LIZARDS AND AMPHISBAENIANS OF CATAGUASES, MINAS GERAIS, SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Abstract

The 'Zona da Mata' of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, has less than 10% of remaining native vegetation and is home of a rich herpetofauna, still poorly surveyed. We present the results of an assessment of lizard and amphisbaenian species at Atlantic Forest fragments in the municipality of Cataguases, state of Minas Gerais, from 2009 to 2013. We used pitfall traps, occasional encounters, and local collectors, besides a literature review of records from Cataguases and neighboring cities. A total of 15 species in 12 families were found, three of them endemic to the Atlantic Forest (Ecpleopus gaudichaudi, Enyalius boulengeri, and Gymnodactylus darwinii). We also present a dichotomous key for identification of lizards and amphisbaenians of Cataguases.