The Typhlopidae are a family of blind snakes.[2] They are found mostly in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and all mainland Australia and various islands.[3] The rostral scale overhangs the mouth to form a shovel-like burrowing structure. They live underground in burrows, and since they have no use for vision, their eyes are mostly vestigial. They have light-detecting black eye spots, and teeth occur in the upper jaw. The tail ends with a horn-like scale. Most of these species are oviparous. Currently, six genera are recognized containing 203 species.[2]
Geographic range [edit]
They are found in most tropical and many subtropical regions all over the world, particularly in Africa, Madagascar, Asia, islands in the Pacific, tropical America, and southeastern Europe.[1]
Genera [edit]
| Genus[2] |
Taxon author[2] |
Species[2] |
Common name |
Geographic range[1] |
| Acutotyphlops |
Wallach, 1995 |
5 |
|
Eastern Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands |
| Cyclotyphlops |
Bosch & Ineich, 1994 |
1 |
|
Indonesia: Selatan Province, southern Sulawesi |
| Ramphotyphlops |
Fitzinger, 1843 |
49 |
long-tailed blind snakes[2] |
Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, the Lesser Sundas, Moluccas, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Palau Islands, Australia, New Guinea, the Bismark Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, the Loyalty Islands, the Fiji Islands, and possibly New Calidonia |
| Rhinotyphlops |
Fitzinger, 1843 |
28 |
|
India, the Middle East, and Africa south of the Sahara |
| TyphlopsT |
Oppel, 1811 |
120 |
blind snakes[2] |
Southeastern Europe, the Middle East, tropical and subtropical Asia, most of Africa, Madagascar and certain islands of the Indian Ocean, the Philippines, Moluccas, New Guinea, Central America, South America, and the West Indies |
| Xenotyphlops |
Wallach & Ineich, 1996 |
1 |
|
Madagascar |
TType genus[1]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
External links [edit]
