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Taxonomy of the genus Mabuya (Reptilia, Squamata, Scincidae) in Venezuela

Aurélien MIRALLES, Gilson RIVAS FUENMAYOR & César L. BARRIO-AMORÓS

en Zoosystema 27 (4) - Pages 825-837

Published on 30 December 2005

Venezuela is a key location in terms of the distribution of the genus Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826, given both its intermediate position between the Amazonian region, Middle America and the Caribbean Islands, and its remarkable diversity of bioregions. Based on material from different international major collections, a synthesis of the knowledge on Mabuya species from Venezuela and the neighbouring islands of Margarita, Trinidad and Tobago is given. New biogeographical data are also added, extending considerably the distribution of two species, M. falconensis Mijares-Urrutia & Arends, 1997 and M. nigropunctata (Spix, 1825). An identification key and drawings of Venezuelan species are given for the first time. This study constitutes a preliminary step for a revision of this genus which has been controversial and confusing both taxonomically and nomenclaturally. Moreover, it reveals the existence of many different populations in Venezuelan Andes and the coastal range mountains which cannot be at present identified to any known species.


Keywords:

Reptilia, Squamata, Scincidae, Mabuya, Neotropical species, Trinidad, Venezuela, Andes.

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