New species of Amphisbaena (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae) from the coastal zone of Northeast Brazil

While revising Amphisbaena specimens deposited in the herpetological collection of the Núcleo Regional de Ofiologia da Universidade Federal do Ceará (NUROF—UFC), we identified specimens belonging to an undescribed species. After a detailed comparison with their congeners, we describe a new species collected in the municipalities of Aracati and Icapuí in the coastal zone of the state of Ceará, Brazil. The new species is characterized by the presence of six pre-cloacal pores arranged in sequence, absence of shields forming the parietal region and three supralabial shields, in addition to having 257–272 body annuli and 31–34 caudal annuli.

Amphisbaena eleutheria sp. nov. inhabits coastal plains, an area affected by environmental degradation and various activities related to energy generation, including at least five wind farms currently in operation.