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| Chironius dracomaris Sudré, Andrade-Junior, Folly, Azevedo, Ávila, Curcio, Nunes & Passos, 2024 |
Abstract
Currently, the proposed diagnoses for the Chironius bicarinatus complex reflect a wide variation in color pattern and pholidosis. Herein, we review the Chironius bicarinatus complex based on morphological and molecular data from a sample of 485 specimens covering the species distribution. Our results corroborate the recognition of C. bicarinatus and C. gouveai, and diagnose a distinct lineage without an available name. Thus, here we describe this new species restricted to the Baturité Massif, a relictual rainforest isolated in the Caatinga xerophytic domain, in the state of Ceará, northeastern Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by its unique combination of qualitative and quantitative morphological characters (scale counts, morphometric, color pattern), and is also supported by molecular and ecological evidence. Additionally, we rectify data on the distribution and morphological variability of C. gouveai to accurately infer the boundaries between this taxon and C. bicarinatus, which was not properly addressed. Finally, we discuss our results in the light of previous studies that suggest diversification hypotheses in the Atlantic Forest already detected for other taxa, highlighting the importance of conserving the areas of “Brejos de Altitude”, in northeastern Brazil, and the southern limit of Serra do Mar up to Serra do Tabuleiro, in southern Brazil.
Keywords: Brejos de Altitude, ecological niche modeling, geographical variation, hemipenial morphology, integrative taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, osteology, species delimitation
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| General view while alive of Chironius dracomaris sp. nov.: A, B a specimen (IBSP 76994 or 76995) from Sítio Álvaro, municipality of Guaramiranga, state of Ceará, Brazil. These two vouchers were destroyed in a fire on May 15, 2010, leaving only photographic records of one of the specimens while alive; C–F paratypes (MNRJ 27803 and MHNCE-R 577, respectively) from Museu de História Natural do Ceará Prof. Dias da Rocha, municipality of Pacoti, state of Ceará, Brazil. Photos by I.J. Roberto (A, B), R.C. Gonzalez (C, D), T. Cavalcante (E, F). |
Chironius dracomaris sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Chironius dracomaris can be distinguished from all congeners by the following unique combination of morphological characters: (i) dorsal scale rows 12/12/10; (ii) cloacal plate divided; (iii) two or more keeled dorsal scale rows (2nd–11th dorsal rows); (iv) ventrals 154–162 in females, 149–159 in males; (v) subcaudals 124–135 in females, 132–138 in males; (vi) apical pits present on the cervical and in at least one other region of the body (paravertebral rows, cloacal region, and/or tail); (vii) three or two supralabials contacting orbit; (viii) temporal formula usually 1+2; (ix) after preservation, uniform grayish olive or bluish dorsum with a light vertebral stripe and two black stripes visible from neck to midbody; (x) after preservation, the snout (rostral, nasals and internasals) can be light brown or have the same dorsal color; labials predominantly whitish, except for the last two supralabials, which may present the same color of dorsal series or postocular stripe; gular region, first third of belly, near cloacal region and subcaudals whitish; remainder of the belly olive or bluish; (xi) subcaudals have slightly black edges; (xii) hemipenial body generally ornamented with papillate calyces gradually replaced by a small concentration of smooth calyces on the proximal region at the end of the sulcus spermaticus; (xiii) each longitudinal row of hemipenial body has 15–22 spines and 5–8 spines along sulcus spermaticus; (xiv) ventral surface of the septomaxilla smooth; (xv) anteroventral surface of prefrontal lacrimal foramen smooth; (xvi) 34–39 maxillary teeth; (xvii) palatine teeth 24; (xviii) quadrate-suspensorium articulation with posterior end of supratemporals straight.
Etymology: The specific epithet dracomaris is the conjunction of two nouns “draco” (nominative) and “maris” (genitive), used in apposition with the Latinized nickname “Dragão do Mar” (= Dragon of the Sea, in English), as Francisco José do Nascimento (1839–1914) became historically known. He was a popular leader of the harbor pilots in Ceará, who became a symbol of Northeastern resistance against slavery in Brazil. In 1881, “Dragão do Mar” led one of the main port stoppage movements, refusing to transport slaves to the ships, thus preventing interprovincial trafficking. The successive closures of the port accelerated abolitionism in the region, which made Ceará the first Brazilian province to banish slavery, on March 25, 1884, four years before the signing of the Lei Aurea (Morel 1967). The recent worldwide manifestations (Black Lives Matter movement) are proof that we need to change and repair social and historical injustices (see Subbaraman 2020). The fight against modern slavery and structural racism still permeates in Brazil. For example, in the city where “Dragão do Mar” was born (Aracati, Ceará), there are social-environmental conflicts over the traditional use of the territory, as well as in several other areas (Nascimento 2018; Quilombola community of Cumbe). In 2019, the winning Samba of Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival—História Para Ninar Gente Grande from the school Estação Primeira de Mangueira—honored “Dragão do Mar”, as well as other symbols of black and peripheral resistance against exploitation in Brazil, for example the councilor Marielle Franco, who was brutally murdered by the Rio de Janeiro militia on March 14, 2018. We dedicate this species to Francisco José do Nascimento “Dragão do Mar” and these leaders who inspire the daily struggle of restoring a democratic environment in Brazil.
Vinícius Sudré, Albedi Andrade-Junior, Manuella Folly, Josué A. R. Azevedo, Robson Waldemar Ávila, Felipe Franco Curcio, Pedro M. Sales Nunes and Paulo Passos. 2024. Revision of the Chironius bicarinatus complex (Serpentes: Colubridae): Redefined Species Boundaries and Description of A New Species. Vertebrate Zoology. 74: 85-120. DOI: 10.3897/vz.74.e106238
