Quantifying the shortfalls in the knowledge of Brazilian snakes

• Grant number: 24/00126-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Thaís Barreto Guedes da Costa
• Grantee: Luiz Henrique Dias Braga
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/07161-6 - Evolution and biogeography of the herpetofauna: patterns, process and implications for conservation in a scenario of environmental and climate changes, AP.JP
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/17665-0 - Assessing the spatial biases of one of the worlds richest snake faunas, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Identifying knowledge gaps is an important factor in designing effective conservation strategies. These scientific shortfalls can be indicated by deficits known to science as Wallacean (i.e., geographic distribution), Darwinian (i.e., evolutionary relationships), Linnean (i.e., taxonomic knowledge), among others. Such gaps are caused by sampling biases that can be explained by some aspects, mainly biogeographic and taxonomic. Like other reptiles, snakes lack information in multiple facets of knowledge. Brazil is home to a vast wealth of snakes, being among the most diverse countries in this regard, with approximately 435 species of snakes recognized in Brazilian territory. Furthermore, several species have been described for Brazil in recent years and the country has emerged as a potential location for the discovery of new species. Although advances in studies on Brazilian snakes in recent years have been notable, deficiencies in knowledge still persist. In this sense, the present project seeks to evaluate and quantify the Wallacean, Darwinian and Linnean deficits related to Brazilian snakes, contributing to the strategic advancement of studies in this group of species.