The genus <em>Chironius</em> (Serpentes, Colubridae) in Paraguay: composition, distribution, and morphology

Abstract

Chironius is a genus of slender snakes adapted to a diurnal and arboreal life style, and is distributed from Honduras to Uruguay inhabiting different environments. Five species are present in Paraguay: C. bicarinatus, C. exoletus, C. flavolineatus, C. maculoventris, and C. quadricarinatus. In this work, we provide data on distribution, coloration, and morphological variation of 20 Paraguayan specimens housed in scientific collections. Our results fit with known parameters for the species referred in literature. A conclusion of this work is that, based on distribution and ecological preferences of the species in the region, Paraguay is poorly sampled. Here we extend the known pholidosis range of ventral scale for females of C. bicarinatus (154-170), and for C. maculoventris (143-157 for females and 154-161 for males), and the range of subcaudal scales for males of C. maculoventris (90-125), and females of C. quadricarinatus (91-123).