Leptotyphlops

Leptotyphlops
Peters's threadsnake (L. scutifrons)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Order:Squamata
Suborder:Serpentes
Family:Leptotyphlopidae
Genus:Leptotyphlops
Fitzinger, 1843
Synonyms

Leptotyphlops is a genus of nonvenomous blind snakes, commonly known as slender blind snakes and threadsnakes,[2] found throughout Africa. 11 species have been moved to the genus Trilepida, others moved to the genera Epacrophis, Namibiana, Myriopholis, Epictia, Siagonodon, Tricheilostoma, Tetracheilostoma, Mitophis, and Rena.

Description

Most species look much like shiny earthworms. They are pink or brown, and their scales give them a segmented appearance. Other species are black in color, but have the same general body structure. Their common name comes from the fact that their eyes are greatly reduced almost to the point of uselessness, and hidden behind a protective head scale. The species which are called thread snakes are so named because of their very narrow, long bodies.

Behavior

All blind snakes are burrowing snakes, spending most of their time deep in loose soil, typically only emerging when it rains and they get flooded out.

Diet

Their primary diet is ant and termite larvae.

Species

Species[2] Taxon author[2] Subsp.*[2] Common name Geographic range
L. aethiopicus[3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
L. conjunctus (Jan, 1861) 3 Cape thread snake
L. distanti (Boulenger, 1892) 0 Distant's blind snake
L. emini (Boulenger, 1890) 0 Emin Pasha's worm snake
L. howelli [3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
L. incognitus[3] Broadley & Watson, 1976
L. jacobseni [3] Broadley & S. Broadley, 1999
L. kafubi [3] (Boulenger, 1919)
L. keniensis[3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
L. latirostris[3] (Sternfeld, 1912)
L. macrops Broadley & Wallach, 1996 0 goggle-eyed worm snake
L. mbanjensis[3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
L. merkeri [3] (F. Werner, 1909)
L. nigricansT (Schlegel, 1839) 0 black thread snake
L. nigroterminus[3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
L. pembae[3] Loveridge, 1941
L. pitmani [3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
L. pungwensis[3] Broadley & Wallach, 1997
L. scutifrons (W. Peters, 1854) 0 Peters's thread snake
L. sylvicolus[3] Broadley & Wallach, 1997
L. telloi Broadley & Watson, 1976 0 Tello's thread snake

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*) Not including the nominate subspecies.
T) Type species.

See also

References

  1. ↑ McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Leptotyphlops". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Leptotyphlops" . The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
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