Clarifying the type locality of Liotyphlops wilderi (Garman, 1883) (Serpentes, Anomalepididae), with comments on other reptiles from São Cyriaco, Minas Gerais

Abstract

The snake species Typhlops wilderi (today Liotyphlops wilderi) was described in 1883 based on specimens from São Cyriaco, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The name of this type locality has been cited in different ways in the literature, making its geographic location confusing. Solving this question is an important issue for future taxonomy and systematic studies. After searching for information on the collector of the type series of L. wilderi (John Casper Branner) using the Google Scholar database, I found that São Cyriaco was a gold mining company located in the current municipality of Alvorada de Minas. Besides elucidating the type locality of L. wilderi, I searched for reptile specimens collected by Branner, deposited in collections registered at the VertNet Portal and SpeciesLink, and personally examined the extant material from Minas Gerais.