Amphisbaena alba

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Amphisbaena alba
Amphisbaena alba03.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Amphisbaenidae
Genus: Amphisbaena
Species:
A. alba
Binomial name
Amphisbaena alba
Amphisbaena alba distribution.png
Range of A. alba (in red) in South America

Amphisbaena alba, also known as the red worm lizard [1] or less commonly as the white or white-bellied worm lizard, is a species of amphisbaenian in the reptilian order Squamata. Despite the large geographic range that this species covers, little is known about its ecology due to its secretive habits. [2] A. alba has a diverse diet ranging from plant material to small vertebrates [2] (such as lizards and their eggs, snakes, mice, and other rodents). [3] [4] Numerically, beetles, ants, and spiders compose the majority of their diet; however, ants, insect larvae, beetles, cockroaches, hemipterans, mole crickets, crickets, grasshoppers, termites, spiders, scorpions, pseudoscorpions, and annelids are ingested to satisfy a larger volume. [2] [3] [5] The females are somewhat larger than the males, and can reach over 80 cm, which is quite large for an amphisbaenian. They are known to bury themselves in leafcutter ant nests and hide in the ants’ garbage dump areas to avoid irritating the ants into attacking, and to bury themselves to avoid predation in general. [6]

Contents

Geographic range

It occurs in South America from eastern Venezuela and the island of Trinidad through the entire Amazon Basin to northern Argentina. [1] Amphisbaena alba has the largest geographic range of all the amphisbaenians. [2]

Reproduction

Reproduction for this species occurs in the dry season of its geographical area. [2] Some evidence suggests that this species exploits the living space of the leaf-cutting ant and may even use the nests of these ants to deposit its eggs. [2] A. alba lays the greatest number of eggs at a time (8–16) in comparison to other amphisbaenians, which is possibly due to its large body size. [2] There is no sexual dimorphism in regard to snout-vent length, meristic, or morphometric characters for A. alba most likely due to functional constraints related to their burrowing nature. [2]

The ultrastructure of epididymal spermatozoa has been studied for A. alba. [7] Mature spermatozoa are filiform and are characterized by features such as a depression in the transverse section of the acrosome, a moderately long midpiece, columnar mitochondria, an elongated nucleus, and a fibrous sheath in the midpiece. [7]

Epidermal glands are located in the cloacal region of A. alba and are most likely used for reproduction and marking territory. [8] The openings of the glands are plugged with a solid, holocrine secretion that is removed when it moves through tunnels and leaves a secretion trail. [8]

Erythrocyte characteristics

The stages of ultrastructural changes of organelles in developing erythroid cells are similar to the developmental changes in other vertebrate groups. [9] The greatest difference is the periodical transverse alignment of hemoglobin molecules in the organelle matrix of the hemosomes. [9] The transformation of the erythroid cell organelles for hemoglobin biosynthesis occurs slowly. [10] This is due to the low metabolic rate of A. alba which is a result of the hypoxic environment where it lives. [10]

Defensive tactics

When Amphisbaena alba assumes a defensive posture it bends its body into the shape of a horseshoe and raises both the head and the tail. [11] The tail is made of tough collagen bundles that allows the tail to absorb mechanical pressure from a bite. [11] The body of A. alba is also covered with a flexible armor which makes other areas resistant to bites as well. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphisbaenia</span> Suborder of reptiles

Amphisbaenia is a group of typically legless lizards, comprising over 200 extant species. Amphisbaenians are characterized by their long bodies, the reduction or loss of the limbs, and rudimentary eyes. As many species have a pink body and scales arranged in rings, they have a superficial resemblance to earthworms. While the genus Bipes retains forelimbs, all other genera are limbless. Phylogenetic studies suggest that they are nested within Lacertoidea, closely related to the lizard family Lacertidae. Amphisbaenians are widely distributed, occurring in North America, Europe, Africa, South America, Western Asia and the Caribbean. Most species are less than 6 inches (15 cm) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphisbaenidae</span> Family of amphisbaenians

The Amphisbaenidae are a family of amphisbaenians, a group of limbless vertebrates.

<i>Amphisbaena fuliginosa</i> Species of lizard

Amphisbaena fuliginosa, also known as the black-and-white worm lizard, speckled worm lizard or spotted worm lizard, is a species of amphisbaenian in the genus Amphisbaena. The ecology of A. fuliginosa is poorly known due to its fossorial habits. However, this species can be easily distinguished from others because of its characteristic white and black mosaic pattern that covers both the dorsal and ventral side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iberian worm lizard</span> Species of amphisbaenian

The Iberian worm lizard, Mediterranean worm lizard, or European worm lizard is a species of reptile in the family Blanidae of the clade Amphisbaenia. The Iberian worm lizard is locally known as cobra-cega (Portuguese), culebrilla ciega (Spanish), and colobreta cega (Catalan), all meaning "blind snake". Recent studies into the mitochondrial and nuclear genomic data of 47 isolated B. cinereus populations show rather large sequence divergence between two apparent clades, leading some researchers to call for a division of the Iberian worm lizard into two species. While little is known of B. cinereus in comparison with some other reptile species, new insight is growing about this primitive, ancestral reptile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darwin's ringed worm lizard</span> Species of amphibaenian

Darwin's ringed worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae, endemic to South America.

The Carvalho worm lizard, also known commonly as Carvalho's worm lizard, is a species of worm lizard in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Brazil.

Heath's worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Brazil, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Vanzolini's worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is native to northern South America.

<i>Amphisbaena ridleyi</i> Species of lizard

Amphisbaena ridleyi, known by the common names Ridley's worm lizard or the Noronha worm lizard, is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to the island of Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil. It is one of two indigenous reptiles on the island.

<i>Amphisbaena mertensii</i> Species of lizard

Amphisbaena mertensii, also known as the Mertens' worm lizard or Mertens's worm lizard, is a species of worm lizard in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munoa worm lizard</span> Species of lizard

The Munoa worm lizard is a small species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae of the reptilian order Squamata. The species is endemic to southern South America.

Hoge's worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Brazil.

Amphisbaena medemi is a species of worm lizard in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rio Grande worm lizard</span> Species of lizard

The Rio Grande worm lizard is a species of worm lizard in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Brazil.

Roze's worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slater's worm lizard</span> Species of lizard

Slater's worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to western South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slevin's worm lizard</span> Species of lizard

Slevin's worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to northern South America.

Spurrell's worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Central America and northern South America.

Amphisbaena steindachneri is a species of worm lizard in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to South America.

Stejneger's worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Guyana.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ibáñez, R.; Jaramillo, C.; Cacciali, P.; Carreira, S.; Avila-Pires, T.C.S.; Aparicio, J.; Gonzales, L.; Perez, P.; Schargel, W.; Rivas, G.; Murphy, J. (2019). "Amphisbaena alba". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T176224A1436233. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T176224A1436233.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Guarino R. Colli & Dario S. Zamboni (1999). "Ecology of the worm-lizard Amphisbaena alba in the Cerrado of central Brazil". Copeia . 1999 (3): 733–742. doi:10.2307/1447606. JSTOR   1447606.
  3. 1 2 "Amphisbaena alba (White Worm Lizard)" (PDF). Sta.uwi.edu. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  4. ↑ "White Worm-Lizard (Amphisbaena alba)".
  5. ↑ "White Worm-Lizard (Amphisbaena alba)".
  6. ↑ Vieira, Jose (2021). Arteaga, Alejandro (ed.). "White Worm-Lizard (Amphisbaena alba)". Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Tropical Herping. doi:10.47051/sjxo6764. S2CID   240380304.
  7. 1 2 Ruscaia D. Teixeira; Guarino R. Colli; Sônia N. Báo (1999). "The ultrastructure of the spermatozoa of the worm lizard Amphisbaena alba (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae) and the phylogenetic relationships of amphisbaenians". Canadian Journal of Zoology . 77 (8): 1254–1264. doi:10.1139/z99-089.
  8. 1 2 C. Jared; M. M. Antoniazzi; J. R. M. C. Silva & E. Freymüller (1999). "Epidermal glands in Squamata: microscopical examination of precloacal glands in Amphisbaena alba (Amphisbaenia, Amphisbaenidae)". Journal of Morphology . 241 (3): 197–206. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-4687(199909)241:3<197::AID-JMOR2>3.0.CO;2-5. PMID   10461130. S2CID   741009.
  9. 1 2 C. Jared; M. M. Antoniazzi; I. S. Sano-Martins; A. Brunner Jr. (1995). "Ultrastructural cytology of maturing erythroid cells in a fossorial reptile (Amphisbaena alba) with reference to hemoglobin biosynthesis". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A . 112 (3–4): 487–494. doi:10.1016/0300-9629(95)02017-9.
  10. 1 2 D. D. Spadacci-Morena; C. Jared; M. M. Antoniazzi; O. Brunner; P. Morena; A. Brunner Jr (1998). "Comparative cytomorphology of maturing amphisbaenian (Amphisbaena alba) and snake (Waglerophis merremii) erythroid cells with regard to haemoglobin biosynthesis". Comparative Haematology International. 8 (1): 7–15. doi:10.1007/BF02628098. S2CID   31656298.
  11. 1 2 3 Carlos Jared; Marta Marta Antoniazzi; Edna Freymüller; Luiz Carlos Uchôa Junquerira (1998). "A possible advantage of displaying the tail: a comparison between the tail and body integument structure in Amphisbaena alba and Leposternon microcephalum (Squamata, Amphisbaenia)". Annales des Sciences Naturelles – Zoologie et Biologie Animale. 19 (2): 89–97. doi:10.1016/S0003-4339(98)80003-8.

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