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The amphisbaenian Leposternon octostegum (Duméril, 1851) is redescribed based on newly collected material from the state of Bahia, Brazil. Species validity was confirmed, and comparisons made to other Leposternon species and to the scarce literature available on Leposternon octostegum taxonomy. Aspects of meristic annuli methodology are reviewed, and nomenclatural adjustments for some scales are proposed. To place this information in its taxonomic context, a species identification key for the Brazilian species of the genus Leposternon is provided. The present redescription contributes to a better understanding of Amphisbaenia taxonomy, thus also enabling the design of more adequate conservation and management strategies for the species belonging to this group.

A new species of Heterodactylus is described based on two specimens obtained in the highlands of Chapada Diamantina, state of Bahia, Brazil. The new lizard is characterized by very elongate body and tail, absence of external ear opening, presence of moveable eyelids, absence of prefrontals and frontoparietals, a vestigial interparietal, 37–39 dorsal and 27–29 ventral transverse scale rows, 23–25 scales around midbody, six gular scale rows, and 10–11 and 14–15 fourth finger and fourth toe infradigital lamellae, respectively. The new species is most similar to Heterodactylus lundii from which it differs by the absence of contact between frontal and interparietal, by having wider than long parietals, smooth posterior dorsal scales, posterior ventral scales almost twice longer than wide, a lower number of scales around midbody, last supralabial in contact with the granules of the ear depression, and a more elongate body. The new species occurs about 1,100 km north of the northernmost known record of ...

A new species of Amphisbaena is described from Fazenda Caraibas, municipality of Mucuge ˆ, state of Bahia, Brazil, in the northern portion of the Serra do Espinhaco. The new species is a small amphisbaenian without precloacal pores, 210-213 body annuli, 12-13 tail annuli without evident autotomic site, and 14 dorsal and 14-15 ventral segments per annuli at midbody. The striking difference of this form is the presence of small tubercles on the dorsal region of its tail. This feature is unique among its congeners, although Rhineura floridana, a North American amphisbaenian, has tubercles on its tail. We suggest that the presence of tubercles on the tail of Amphisbaena sp. nov. and Rhineura floridana has arisen independently. Several new species of amphisbaenians have been described from South America in the last decade (Vanzolini, 1997; Porto et al., 2000; Strussmann and Carvalho, 2001; Rodrigues et al., 2003), several of them from previously unexplored regions. In a survey conducted in the highlands of Serra do Espinhaco, state of Bahia, Brazil, we obtained three small specimens of amphisbaenians, which at first sight seem to have had the tail autotomized. At closer exam- ination, it became evident that their tail, short, blunt, nonautotomic, and covered with conic tubercules at their diagonal and dorsally orient- ed tip, was strikingly different from that of all other South American amphisbaenians. Despite its unique tail morphology, we describe the new taxon in Amphisbaena based on an overall similarity in head and body shape and scalation.

Basic information on species distribution and ecology is essential for effective species conservation and management. However, several groups even within the vertebrates have received little attention. One of such groups is the subterranean herpetofauna which, although making up about 20% of all known reptile and amphibian species, includes many species for which virtually nothing is known. This situation is showcased by Leposternon octostegum, a worm lizard species from Brazil. In this study we present first verifiable fine scale distribution records for the species, which confirm the presence of the species in the Salvador Metropolitan region and enable the drawing of the first species distribution map. We furthermore present the first information on the species ecology, establishing its presence in a variety of habitats and soil types. Further research will need to be done to clarify aspects of the conservation biology of subterranean herpetofauna, especially as these species are likely to perform important ecosystem services. This will however be especially challenging in megadiverse countries like Brazil, which still harbor a myriad of undescribed and understudied species.

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A new species of lizard genus Enyalius (Squamata, Leiosauridae) from the highlands of Chapada Diamantina, state of Bahia, Brazil, with a key to species. A new species of lizard genus Enyalius is described from Fazenda Caraibas, municipality of Mucuge, state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, in the northern portion of the Serra do Espinhaco. It is characterized by an almost straight canthal ridge, a distinctive enlarged subocular, ventral scales and infradigital lamellae smooth, tail length varying between 2.02-2.18 times snout-vent length, 54-63 vertebral scales between occiput and base of tail, 144-167 paravertebral scales between occiput and base of tail, 44-47 transverse rows of ventrals between posterior level of forelimbs and anterior level of hindlimbs, 52-66 scales at mid-body between middle of venter and crest, 17-18 and 25-28 infradigital lamellae, respectively under Finger IV and Toe IV, 23-27 scales along dorsal surface of tibia, and 33-40 gular scales between mental and collar. The new species is sexually dichromatic with males being brightly colored with a series of six very conspicuous transverse wide black dorsal bands on body separated by deep orange light areas and females dull colored with a pattern of irre- gular dark or light brown longitudinal stripes. The new species was obtained at Serra do Sincora, state of Bahia, Brazil, in low, thin, and dense semidecidual forests situated around 1000m altitude, near the headwaters of the Rio Paraguacu. Character distribution in Enyalius is discussed, the presently recognized subspecies of Enyalius catenatus are elevated to full species status and a key to the current species of Enyalius is presented.