9 



Micrurus lemniscatus (Linnaeus, 1758) 



Elaps lemniscatus Linnaeus, 1758. Systema Naturae, 10:. 224. 



Micrurus lemniscatus Beebe, 1919. Zoologica, 2: 216. 

 Type locality: Asia. Restricted (Schmidt & Walker, 1943) to Belem, Para, Brazil, however this correction is 

 not valid according to Roze (1967). 



Distribution: Misiones and northern Corrientes (da Silva & da Silva, 1996; Gould et al., 1996). Paranaense 

 province and transitional areas with Chaquefia province (Campos district). Inhabits Amazon hillsides from 

 the Andes of Bohvia, Peru and Ecuador, through the Amazonia and Orinoquia of Colombia, south and east 

 of Venezuela, Trinidad, the Guyanas, and the whole Amazon River basin to the states of Parana and Mato 

 Grosso do Sul and northeast Brazil (Campbell & Lamar, 1989; Silva, 1996). 



Comments: Campbell & Lamar (1989) stated that the variation in this species, with four recognized 

 subspecies, "is poorly understood and relationships among the races can be expected to change upon 

 thorough analysis". Da Silva & da Silva (1996) and Gould et al. (1996), mentioned that the Argentinian 

 specimens have the characteristics of Micrurus lemniscatus carx'alhoi (Roze, 1967), which is the most austral 

 race recognized. In that few specimens from Argentina are icnown and keeping in mind the comments of 

 Campbell & Lamar, we prefer to list this taxon at specific level. This species has been reported by Serie 

 (1921) without a precise locality. Serie (1936) gave a distribution for this species which actually corresponds 

 to M. pyrrhocryptus. 



Micrurus pyrrhocryptus (Cope 1862) 

 Elaps pyrrhocryptus Cope, 1862. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 1862: 347. 

 Elaps simonsii Boulenger, 1902. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) 9: 338. 

 Micrurus lemniscatus Serie, 1936. Inst. Mus. Univ. La Plata. Obra Cincuentenario: 53. 

 Micrurus frontalis pyrrhocryptus Shreve, 1953. Breviora 16: 5. 

 Micrurus tricolor Hoge, 1956. Mem. Inst. Butantan 27: 67. 



Micrurus frontalis pyrrhocryptus Peters & Orejas Miranda, 1970. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 297 (1): 209. 

 Micrurus pyrrhocryptus Scrocchi, 1990. Boll. Mus. reg. Sci. nat. Torino 8 (2): 358. 

 Type locality: Rio Bermejo, Argentina. 



Distribution: Catamarca, Cordoba, Chaco, Chubut, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, 

 Neuquen, Ri'o Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero and Tucuman (Scrocchi, 1990; 

 Tiranti & Avila, 1997; Giraudo & Quaini, 1997). Also in south and central Bolivia and Paraguay to Mato 

 Grosso do Sul in Brazil (Campbell & Lamar, 1989). 



Family Colubridae 



Apostolepis Cope, 1862 



Apostolepis Cope, 1862. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1861: 524. 



Rhynchonyx Peters, 1869. Monats. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1869: 437. 

 Type species: Elapomorphus flavotorquatus Dumeril, Bibron & Dumeril, 1854. By subsequent designation. 



Apostolepis assimilis (Reinhardt, 1861) 



Elapomorphus assimilis Reinhardt, 1861. Vid. Meddel. Naturh. For. Kjobenhavn 1860: 235. Figs. 1-5. 



Apostolepis assimilis ^ow\Qngev, 1896. Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 3: 234. 

 Type locality: Minas Gerais, Brazil. 



Distribution: Chaco and/or Formosa (see Comments). Also Paraguay (Giraudo, 1997) and central and 

 southeastern Brazil (Ferrarezzi, 1993 a). Chaquefia province (Oriental district) and Paranaense province (a 

 record from Paraguay near Misiones, Giraudo, 1997). 



Comments: Serie (1915) mentioned two A. assimilis from "Chaco" without any other data. Only one 

 specimen (MACN 36676) was available to us. Since in Serie s time "Chaco" designated a wide area that 

 included the present provinces of Formosa and Chaco, it is impossible to find the exact locality. There have 

 been no new records of the species in Argentina (Giraudo & Scrocchi, 1998). 



Several species in this genus are known only from their name-bearing types, and, of the others, there are 

 generally few specimens in collections. This is probably due to their small size and fossoriai habits, and 



