Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research 297 ISSN: 2595-573X Land molluscs of Sucre State, Continental Northeast of Venezuela, Southeast Caribbean: an approximation to their knowledge Moluscos terrestres do Estado Sucre, Nordeste Continental da Venezuela, Sudeste do Caribe: uma aproximação ao seu conhecimento DOI: 10.34188/bjaerv4n1-028 Recebimento dos originais: 20/11/2020 Aceitação para publicação: 20/12/2020 Aisur Ignacio Agudo-Padrón Graduado em Geografia pela Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina/ UDESC Instituição: Projeto “Avulsos Malacológicos – Projeto AM” Endereço: P.O. Box 010, 88010-970 Centro, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina - SC, Brasil E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Relying once more on the invaluable participatory assistance and support of local researchers, naturalists and collaborating field informants, “Projeto AM” has been developing (formally since the year 2014) taxonomic, bioecological and conservation research about the "non-marine molluscs" present in the environment of the continental Caribbean territory in the Sucre State and adjacent neighboring areas, Northeast Venezuela region, with particular emphasis on its terrestrial and arboreal forest species, a geographical region historically very little studied regarding this aspect of its natural history. So far, a total of 44 species have been inventoried (39 snails & 5 slug forms), included in 31 genera and 18 families. Keywords: Land malacofauna, Gastropods, Operculated, Pulmonate, Caenogastropods, Soleolifera RESUMO Contando mais uma vez com a inestimável assistência participativa e apoio de pesquisadores locais, naturalistas e informantes de campo colaboradores, o “Projeto AM” vem realizando (formalmente desde 2014) pesquisas taxonômicas, bioecológicas e conservacionistas acerca dos "moluscos não marinhos“ presentes no meio ambiente do território continental caribenho do Estado Sucre e adjacências, região Nordeste da Venezuela, com especial destaque para suas espécies florestais terrestres e arbóreas, região geográfica historicamente muito pouco estudada neste aspecto de sua história natural. Até o momento, um total de 44 espécies (39 caracóis e 5 lesmas) foram inventariadas, incluídas em 31 gêneros e 18 famílias. Palavras-chave: Malacofauna Terrestre, Gastrópodes, Operculados, Pulmonados, Caenogastropoda, Soleolifera Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research, Curitiba, v. 4, n. 1, p. 297-316 jan./mar. 2021 Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research 298 ISSN: 2595-573X 1 INTRODUCTION The State of Sucre (Fig. 1) is one of the 23 political States of Venezuela, located in the Northeast region of the country (your state capital is Cumaná city), almost in the Eastern Cordillera. Covers a total surface area of 11,800 km2, representing 1.28% of the national total of Venezuela. In the Northern part is border with the Caribbean Sea, the double Peninsula, which in the East is the Peninsula of Paria and in the West is the Peninsula of Araya, dividing the slopes of the rivers, which flow into the Gulfs of Paria and Cariaco, respectively, with the States of Monagas and Anzoátegui to the South. The main heights of the Eastern Cordillera are Cerro Negro, Peonia, Majagual and Arrempuja, all of them at more than 1900 m., being its highest point the Turimiquire peak with its almost 2600 m. Being one of the most extensive basins and with the largest flow in Venezuela that drains its waters directly into the Caribbean Sea (located between the Municipalities of Montes and Sucre – Fig. 1), the “Manzanares River” is the most important Eastern waterbody in the Sucre State territory (Salazar et al. 2018: 122, 123-Fig. 1; Agudo-Padrón 2020 b). In the Gulf of Cariaco, one of the main rivers of the State, the Carinicuao or Cariaco, which is 173 km long, pours its waters. Of lesser importance, but also from the same basin are the Cautaro, Tunantal, Guaracayal, Compondrón, San Pedro and Marigüitar. In the Caribbean Sea basin, rivers of lesser importance such as the Chaure, Caribe, Unare and Cumaná flow into the river. Finally, after traveling 173 km, the San Juan river deposits its waters in the Gulf of Paria, as do the Irapa, Aruca, Güiria, Guiramo, Grande, Manacal and Yoco rivers. The relief of Sucre State is formed especially by mountainous landscapes, with some valleys not very extensive. The Turimiquire Mountain Range, to the Southwest, shows a rough relief, with steep slopes and heights reaching 2500 meters, while the mountainous system of the Paria Peninsula is characterized by hills of lower elevation. The coast of Sugarcane, essentially towards the West, has all the characteristics of a sinking coast, deep, with large cliffs and scarce beach formation. In contrast, towards the Southeast of the entity, in the Gulf of Paria, the land is very flat, with slopes of less than 1% and with insufficient drainage, which has turned it into swampy plains. The vegetation of is xerophytic in the coastal areas and mountainous in the rural areas located in the Coastal Range, we can also find Caribbean beach plants and trees, such as coconut and cocoa trees. You can also find the oak tree, which has been declared a State tree. In Paria the vegetation ranges from cloud forest at 1000 meters and annual rainfall calculated between 1000 and 1500 millimeters, to xerophytic as we approach the coast. In the Western coastal area, a semi-arid climate can be observed, with an average annual temperature of 24-26 °C in Cumaná and rainfall of 375 mm. The Araya Peninsula is a representative area of strong climate in terms of drought and aridity Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research, Curitiba, v. 4, n. 1, p. 297-316 jan./mar. 2021 Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research 299 ISSN: 2595-573X conditions (Bello-Pulido & Agudo-Padrón 2019). In the southern parallel strip, a rainy tropical savanna climate is observed, which extends to the area of the coastal slope to the Caribbean Sea. In Carúpano, average temperatures of 26-35 °C and changing rainfall of 524-1,046 mm are observed. In the Gulf of Paria the average annual rainfall increases from 1,200 to more than 2,000 mm with a forested climate. In the area of the interior mountain range there is a section where the tropical climate prevails at high altitudes. Right in this peculiar environment, and counting on the invaluable participatory assistance and support of local researchers, naturalists and informant collaborators in the field, as well as the opportune fundamental revision of the regional bibliography, "Projeto AM" has been developing (formally since the year 2014) a modest basic study corresponding to the taxonomic inventory, bioecological and conservation related to the species of "non-marine molluscs" present in this singular Caribbean continental region, with particular emphasis in this opportunity on their land forms. According Breure (2016 ...) (sic): “... land snails data from NE Venezuela, a region for which hardly reliable data exist in literature.” ... “... a country with comparably hardly good information in the malacological literature.” ... “... despite some scant literature, Venezuela is still one of the lesser-known areas in the Neotropics when it comes to snails.”. Figure 1. Geographical location of the “Sucre State” territory and your Municipalities on the Northeast continental Venezuela, Southeast Caribbean region. Credit Map: Original by A. Ignacio Agudo-Padrón, Project AM Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research, Curitiba, v. 4, n. 1, p. 297-316 jan./mar. 2021 Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research 300 ISSN: 2595-573X BACKGROUND: Specific studies on the non-marine forest land (terrestrial and arboreal) malacofauna (mollusc fauna) present in the continental geographic space of the Sucre State and neighboring immediate territories are scarce (very rare) and punctual, being that its regional aquatic (limnic/ freshwater) malacological fauna has been previously reviewed and characterized by us (Agudo- Padrón 2020 a, b): - Preliminarly, Baker (1923: 14-15, 23, 26, 31, 33, 35-36, 58-Plate V) cite the taxonomic “incertae sedis” names Oligyra (Analcadia) dysoni dysoni (Pfeiffer, 1859) & Tudora (Cyclostoma) plicatula (Pfeiffer, 1846) from “Cumaná”; Poteria translucida translucida (Sowerby, 1843), Poteria straminea (Reeve, 1843) ~ synonymy of Austrocyclotus stramineus (Reeve, 1843) & Poteria granadensis rugata (Guppy, 1864) from “Cariaquito”; Poteria (Cyclostoma) translucida trinitensis (Guppy, 1846) from “Coloras Island, Gulf of Paria, Trinidad”. - Baker (1925: 2-4, 6-7, 9, 12, 25-27, 29, 34-36, 39) cite the taxonomic “incertae sedis” names Bothriopupa tenuidens (Adams, 1845), Bothriopupa conoidea (Pfeiffer, 1853), Bothriopupa geminidens Pilsbry, 1917, Caecilioides (Karolus) consobrina minutissima (Guppy, 1869) ~ synonymy of Cecilioides consobrina (d’Orbigny, 1841), Succinea tamsiana Pfeiffer, 1850, Radiodiscus bactricolus (Guppy, 1868), Radiodiscus sp ?, Pseudohyalina umbratilis (Guppy, 1868), Scolodonta (- Zonites) implicans (Guppy, 1868), Tamayoa trinitaria venezuelensis ~ new genus & subspecies, Tamayoa trinitaria trinitaria (Smith, 1898) & Streptaxis (Odontartemon) glaber normalis Jousseaume, 1889 from “Cariaquita = Cariaquito”; Guppya gundlachi (Pfeiffer, 1840) & Euconulus ernsti (Jousseaume, 1889) from “Cariaquita = Cariaquito” and “Cariaco”; Scolodonta (Systrophiella) starkei ~ new species & Scolodonta (Systrophiella) alicea (Guppy, 1871) from “Cariaco”. - Baker (1926: 11-13, 22, 25-26, 30-32, 37-38, 40, 47) cite