Twenty-eight new and significant departmental reptile records for Paraguay

Abstract

Twenty-eight new distribution records are reported for twenty-seven species of Paraguayan reptiles. Ten of these species are considered threatened at the national level (6 EN, 2 VU, 2 DD). Nineteen new departmental records are documented: Phrynops hilarii (Chelidae) in Misiones department; Homonota marthae, Phyllopezus przewalskii (Phyllodactylidae), Philodryas baroni and P. psammophidea (Colubridae) in Presidente Hayes department; Teius oculatus (Teiidae), Cercosaura schreibersii (Gymnophthalmidae), Ophiodes intermedius (Diploglossidae), Amphisbaena mertensii (Amphisbaenidae), Boiruna maculata and Philodryas aestiva (Colubridae) in Caazapá department; Amphisbaena alba (Amphisbaenidae) in Caaguazú and Cordillera departments; Bothrops moojeni (Viperidae), Eunectes notaeus (Boidae), Helicops leopardinus and Hydrodynastes gigas (Colubridae) in Guairá department; Apostolepis dimidiata, Atractus paraguayensis and Mussurana bicolor (Colubridae) in Itapúa department; and Epicrates crassus (Boidae) and Phalotris nigirilatus (Colubridae) in Concepción department. Significant range extensions of threatened or poorly-known species are also documented: The known distribution of the Endangered Salvator duseni (Teiidae) is extended 128.5 km to the east within Canindeyú department; that of the Vulnerable Boa occidentalis is extended 109.2 km to the southwest within Boquerón department; that of the Vulnerable Epicrates alvarezi (Boidae) is extended 136.6 km to the west within Boquerón department and 172.4 km to the northeast into Alto Paraguay department; that of Caiman yacare (Alligatoridae) is extended 132 km west within Boquerón department to the northern reaches of the Pilcomayo River. We also document an additional specimen of the rare Philodryas agassizii (Colubridae) and confirmation of the occurrence of the disputed form Phalotris “punctatus” in Paraguay.

Keywords

• Caiman
• distribution
• herpetology
• lizards,
• Neotropics
• snakes