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Apostolepis cearensis Gomes, 1915 ���Cobra-de-ferr��o, cobra-rainha��� (Figs. 13.6 and 26.2) Caatinga endemic species. It has a wide range in the Caatinga, including the states of Piau��, Cear��, Para��ba, Alagoas, and Bahia. Most records are in lowlands, covered with semi-arid Caatinga, with a few isolated records in higher areas. Not recorded in the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Pernambuco, perhaps as a result of sampling gaps. It inhabits herbaceous, bushy and arboreal caatinga, and moist forest with sandy soils. It is the most common species of the genus in the Caatinga. It has fossorial and psammophylous habits, is diurnal and nocturnal, and feeds on elongated vertebrates (Ferrarezzi et al. 2005)., Published as part of Guedes, Tha��s B., Nogueira, Cristiano & Marques, Otavio A. V., 2014, Diversity, natural history, and geographic distribution of snakes in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil, pp. 1-93 in Zootaxa 3863 (1) on page 35, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3863.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/287111, {"references":["Ferrarezzi, H., Barbo, F. E. & Albuquerque, C. E. (2005) Phylogenetic relationships of a new species of Apostolepis from Brazilian cerrado with notes on the assimilis group (Serpentes: Colubridae: Xenodontinae: Elapomorphini). Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia, 45, 215 - 229. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1590 / S 0031 - 10492005001600001"]}

An examination of the holotype of Apostolepis sanctaeritae Werner, 1924, allows confirmation and redescription of this species with additional data. This species is most similar to Apostolepis assimilis and not to Apostolepis cearensis or Apostolepis flavotorquata, as suggested by previous investigators. A comparison and key for identification of species with similar color patterns is provided.