Boletín de la Sociedad Zoológica del Uruguay, 2022
Vol. 31 (2): e31.2.3
DOI:
ISSN 2393-6940
https://journal.szu.org.uy
https://doi.org/10.26462/31.2.3
ABSTRACT
In this study we report the second record for the presence
of the Anisolepis undulatus in Brazil after 179 years, at the
city of Cassino, in state of the Rio Grande do Sul,
approximately 100 km away from the other record in the
country.
Key words: lizard, few records, rare, low detection.
RESUMEN
Un nuevo registro de Anisolepis undulatus
(Squamata, Iguanidae) (Wiegmann, 1834) en el sur de
Brasil. En este estudio reportamos el segundo registro de
presencia de Anisolepis undulatus en Brasil después de
179 años, en la ciudad de Cassino, en el estado de Rio
Grande do Sul, aproximadamente a 100 km del otro
registro en el país.
Palabras clave: lagartija, pocos registros, rara, baja
detección.
The genus Anisolepis Boulenger, 1891 represents
a small group from southern South American Iguania,
placed in the family Leiosauridae (Etheridge and
Williams, 1991). Currently, the genre Anisoleps
comprises three species (Anisolepis grilli, Anisolepis
longicauda and Anisolepis undulates) distributed in
Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. It is
characterized by the presence of keeled ventral scales,
and posterior marginal tooth crowns with tapered sides
and reduced secondary cusps (Etheridge and de
Queiroz, 1988).
Anisolepis undulatus is a small specie, reaching
about 30 cm in total length; the tail is long,
corresponding to about 70% of that size (Etheridge and
Williams, 1991). It was observed that the species is
oviparous and that females can contain four to seven
eggs, with a volume of 0,5 ml each (Rand, 1982;
Langone et al., 2000). It feeds on arthropods and lives
on trees and shrubs, 2 m in height or more, and can
move along the ground, the individuals are difficult to
see due to their cryptic coloration (Achaval and Olmos,
2003). This species occurs in Brazil, Argentina and
Uruguay; however, there are a few records. In Brazil, it
was registered only once in 1834, in the state of Rio
Grande do Sul in São Lourenço do Sul (type locality),
however, it is possible that there were records after that
date but with missing information in the museum's
collections (GBIF, 2022; SiBBr, 2022). In Argentina, it
was registered only once in Punta Lara. In Uruguay, it
has already been observed in the Departments
Paysandú, Tacuarembó, Cerro Largo, Rocha,
Canelones, San José and Riveira (Peters and Donoso-
Barros, 1970; Etheridge and Williams, 1991; Langone
et al., 2000; Carreira et al., 2005; Carreira et al., 2006)
(Fig. 1).
According to the IUCN List of Threatened Species,
Anisolepis undulatus is in data deficient category
globally. The species was classified as vulnerable in
Uruguay (Canavero et al., 2010) and has conservation
priority (Carreira and Estrades, 2013). In Brazil, there is
no information about possible threats, size and
distribution of the population of this lizard (Colli et al.,
Bol. Soc. Zool. Uruguay (2ª época). 2022. ISSN 2393-6940Vol. 31 (2): e31.2.3
A NEW RECORD OF Anisolepsis undulatus (SQUAMATA, IGUANIDAE) (WIEGMANN, 1834) IN
SOUTHERN BRAZIL
1* 2 2
Arthur Schramm de Oliveira , Rafael Lucchesi Balestrin , Guilherme Bard Adams ,
1 3
Martin Schossler , Cristiano Eidt Rovedder
1 Orbis Consultoria Ambiental LTDA, Estrada Pedrolina Firme, Caixa Postal 2681, CEP: 95520-000, Osório, Rio
Grande do Sul, Brazil.
2 Fieldwork Consultoria Ambiental, Huberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, Caixa Postal 1032-2707, CEP: 82530-
195, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
3 Terra Consultoria Ambiental LTDA, Av. Senador Pasqualini Caixa Postal 700 – Sala 102, CEP: 96820-050,
Santa Cruz do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
*Corresponding author:
.
asoliveira22@gmail.com
Fecha de recepción: 1 de Junio de 2022
Fecha de aceptación: 29 de Julio 2022
2
SCHRAMM DE OLIVEIRA et al.
2016). Due to the lack of information, this record is
important. th
Field observation was conducted on 14 of
November 2013 in the transition area between Dunes
and fields formed by grasses and wetlands in the city of
Cassino, state Rio Grande do Sul (32.37626° S;
52.35962° W; Datum WGS84; 5m elevation) (Fig. 1).
The city of Cassino is located on the southwest coastal
plain region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is a
subtropical (Cfa) region ( ), located
in the pampa biome. It is associated with the coastal
plain Restinga, a set of ecosystems dominated by
pioneer plant formations with maritime and fluvial
influence with forest and grassy field vegetation.
The A. undulatus was observed being preyed upon
by a Cinereous harrier (Circus cinereus). The hawk
Alvares et al., 2013
Bol. Soc. Zool. Uruguay (2ª época). 2022. ISSN 2393-6940Vol. 31 (2): e31.2.3
Fig. 1. Geography distribution of Anisolepis undulatus in South America with the respective states or departments of each
country. Circles = previous records in state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Uruguay and Punta Lara, Argentina. Square = new
record in the city of Cassino, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
SCHRAMM DE OLIVEIRA et al.
was seen flying over the area as it descended among
the grasses and took off with the lizard in its claws (Fig.
2). It landed and pecked the lizard still alive, as the
researcher approached the hawk left its prey and flew
away. The lizard was not found, possibly, it managed to
escape. However, the shape of the lizard's body, similar
to an iguana, does not correspond to any other lizard
species recorded in this area, except for Anisoleps
undulatus.
This demonstrates that it is possible to have
populations in the south of Brazil, however difficult to
detect, being necessary to implement specific methods
of searching and capturing the species in order to know
the current situation of these populations in Brazil.
It was register A. undulatus about 100 km in a
straight line south of the only record in Brazil, in the city
of São Lourenço do Sul. This record was carried out
after 179 years without information of the species for
Brazil and fills a gap between the point in the state of
Rio Grande do Sul and registered points located in
Uruguay. At the place where the lizard was seen, an
offshore wind farm was installed.
The records of this species are scarce, especially in
southern Brazil, showing that it might be a rare lizard.
We thank Marcio Borges-Martins for his help in
contacting the curators of the collections. Thank you to
Patrick Campbell for providing information in their
respective collection.
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