Colubrídeos do Estado do Ceará, Brasil: uma síntese bibliográfica, com sinopses e chaves de identificação (Serpentes: Colubridae)

Abstract

Since the 17th century, where the first journals first appear, this list grows exponentially, arriving in 1994, on more than one thousand of these publications edited per year only in Latin-America. This number, has not fallen, still being in continuous growth until today. In the context of the zoological literature, having its dynamic complexity and ceaseless accumulation in view, there are several types of compilative, referentiative or revisive publications. They summarize the existing literature on groups or geographical area, which may include or be dedicated to a specific function, such as the identification, and thereby contributing to facilitating procedures and scientific advances in the field. In the taxonomy, this buildup as exponential, and is currently higher than ever, especially with regard to reptiles and amphibians where new changes occur almost monthly. This issue regarding the snakes, a hyperdiverse and cosmopolitan group, most concearning its greater family, Colubridae, is expressive in the context of the Caatinga and in Ceará state, in which it is inserted. These extremely heterogeneous environments, have only recently been well analyzed regarding its composition, however, both still lack in taxonomic aspects, presenting only a few partial or outdated regional works. In this way, this is the aim and object of this study. From the latest taxonomic revision of the Caatinga, 29 species were added to the composition of the fauna of the field based only in Ceará, while four species suffered modifications to specific level, and two were separated in three others. From the last of Ceará, 13 species were added to the composition of the fauna of the state, while two were separated into five other, and five more suffered modifications at the species level. From the latest listing for the domain, more recent, a species was dismembered into three, and one was modified, and from the latest listing for the state, also recent, two species have been modified, a has been added, and one was dismembered into two. Apart from these modifications, from this latter, a species is actually a new taxon, three species represent undefined complexes, and nine defined. Of these, four species probably will change of name, and the other will pass through conceptual changes. One of them has the status of populations in Ceará undefined, possibly, it represents also a new species that may be sympatric or not with the nominal form. These issues comprise some scientific shortcomings identified in this study, and highlight the constant process of taxonomic modification regarding colubrid snakes in both regions, that although deeply analyzed in recent times, currently and in the near future still hanging research.