taxonID	type	description	language	source
7D454B0BFFD1A8007ED14DB6FD832E99.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. ZISP 6660 (former ZIL or ZIN 6660; Figure 10) from Paraguay, without precise data collection, collected by H. Rohde (specimen examined by photographies). Specimen in good condition. According to Boettger (1885): total length 81 mm; tail length 10 mm; head length 4 mm; body annuli 190; caudal annuli 27. Uniform light brown body colouration.	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
7D454B0BFFD1A8007ED14DB6FD832E99.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Amphisbaena albocingulata is distinguished from other Amphisbaena species by the following combination of characters: (1) rounded snout; (2) nasal shields in contact on the dorsal portion of head; (3) caudal autotomy externally visible; (4) plain segments in the tip of the tail; (5) four precloacal pores; (6) 3 / 3 supralabial and 3 / 3 infralabial shields; (7) 190 – 204 body annuli; (8) 24 – 27 caudal annuli; (9) 12 – 14 dorsal and 16 – 18 ventral segments in the midbody annulus; (10) absence of the postmalar row. Comparison. Amphisbaena albocingulata can be distinguished from the species in the A. darwini complex, except from A. nigricauda, mainly by the absence of the posmalar row (vs. presence of posmalar row). It is distinguished from A. nigricauda by having 190 – 204 body annuli (vs. 222 – 226 body annuli). Differs from the species formerly considered belonging to the genus Anops by having a rounded-head (vs. keeled-head). Differs from A. angustifrons by having caudal autotomy (vs. lacking of caudal autotomy). Differs from A. leeseri by having four precloacal pores (vs. two precloacal pores). Differs from A. trachura by having plain segments in the tip of the tail (vs. tuberculated segments). Differ from A. heterozonata by having 19 – 24 caudal anulli (vs. 15 – 18 caudal anulli). Differ from A. hogei by having 24 – 27 caudal anulli (vs. 15 – 19 caudal annuli). Differs from A. munoai by having the anterior portion of the head smooth (vs. concavity in the anterior portion of the head) and squared-shaped frontal shields when considered together (vs. diamond-shaped). Differs from A. darwini by having frontal and parietal shields with similar size (vs. frontal shields much larger than parietal shields). It also differs from A. prunicolor by having ventral uniform brown colouration pattern (vs. venter light checkerboard colouration pattern).	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
7D454B0BFFD1A8007ED14DB6FD832E99.taxon	description	Description. (Figure 11 A – C) Slim, small-sized species. Snout-vent length 121.0 – 138.0 mm (mean = 130.2 mm; SD = 8.5; n = 4), caudal length 15.9 – 19.6 mm (mean = 18.0 mm; SD = 1.8; n = 3). Total length 140.9 – 156.6 mm (mean = 151.3 mm; SD = 8.9; n = 3). Head elongated, representing 3.3 – 3.6 % of snout-vent length (mean = 3.4; SD = 0.1; n = 4). Rostral shield triangular, barely visible in dorsal view, contacting first supralabial latero-posteriorly and nasals posteriorly. One pair of quadrangular nasal shields, together with rostral, constituting anterior face of snout. Suture between nasal shields representing 15.0 – 19.8 % of head length (mean = 17.4; SD = 2.0; n = 4). Nasal shields contact the first supralabials laterally and prefrontals posteriorly. Nostrils placed in the antero-lateral portion of shields. One pair of prefrontal shields enlarged, representing 32.9 – 34.6 % of head length (mean = 33.7; SD = 0.7; n = 4) and 35.4 – 38.6 % of head width (mean = 36.8; SD = 1.6; n = 4); prefrontal contacting second supralabial and ocular shield laterally and frontals posteriorly. One pair of frontal shields small, representing 27.6 – 32.1 % of head length (mean = 30.2; SD = 2.0; n = 4) and 26.4 – 30.3 % of head width (mean = 27.5; SD = 1.9; n = 4); frontal contacting postocular shields and dorsal angle of ocular shields laterally and parietals posteriorly. Eight parietal shields, centrals being pentagonal, with length equivalent to frontal shields (frontal length: mean = 0.9 mm; SD = 0.05; parietal length: mean = 1.1 mm; SD = 0.03). Other parietal shields quadrangular, contacting postocular and postlabial shields anteriorly, and occipital row posteriorly. Widened and quadrangular occipital shields, having different shape compared to body shields. Ocular shield rhomboid, contacting postocular posteriorly, and second and third supralabials ventrally. Postocular with similar size of ocular shields (postocular length: mean = 1.1 mm; SD = 0.04; postocular width: mean = 0.9 mm; SD = 0.09; ocular legth: mean = 1.2 mm; SD = 0.09; ocular width: mean = 0.9 mm; SD = 0.08). Temporal quadrangular, small, contacting postlabials shield in latero-ventral portion and third supralabial anteriorly. Ventral line sequence of shields comprise postocular, temporal and postlabial, forming first body annulus. Three supralabial shields. First triangular and smaller than others. Second and third higher than first, second having width similar to the first. Third shield pentagonal, wider than others, contacting postlabial posteriorly. Three infralabial shields. First quadrangular, contacting mental and postmental laterally, and second infralabial posteriorly. Second infralabial being wider and higher than others, contacting postmental and malar laterally, and third infralabial posteriorly. Third infralabial elongated and rectangular, as long as wide, contacting malar laterally and first body annulus posteriorly. Mental shield trapezoidal, small, representing 24.2 – 27.9 % of ventral head length (mean = 26.7; SD = 2.1; n = 3), contacting postmental shield posteriorly. Postmental shield elongated and heptagonal, representing 41.4 – 45.1 % of ventral head length (mean = 43.4; SD = 1.9; n = 3), contacting postgenial shields posteriorly. Presence of one or two rows of postgenial shields. The first postgenial row composed by two to three diamond-shaped shields. Second row of postgenial shields composed by three or four small, rounded shields, contacting laterally malar shields. One pair of malar shields trapezoidal, with internal line 39.8 – 54.6 % longer than external line (mean = 46.1; SD = 7.7; n = 3), contacting first body annulus posteriorly. Postmalars row absent, replaced by the first body annuli. Body annuli 190 – 204 (mean = 197.8; SD = 5.5; n = 5). Lateral sulcus visible from 20 th body annulus to cloacal shields. Dorsal segments of midbody annulus 12 – 14 (mean = 12.5; SD = 1.0; n = 4). Ventral segments of midbody annulus 16 – 18 (mean = 17.7; SD = 1.3; n = 4), centrals being wider than others. Caudal annuli 24 – 27 (mean = 25.5; SD = 1.3; n = 4), caudal autotomy plan evident on the eighth or ninth annulus. Segments from tip of the tail plain. Segments of fourth caudal annulus 22 – 25 (mean = 23.8; SD = 1.5; n = 3). Four precloacal pores, sequentially arranged in posterior portion of the last ventral annulus. Cloacal shield with 6 – 7 precloacal scales and 9 – 10 postcloacal scales. Colouration. Preserved specimens have nearly uniform pale brown colouration. Dorsally, brown colour increases slightly in intensity from head to tail. Ventrally, brown colouration more intense laterally, becoming faint on the mid-ventral line and head. On the tail, the colouration becomes darker. The cloacal shield may or may not be brown pigmented. Pigmentation uniform on each shields.	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
7D454B0BFFD1A8007ED14DB6FD832E99.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Distributed in Paraguay, in Central and Paraguari departments (Figure 12). Gans (1966) provide photographies of the specimen registered to Asunción (MZUT 985 — Museo di Zoologia della Università di Torino, Italy), allowing its identification as Amphisbaena albocingulata. The records for Rio Apa (IMZUT 964 A – 964 C), the northern portion of the distribution in Paraguay, could not be confirmed because we cannot examine the voucher specimens. Gans (1966) recorded a specimen of Amphisbaena albocingulata from his private collection (GC 2808) to Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil. However, the author has indicated, in the same study, that the veracity of this record is uncertain. Currently this specimen is deposited in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, United States (FMNH 264994), and the voucher data says ‘ 1963, Gift of zoo’. Considering the uncertainty about the record, the distance from the locality to others and the lack of subsequent records of this species in the vicinity, we suggest that the record of Amphisbaena albocingulata to Brasília might be an error of precedence of the specimen. Therefore, the occurrence of the species in Brazil is not confirmed. Gans (1966) also registered a specimen of Amphisbaena albocingulata in the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “ Bernardino Rivadavia ” (MACN 17840). This specimen was analysed in the present study and reidentified as Amphisbaena heterozonata. This were the only record of A. albocingulata from Argentina.	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
7D454B0BFFD1A8007ED14DB6FD832E99.taxon	discussion	Comments. On the original description of Amphisbaena albocingulata, Boettger (1885) suggested that the specimen could be a juvenile of A. darwini. The author referred to it as a new species because it presents a preocular shield on the left side of the head and two pairs of frontonasorostrals shields. In the present study, we considered the left preocular shield as an individual variation, because other variations in shape and number of shields on the left side of the specimen were observed. Besides, the preocular shield was not observed in any other specimen analysed. Additionally, on the species description, it was defined that both pairs of frontonasorostrals observed on the holotype would be equivalent in shape and size to the single pair present in A. darwini. Analysing head scutellation of A. albocingulata, we consider the term frontonasorostral as a synonym of prefrontal, which is the nomenclature currently in use. We observed that the first pair of shields, which the author refers to in the holotype, doesn’t represent two complete shields once their sutures do not meet at the centre of the head. Based on this observation, we considered the presence of only one pair of prefrontals (= frontonasorostral). The holotype has no cuts in the ventral body region, indicating that there was an analysis of the gonads and there is no record in the literature on age and sex of the specimen.	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
7D454B0BFFCDA81D7ED14BEEFB902EAE.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. ANSP 12969 (Figure 13), from São João do Monte Negro, currently Montenegro municipality, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, collected by Herbert H. Smith, no date of collection (specimen examined by photographies). Specimen in good condition, presenting a small cut on the venter, showing part of viscera. According to Cope (1885): total length 214 mm; tail length 29 mm; head to canthus oris length (= mouth corner) 6 mm; body annuli 186; caudal annuli 23. Uniform dark brown colour turning purple on the dorsum and venter, except for the inferior jaw and gular region, part of the pectoral and postcloacal shield that are white.	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
7D454B0BFFCDA81D7ED14BEEFB902EAE.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Amphisbaena prunicolor is distinguished from other Amphisbaena species by the following combination of characters: (1) rounded snout; (2) nasal shields in contact on the dorsal portion of head; (3) caudal autotomy externally visible; (4) plain segments in the tip of the tail; (5) four precloacal pores; (6) 3 / 3 supralabial and 3 / 3 infralabial shields; (7) 181 – 215 body annuli; (8) 18 – 24 caudal annuli; (9) 10 – 17 dorsal and 14 – 20 ventral segments in the midbody annulus; (10) presence of the postmalar row; (11) brown-purplish colouration, checkerboard pale ventral pattern. Comparison. Amphisbaena prunicolor can be distinguished from the species in the A. darwini complex, mainly by having a dorsal brown-purplish colouration and a ventral pale checkerboard pattern (vs. ventral uniformly coloured). Differs from the species formerly considered belonging to the genus Anops by having a rounded-head (vs. keeled-head). Differs from A. angustifrons by having caudal autotomy (vs. lacking caudal autotomy). Differs from A. leeseri by having four precloacal pores (vs. two precloacal pores). Differs from A. trachura by having plain segments in the tip of the tail (vs. tuberculated segments). Differs from A. nigricauda by having 181 – 215 body annuli (vs. 222 – 226 body annuli). Differs from A. munoai by having the anterior portion of the head smooth (vs. concavity in the anterior portion of the head) and quadrangular-shaped frontal shields when considered together (vs. diamond-shaped). Differs from A. hogei and A. heterozonata by having a higher number of caudal annuli [18 – 27] (vs. smaller number of caudal annuli [15 – 19 in A. hogei and 15 – 18 in A. heterozonata]). Differs from A. darwini by having segments uniformly pigmented (vs. segments more pigmented in the anterior portion). It also differs from A. albocingulata by having the posmalar row (vs. lacking posmalar row).	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
7D454B0BFFCDA81D7ED14BEEFB902EAE.taxon	description	Description. (Figure 11 D – F) Slim, medium-sized species. Snout-vent length 141.0 – 238.0 mm (mean = 178.3 mm; SD = 23.0; n = 110 adults), caudal length 15.8 – 34.8 mm (mean = 23.4 mm; SD = 3.9; n = 98 adults). Adults total length 157.6 – 272.8 mm (mean = 201.1 mm; SD = 25.9; n = 98), juveniles total length 87.7 – 157.9 mm (mean = 127.2 mm; SD = 22.6; n = 25). Head elongated, representing 2.8 – 4.1 % of snout-vent length in adults (mean = 3.4; SD = 0.3; n = 110) and 3.6 – 6.0 % of snout-vent length in juveniles (mean = 4.3; SD = 0.5; n = 26). Rostral shield triangular, barely visible in dorsal view, contacting first supralabial shields latero-posteriorly and nasal shields laterally. One pair of quadrangular nasal shields contacting to each other, constituting together with the rostral the anterior face of the snout. Nostrils placed in the antero-lateral portion of shields. One pair of prefrontal shields enlarged, representing 32.8 – 45.4 % of adults head length (mean = 37.4; SD = 2.8; n = 110) and 29.3 – 47.8 % of adults head width (mean = 37.9; SD = 2.8; n = 110); contacting second supralabial shields and ocular shields laterally and frontal shields posteriorly. One pair of frontal shields with similar length to prefrontal shields (prefrontal length: mean = 2.2 mm; SD = 0.3; n = 110; frontal length: mean = 2.2; SD = 0.3; n = 110); prefrontal shields representing 22.4 – 47.5 % of adults head length (mean = 36.9; SD = 3.7; n = 110) and 22.1 – 34.7 % of adults head width (mean = 28.1; SD = 2.7; n = 110); contacting postocular shields laterally and central parietal shields posteriorly. Row with 6 – 12 parietal shields, centrals being pentagonal or rectangular, representing 4.9 – 22.4 % of adults head length (mean = 14.3; SD = 2.8; n = 110); other parietal shields quadrangular, contacting temporal and postlabial shields anteriorly and row of occipital shields, when present, posteriorly. Row of rectangular occipital shields. Parietal and occipital region shows variation in number and / or shape of shields. Rhomboid ocular shields contacting postocular posteriorly and second and third supralabial shields ventrally. Enlarged postocular shield with similar size as ocular shields (postocular length: mean = 1.4 mm; SD = 0.2; postocular width: mean = 1.1 mm; SD = 0.2; ocular length: mean = 1.4 mm; SD = 0.2; ocular width: mean = 1.2 mm; SD = 0.2). Rectangular temporal shields, contacting postlabial shields latero-inferiorly and third supralabial shields anteriorly. Small postlabial shields, quadrangular, contacting third supralabial shields anteriorly; together with the last parietal shields, forming the first body annulus. Three supralabial shields. First being triangular and smaller than the others. Second and third higher and wider than the first, second being quadrangular. Third pentagonal. Three infralabial shields. First quadrangular, contacting mental anteriorly, second infralabial posteriorly and postmental ventrally. Second infralabial largest, being wider and higher than others, contacting mental posterior-ventrally, malar latero-ventrally and third infralabial posteriorly. Third infralabial shields elongated and rectangular, longer than wider, contacting malar and postmalar row laterally and the first body annulus posteriorly. Mental shield quadrangular, representing 20.3 – 32.3 % of adults head length on venter (mean = 27.4; SD = 2.4; n = 109) and 27.1 – 42.6 % of adults head width (mean = 34.3; SD = 3.0; n = 109); contacting postmental posteriorly. Postmental shield quadrangular and heptagonal, representing 27.6 – 50.0 % of adults head length on venter (mean = 39.9; SD = 3.5; n = 109) and 25.5 – 39.0 % of adults head width (mean = 32.3; SD = 27.7; n = 109); contacting postgenial shields posteriorly. Presence of one or two rows of postgenial shields; first having 2 – 3 diamond-shaped shields and second having 1 – 5 small and rounded shields, contacting malar shields laterally. One pair of trapezoidshaped malar shields, internal line 36.7 – 96.8 % longer than the external line (mean = 62.8; SD = 8.4; n = 107), contacting first body annulus posteriorly. Postmalars row present with 6 – 12 shields. Body annuli 181 – 215 (mean = 195.6; SD = 5.6; n = 136). Lateral sulcus present and visible from the 10 th body annulus to cloacal shields. Dorsal segments of midbody annulus 10 – 17 (mean = 13.0; SD = 1.2; n = 135), all quadrangular. Ventral segments of midbody annulus 14 – 20 (mean = 16.6; SD = 1.4; n = 135), the central being wider than the others. Caudal annuli 18 – 27 (mean = 21.8; SD = 1.7; n = 120), caudal autotomy plan evident on the seventh to the 10 th caudal annulus. Segments from tip of the tail plain. Segments of fourth caudal annulus 18 – 29 (mean = 23.8; SD = 2.2; n = 135). Four precloacal pores, sequentially arranged in posterior portion of the last ventral annulus, usually rounded in males and scars in females. Cloacal shield with 6 – 8 precloacal scales and 7 – 14 postcloacals scales. Colouration. Specimens have a uniform dorsal dark brown-purplish colouration (Figure 14). Discolouration is observed on preserved specimens, which are pale brown. Pigmentation uniform in every segment, but still could be seen in discolourated specimens, forming a checkerboard pattern, with contrasting white and brown scales in the venter. White region may vary along the belly, concentrating only in the head and gular region (Figure 14 A – B) or extending to the end of the body, forming a central line with a few pigmented shields (Figure 14 C – D). The tail is darker than the rest of the body.	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
7D454B0BFFCDA81D7ED14BEEFB902EAE.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Distributed in Argentina, in Corrientes and Misiones provinces, in Paraguay, Itapuá department, and in Brazil, in the states of Rio Grande do Sul to Espírito Santo (Figure 12). Records made by Gans (1966) for the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, Brazil, were not confirmed on the present study because we cannot examine the specimens. The voucher-specimen of São Paulo record (MZUSP 6632) presents desiccation, and therefore it wasn’t possible to identify it. Records for Rio de Janeiro didn’t have voucher-number, only an indicative of the collection where they were housed. Voucher-specimens of Minas Gerais records were not found. The record for Colatina (MZUSP 3507), Espírito Santo corresponds to a typical Amphisbaena prunicolor and this record distant approximately 507 km from the last record confirmed in the present study.	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
7D454B0BFFCDA81D7ED14BEEFB902EAE.taxon	discussion	Comments. The genus Aporarchus was described in a dichotomous key (Cope 1885), and diagnosed by presenting a distinct nasal shields, in contact medially, and absence of precloacal pores. This genus distinguished from Amphisbaena only by the lacking of pores. In the photographies of the holotype it was not possible to observe the condition of the pores, because the cloacal shield is folded over the last body annulus. In the other specimens analysed the pores were observed; on males the pores are circular and well defined, and on females only scares of the pores can be seen. There was no literature data about the age and sex of the holotype.	en	Perez, Renata, Ribeiro, Síria, Borges-Martins, Márcio (2012): Reappraisal of the taxonomic status of Amphisbaena prunicolor (Cope 1885) and Amphisbaena albocingulata Boettger 1885 (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Zootaxa 3550: 1-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211171
