Skip to main content

New living fossil, Amethyst worm lizard (Amphisbaena amethysta), from Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

New living fossil, Amethyst worm lizard (Amphisbaena amethysta), from Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

NEWS - New species from the northern Espinhaço Mountains, Caetité municipality, Bahia state, Brazil. Amethyst worm lizard (Amphisbaena amethysta) is the 71st species of the genus with 4 precloacal pores and the 22nd species of Caatinga morphoclimatic domain. Identification of the new species shows the reptiles of the Mountains are far from complete and may contain greater diversity of endemic taxa.

A. amethysta can be distinguished by its anteriorly convex snout, slightly compressed and unkeeled, pectoral scales arranged in regular annuli, four precloacal pores, distinct head shield, 185-199 dorsal and half annuli, 13-16 caudal annuli, a conspicuous autotomy spot between the 4th-6th caudal annuli, 16-21 dorsal and ventral segments in the middle of the body, 3/3 supralabials, 3/3 infralabials and a smooth and rounded tail tip.

A. amethysta occurs in areas with an average elevation of 1000 meters in patches of deciduous and semi-deciduous forests associated with valleys, slopes, forests and containing floristic elements. Areas of savanna vegetation with rocky outcrops, typically woody at higher elevations.

The distribution pattern is similar to that of five other Amphisbaena species restricted to the highland areas of the Espinhaço Mountains in Bahia (A. bahiana, A. longinqua, A. metallurga, A. mongoyo, A. uroxena) of which four are phylogenetically closely related, but do not show a close phylogenetic relationship with A. amethysta.

The other three species do not show a clear relationship with the species from the Espinhaço Mountains but also occur at the same elevation and vegetation type (A. kiriri, A. acangaoba and A. ignatiana).

The researchers sequenced a total of 4806 base pairs and the new species is a group of A. caetitensis with 92% bootstrap. The clade composed by A. amethysta and A. caetitensis was found to be a group of A. angustifrons, A. darwini, A. kingi, A. leeseri and A. munoai with a low bootstrap (21%). The genetic distance between A. amethysta and A. caetitensis is 6.1%.

The specific epithet refers to the mineral amethyst which is a type of quartz and also the name of the type site “Brejinho das Ametistas”, a district located in the south of the municipality of Caetité, Bahia state. This area has been a center of amethyst mining since the beginning of the 20th century.

Mining activities cause several irreversible environmental changes, including habitat loss due to vegetation clearing, relocation and excavation during the opening and operation of new mines. These actions have a direct impact on terrestrial and fossil species such as amphibians.

Original research

Ribeiro S, Santos Jr AP, Martins IG, Oliveira ECS, Graboski R, Barbosa Da Silveira T, Benício MHM, Vaz-Silva W (2024). A new four-pored Amphisbaena Linnaeus, 1758 (Amphisbaenia, Amphisbaenidae) from the north of Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil. ZooKeys 1213: 1-27, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1213.122265

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Redflower ragleaf (Crassocephalum crepidioides)

Sintrong or ebolo or thickhead or redflower ragleaf ( Crassocephalum crepidioides ) are plant species in Asteraceae, terma height 25-100 cm, white fibrous roots, generally grow wild on the roadside, yard gardens or abandoned lands at altitude 200- 2500 m. C. crepidioides has erect or horizontal stems along the soil surface, vascular, soft, non-woody, shallow grooves, green, rough surface and short white hair, aromatic fragrance when squeezed. Petiole is spread on stems, tubular and eared. Single leaf, spread out, green, 8-20 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, longitudinal or round inverted eggshell with a narrow base along the stalk. Pointed tip, flat-edged or curved to pinnate, jagged rough and pointed. The top leaves are smaller and often sit. Compound flowers grow throughout the year in humps that are arranged in terminal flat panicles and androgynous. Green cuffs with orange-brown to brick-red tips, cylindrical for 13-16 mm long and 5-6 mm wide. The crown is yellow with a brownish red...
Read more

Purwaceng (Pimpinella pruatjan)

Purwaceng or purwoceng or antanan gunung or Viagra of Java ( Pimpinella pruatjan or Pimpinella priatjan ) are small termas growing horizontally in Apiaceae, growing in villages on Dieng Plateau, Central Java Province, Indonesia, at 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level, the roots have medicinal properties for aphrodisiacs and are usually processed in powder form for a mixture of coffee or milk. P. pruatjan grows flat on the ground but does not propagate, small leaves are reddish green for 1-3 cm in diameter. This plant is only found in Java and grows in high mountain areas. A low population where industrial demand is very high results in increasingly scarce. Another place that is likely to become a purwaceng habitat is the Iyang Mountains and the Tengger Mountains in East Java Province. Efforts to multiply and cultivate have a big problem where these plants have difficulty producing seeds. In vitro propagation research through tissue cultivation has been carried out to overcome ...
Read more