locality 4 in Fig. 2A). The third specimen is an adult Ecosystem (Ataroff and Sarmiento, 2004). This is the male (CVULA IV-4541, SVL = 436 mm, TL = 142 mm), second record of E. e. bimaculatus in Venezuela and collected by Pedro Durant and Alba Díaz on 5 July 1985 extends the distribution 29 km SW from the previously at Hacienda Santa Rosa, Santa Bárbara del Zulia, Colón known locality (Fig. 2A). In addition, the locality Municipality, Zulia State (8.7967°N, 71.7900°W; WGS of CVULA IV-8526 (Locality 2 in Fig. 2A) is in the 84), elevation 75 m (Locality 5 in Fig. 2A). Sierra Nevada of the CM and corresponds to a Páramo These new reports of occurrences for Erythrolamprus Ecosystem (Ataroff and Sarmiento, 2004). This is the epinephelus bimaculatus extend its geographic third record for E. e. bimaculatus in Venezuela, which distribution in Venezuela. The locality of CVULA IV- extends the distribution 48 km E from the nearest Distribution extension of two Erythrolamprus epinephelus subspecies in Venezuela 513

Figure 1. Museum specimens of Erythrolamprus epinephelus from Venezuela. (A) Dorsal and (B) ventral view of E. e. bimaculatus (CVULA IV-4321) from Boca de Monte, Táchira State, Venezuela. (C) Dorsal and (D) ventral view of E. e. opithotaenius (CVULA IV-4273) from a locality 5 km S Barinitas, Barinas State, Venezuela. The black bar represents 10 mm. Photos by Javier García- Gutierrez�.

locality. Furthermore, this record extends the elevational (Locality 4 in Fig. 2A) is in the vertiente lacustre of distribution of the species in the country upwards by ca. the CM, and corresponds to a Montane Low Evergreen 700 m. Additionally, it is the first record for this species Forest Ecosystem (Ataroff and Sarmiento, 2004). This in a Páramo Ecosystem (Fig. 2B) in Venezuela. record fills the distribution gap between the previous The new occurrences of Erythrolamprus epinephelus locality (Hacienda Santa Rosa, Zulia State) and the opisthotaenius also extend the geographic distribution Laguna El Joque, Mérida State. The locality of CVULA in Venezuela. The locality of CVULA IV-4273 IV-4541 (Locality 5 in Fig. 2A) is in the northwestern (Locality 3 in Fig. 2A) is in the piedemonte llanero part of the CM, and corresponds to an ������������� of the CM, and corresponds to a Submontane Humid (i.e., pastureland, mainly for cattle raising; Huber Forest Ecosystem (Ataroff and Sarmiento, 2004). This and Oliveira-Miranda, 2010). This record extends the record fills the distribution gap between Misisi, Trujillo distribution of E. e. opisthotaenius 72 km NW from the State, and the City of Mérida in Mérida State. It extends nearest known locality. Furthermore, this is the lowest the distribution of E. e. opisthotaenius 70 km S from its elevational record for E. epinephelus in Venezuela (95 nearest locality (Fig. 2). The locality of MHNLS 22008 m less than the previous lowest record; Table 1). 514 Moisés Escalona

Figure 2. (A) Topographic map indicating the localities of Erythrolamprus epinephelus in Venezuela. Symbols represent E. e. kogiorum (squares), E. e. opisthotaenius (circles), and E. e. bimaculatus (triangles). Black symbols represent literature records, whereas aquamarine symbols represent the new records reported here. New localities include 1 = Boca de Monte, Michelena Municipality, Táchira State, elevation 2192 m; 2 = Páramo de San José, Campo Elías Municipality, Mérida State, elevation 2980 m; 3 = 5 km S Barinitas, Bolívar Municipality, Barinas State, elevation 353 m; 4 = a locality between Las Adjuntas and La Osa, Andrés Bello Municipality, Mérida State, elevation 1551 m; 5 = Hacienda Santa Rosa, Santa Bárbara del Zulia, Colón Municipality, Zulia State, elevation 75 m. (B) Photograph of the Páramo de San José, Mérida State, Venezuela. Photo by Enrique La Marca.

The new occurrences of E. epinephelus extend the Thus, the new records reported here expand the overall elevational distribution of this species in Venezuela elevational distribution of E. epinephelus in Venezuela to to both higher and lower levels. Natera et al. (2015) cover elevations from 75–2980 m (Fig. 2A). The record established 2300 m as the upper elevation limit for E. for CVULA IV-4541 from Santa Bárbara del Zulia, Zulia epinephelus in Venezuela but did not provide associated State, represents the first record of E. epinephelus for the localities, voucher specimens, or references. We Maracaibo Lake Bioregion (sensu Rivero, 1961). This therefore considered 2278 m (CVULA IV-771 from record increases the diversity of species and subspecies Monterrey, El Valle, Mérida State; Dixon, 1983) as the of snakes to 35 in that bioregion, based on Natera et previous, properly documented upper elevational limit. al. (2015). The Venezuelan specimens of E. epinephelus Distribution extension of two Erythrolamprus epinephelus subspecies in Venezuela 515 were predominantly found in semi-deciduous forest and References evergreen forest, in contrast with the habitat mentioned Acevedo, A.A., Cuesta, M.M., Cabrera, J. (2016): Erythrolamprus by Acevedo et al. (2016). The highest record reported epinephelus (Golden-bellied Snakelet). Diet. Herpetological here adds a new habitat type (Páramo) for this species in Review 47: 310–311. Venezuela (Fig. 2B). Arismendi, J. (2007): Presentación geográfica de las formas de Lancini and Kornacker (1989) mentioned that the relieve. In: GeoVenezuela, Volume 2: Medio Físico y Recursos elevational distribution of snakes in Venezuela is poorly Ambientales, p. 128–182. Cunill, P., Ed., Caracas, Venezuela, Fundación Empresas Polar. known because explorations have generally been Ataroff, M., Sarmiento, L. (2004): Las unidades ecológicas de los carried out up to ca. 2000 m. Atractus ventrimaculatus, Andes de Venezuela. In: Reptiles de Los Andes de Venezuela, E. epinephelus, and Chironius monticola are the known p. 9–26. La Marca, E., Soriano, P., Eds., Mérida, Venezuela, species that occur at the upper montane floor (elevations Fundación Polar, Codepre-ULA, Fundacite-Mérida, Biogeos. of 2000–2700 m sensu Ataroff and Sarmiento, 2004) in Dixon, J.R. (1983): Systematics of the Latin American snake the CM (Natera et al., 2015). According to Natera et al. Liophis epinephelus (Serpentes: Colubridae). In: Advances in (2015), specimens of an undescribed species related to Herpetology and Evolutionary Biology, p. 132–149. Rhodin, A., Miyata, K., Eds., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, Museum of A. ventrimaculatus represent the highest record (2966 Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. m) in the Venezuelan Andes for Atractus. However, La Esqueda, L.F., Natera, M., La Marca, E., Ilija-Fistar, M. (2007): Marca and Soriano (2004) reported one specimen of C. Nueva especie de serpiente (Reptilia: Colubridae: Liophis) de monticola at Páramo El Tambor, Mérida State, elevation un bosque tropical relictual en el estado Barinas, Venezuela. ca. 3000 m (Universidad de Los Andes, Laboratorio de Herpetotropicos 2: 95–103. Biogeografia, Collection of Amphibians and Reptiles, Huber, O., Oliveira-Miranda, M.A. (2010): Ambientes terrestres specimen number 2057, likely a female, SVL = 650 de Venezuela. In: Libro Rojo de los Ecosistemas Terrestres de Venezuela, p. 29–89. Rodríguez, J.P., Rojas-Suárez, F., mm, TL = 245 mm), which is the highest known record Hernández, D., Eds., Caracas, Venezuela, Provita, Shell for a snake in Venezuela. Consequently, the record Venezuela, Lenovo (Venezuela). reported here for CVULA IV-8526 at 2980 m represents Kornacker, P. (1999): Checklist and Key to the Snakes of Venezuela. the highest record for Erythrolamprus in Venezuela and Rheinbach, Germany, Pako-Verlag. the second highest for a snake in Venezuela. Ramírez-Jaramillo, S.R. (2015): Observaciones sobre la historia The occurrence of E. epinephelus in central and eastern natural de Erythrolamprus epinephelus albiventris en el valle de Quito, Ecuador. Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías 7: 5–7. Venezuela is uncertain. Navarrete et al. (2009) listed this Rivero, J.A. (1961): Salientia of Venezuela. Bulletin of the Museum taxon for Aragua State (in addition to the aforementioned of Comparative Zoology 126: 1–207. states), yet these authors provided neither the locality nor Rojas-Runjaic, F.J., Infante, E.E., Barrio-Amoros, C.L., Barros, voucher specimen number associated with that record. T.R. (2007): New distributional records of amphibians and Therefore, specimens of E. epinephelus from Venezuela reptiles from Estado Zulia in the Maracaibo basin, Venezuela. are known from Barinas, Mérida, Trujillo, and Zulia Herpetological Review 38: 235–236. States (Table 1). Finally, these records highlight both Savage, J.M. (2002): The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: a Herpetofauna Between Two Continents, Between Two Seas. the need to carry out herpetological expeditions in the Chicago, Illinois, USA, University of Chicago Press. Venezuelan highlands (higher than 2000 m), as well as Lancini, A., Kornacker, P. (1989): Die Schlangen von Venezuela. the importance of scientific collections as a source of Caracas, Venezuela, Verlag Armitano Editores C.A. scientific information. Natera, M., Esqueda, L.F., Castelaín, M. (2015): Atlas Serpientes de Venezuela. Santiago de Chile, Dimacofi Negocios Avanzados Acknowledgments. I would like to thank Jesús Molinari for S.A. kindly providing the specimen from the Páramo de San José. Navarrete, L.F., López-Johnston, J.C., Blanco, A. (2009): Guía de Javier García-Gutierrez assistance with taxonomic identification las Serpientes de Venezuela. Biología, Venenos, Conservación and photographed and measured of some specimens. Julia Smith y Listado de Especies. Segunda Edición. Caracas, Venezuela, provided help with German translation. Santiago Castroviejo- Gráficas ACEA. Fisher, Enrique La Marca, Fernando Rojas-Runjaic, and Pedro Uetz, P., Freed, P., Hošek, J., Eds. (2017): Erythrolamprus Ivo Simões provided valuable comments on the manuscript. epinephelus. The Reptile Database. Available at: http://www. Enrique La Marca kindly provided the photograph from Páramo reptile-database.org. Accessed on 11 January 2017. de San José. Finally, I would also like to thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES; process number 1578956) for financial assistance. Accepted by Javier Cortés Suárez