New record of hydrodynastes gigas (Duméril, bibron & duméril, 1854) (serpentes, dipsadinae) in northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The first record of Hydrodynastes gigas is reported from Rio Grande do Norte, the northeasternmost state of Brazil. The new record extends this species’ known geographic distribution by 796 km southeast and 173 km north from the nearest previously known localities. The new record is from an estuary, with semi-deciduous forests, mangroves, and sand dunes, in the Atlantic Forest. This is the fifth known occurrence of H. gigas in the Northeast Region of Brazil.