Leptotyphlops
Leptotyphlops | |
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Leptotyphlops distanti | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Leptotyphlopidae |
Genus: | Leptotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Leptotyphlops is a genus of nonvenomous blind snakes, commonly known as slender blind snakes and threadsnakes,[2] in the family Leptotyphlopidae. The genus is endemic to and found throughout Africa. Eleven species have been moved to the genus Trilepida, and other species have been moved to the genera Epacrophis, Epictia, Mitophis, Myriopholis, Namibiana, Rena, Siagonodon, Tetracheilostoma, and Tricheilostoma.
Description
Most species of Leptotyphlops look much like shiny earthworms. They are generally black, grey, or blackish-brown and their scales give them a segmented appearance. 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 including those of the genus Leptotyphlops are burrowing snakes, spending most of their time deep in loose soil, typically only emerging when it rains and they get flooded out.
Diet
The primary diet of Leptotyphlops is ant and termite larvae.
Species
Common name | Scientific name[2] | Taxon author[2] | Habitat & Range |
---|---|---|---|
Ethiopian worm snake | Leptotyphlops aethiopicus[3] | Broadley & Wallach, 2007 | Habitat: Forest, grassland
Range: Ethiopia, Kenya[4] |
Cape thread snake | Leptotyphlops conjunctus | (Jan, 1861) | Habitat: Grassland
Range: South Africa (Eastern Cape Province)[5] |
Distant's thread snake | Leptotyphlops distanti | (Boulenger, 1892) | Habitat: Savanna, grassland
Range: Mozambique, South Africa (Limpopo Province, North-West Province, Mpumalanga, Gauteng)[6] |
Emin Pasha’s worm snake | Leptotyphlops emini | (Boulenger, 1890) | Habitat: Savanna, shrubland
Range: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia[7] |
Howell’s worm snake | Leptotyphlops howelli [3] | Broadley & Wallach, 2007 | Habitat: Forest, savanna
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[8] |
Incognito thread snake | Leptotyphlops incognitus[3] | Broadley & Watson, 1976 | Habitat: Savanna, grassland
Range: Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa (Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga), Zambia, Zimbabwe[9] |
Jacobsen's thread snake | Leptotyphlops jacobseni [3] | Broadley & S. Broadley, 1999 | Habitat: Grassland
Range: South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga)[10] |
Shaba thread snake | Leptotyphlops kafubi [3] | (Boulenger, 1919) | Habitat: Savanna, artificial / terrestrial
Range: Angola, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia[11] |
Mount Kenya worm snake | Leptotyphlops keniensis[3] | Broadley & Wallach, 2007 | Habitat: Shrubland
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[12] |
Uvira worm snake | Leptotyphlops latirostris[3] | (Sternfeld, 1912) | Habitat: Savanna
Range: Burundi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, United Republic of Tanzania[13] |
Goggle-eyed worm snake | Leptotyphlops macrops | Broadley & Wallach, 1996 | Habitat: Forest, savanna, artificial / terrestrial
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[14] |
Mbanja worm snake | Leptotyphlops mbanjensis[3] | Broadley & Wallach, 2007 | Habitat: Artificial / terrestrial
Range: United Republic of Tanzania[15] |
Merker’s thread snake | Leptotyphlops merkeri [3] | (F. Werner, 1909) | Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland, artificial / terrestrial, introduced vegetation
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[16] |
Black thread snake | Leptotyphlops nigricansT | (Schlegel, 1839) | Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland
Range: South Africa (Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape)[17] |
Black-tip worm snake | Leptotyphlops nigroterminus[3] | Broadley & Wallach, 2007 | Habitat: Savanna, shrubland
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[18] |
Pemba worm snake | Leptotyphlops pembae[3] | Loveridge, 1941 | Habitat: Grassland, artificial / terrestrial
Range: Pemba Island, Tanzania[19] |
Pitman’s thread snake | Leptotyphlops pitmani [3] | Broadley & Wallach, 2007 | Habitat: Savanna
Range: Kenya, Rwanda, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda[20] |
N/A | Leptotyphlops pungwensis[3] | Broadley & Wallach, 1997 | Range: Mozambique[21] |
Peter's thread snake | Leptotyphlops scutifrons | (W. Peters, 1854) | Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland
Range: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe[22] |
Forest thread snake | Leptotyphlops sylvicolus[3] | Broadley & Wallach, 1997 | Habitat: Forest, grassland
Range: South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province)[23] |
Tello's thread snake | Leptotyphlops telloi | Broadley & Watson, 1976 | Habitat: Savanna
Range: Eswatini, Mozambique[24] |
T) Type species.
References
- ^ 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).
- ^ a b c "Leptotyphlops". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Leptotyphlops" . The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ Spawls, S. 2021. Leptotyphlops aethiopicus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T21584239A21584244. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T21584239A21584244.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Alexander, G.J., Tolley, K.A., Weeber, J., Conradie, W. & Pietersen, D. 2022. Leptotyphlops conjunctus (amended version of 2021 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979732A217536604. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979732A217536604.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops distanti. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979746A197419772. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979746A197419772.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Kusamba, C. 2021. Leptotyphlops emini. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T21584272A21584290. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T21584272A21584290.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Beraduccii, J., Howell, K., Msuya, C.A. & Ngalason, W. 2022. Leptotyphlops howelli (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979760A217807449. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979760A217807449.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Alexander, G.J. & Tolley, K.A. 2021. Leptotyphlops incognitus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979771A120635822. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T44979771A120635822.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops jacobseni. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T178203A197408045. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T178203A197408045.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Kusamba, C. & Zassi-Boulou, A.-G. 2021. Leptotyphlops kafubi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979786A44979794. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T44979786A44979794.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Spawls, S. & Malonza, P. 2022. Leptotyphlops keniensis (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979800A217807566. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979800A217807566.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Pietersen, D. & Verburgt, L. 2021. Leptotyphlops latirostris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T124313370A124313452. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T124313370A124313452.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Malonza, P. & Spawls, S. 2022. Leptotyphlops macrops (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979811A217807671. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979811A217807671.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Howell, K., Msuya, C.A. & Spawls, S. 2022. Leptotyphlops mbanjensis (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979823A217807781. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979823A217807781.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Branch, W.R., Wagner, P., Safari, I. & Chenga, J. 2015. Leptotyphlops merkeri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T47749549A47749558. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T47749549A47749558.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops nigricans. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979834A197419932. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979834A197419932.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Spawls, S. 2021. Leptotyphlops nigroterminus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979849A44979854. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44979849A44979854.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Spawls, S. & Malonza, P. 2022. Leptotyphlops pembae (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979860A217807882. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979860A217807882.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Wagner, P., Branch, W.R., Chenga, J. & Safari, I. 2021. Leptotyphlops pitmani. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979875A44979884. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44979875A44979884.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Farooq, H., Verburgt, L., Alexander, G.J., Raimundo, A. & Sardinha, C.I.V. 2019. Leptotyphlops pungwensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T44979890A44979892. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T44979890A44979892.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Tolley, K.A. & Alexander, G.J. 2021. Leptotyphlops scutifrons. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979898A44979907. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T44979898A44979907.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops sylvicolus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979913A197420058. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979913A197420058.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
- ^ Verburgt, L., Pietersen, D., Alexander, G.J. & Farooq, H. 2022. Leptotyphlops telloi (amended version of 2020 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979917A217541811. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979917A217541811.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
External links
- Leptotyphlops at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 29 August 2007.
- iNaturalist page