Notes on the conservation status, geographic distribution and ecology of Bothrops muriciensis Ferrarezzi & Freire, 2001 (Serpentes, Viperidae).

Abstract

The Atlantic forest of Brazil is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. However, in the last centuries this biome has suffered unparalled fragmentation and degradation of its forest cover, with only 8% of its original area remaining. The region of Murici, in the state of Alagoas, Brazil, houses some of the largest forest fragments of Atlentic forest and is of one of the regions within the biome with more threatened and endemic taxa. One of this is Bothrops muriciensis, a snake species previously only known from the three records used to describe it. We present six new records for Bothrops muriciensis along with additional information and inferences on the species geographic distribution and natural history. Lastly we use the new information to assess the species according to the IUCN Redlist criteria and suggest that the species should be placed in the Critically Endangered category under criteria IUCN Redlist criteria B2ab(iii). The effective management of this species will require further data on its ecology, geographic distribution and population dynamics but its survival will more likely depend on an effective protection of the Murici Ecological Station, the only locality where Bothrops muriciensis has so far been recorded.