Anomochilus monticola

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Kinabalu giant blind snake
Anomochilus monticola.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Anomochilidae
Genus: Anomochilus
Species:
A. monticola
Binomial name
Anomochilus monticola
Das  [ fr ], Lakim, Lim & Hui, 2008 [2]

Anomochilus monticola, the Kinabalu giant blind snake, [3] mountain pipe snake, [4] or Mount Kinabalu dwarf pipesnake, [5] is a species of snake in the dwarf pipesnake family Anomochilidae. It is endemic to Kinabalu Park in northern Borneo, where it inhabits montane and submontane rainforest at altitudes of 1,450–1,513 m (4,757–4,964 ft). Described by the herpetologist Indraneil Das and colleagues in 2008, the species is a stout, cylindrical snake with a small head and short, conical tail. It is the largest species in its genus, with a total length of 521 mm (20.5 in). It is mostly iridescent blue-black in color, with a deep brown belly, large pale horn-colored blotches along the underside, a chrome orange band around the tail, a pale creamy-yellow bar across the snout, and pale horn-colored speckles along its sides. It can be told apart from the other species in its genus by its large size, the absence of a stripe along its sides, and the lack of pale blotches on its back.

Contents

The species is nocturnal and fossorial (adapted to living underground). It most likely feeds on earthworms, snakes, and legless lizards. Reproduction in the snake has not been observed, but other species in its genus lay eggs, unusually for their superfamily, where most species give birth to live young. The IUCN Red List currently classifies A. monticola as being data deficient due to a lack of information about its range and threats to the species.

Taxonomy and systematics

Anomochilus monticola was first described by the herpetologist Indraneil Das and colleagues in 2008 on the basis of a female specimen collected from Kinabalu Park, Borneo, in 2004. Previously collected specimens of the species had been incorrectly identified as Cylindrophis ruffus . The specific name monticola is Latin for "inhabitant of mountains", referring to the species's type locality, Mount Kinabalu. [2]

A. monticola is one of three species in the dwarf pipesnake genus Anomochilus , which is the only genus in the family Anomochilidae. Anomochilidae is one of three families in the superfamily Uropeltoidea, along with Uropeltidae and Cylindrophiidae. [5] However, genetic studies indicate that Cylindrophiidae is paraphyletic (not containing all the descendants of a common ancestor) with respect to Anomochilidae, and some authorities merge the latter family into the former. [6] [7]

Description

Like other species in its genus, A. monticola is cylindrical, with a small, rounded head and short, conical tail. [5] [2] It is the largest Anomochilus snake, with a snout–vent length of 507–509 mm (19.96–20.04 in) and an average total length of 521.2 mm (20.52 in). [3] [2] It is mostly uniformly iridescent blue-black in color across the dorsum (upper body), with a chrome orange ring around the tail and a pale creamy-yellow bar across the snout. The underside is uniformly dark brown with large pale horn-colored blotches. The blotches occur in pairs, from the throat down to the tail. The species also has smaller pale horn-colored speckles along its sides. [2] The head is continuous with the neck and, despite the fossorial (adapted to living underground) nature of the species, the snout has no reinforcements to aid in burrowing. [5] The dorsum is smooth, with slightly larger scales than the underside. [2]

A. monticola has 19 rows of scales (excluding ventral scales) in the middle of the body. It has 258–261 midventral scales (scales down the middle of the underside) and 7–8 subcaudal scales (scales between the cloaca and tip of the tail). The species can be differentiated from other snakes outside of its genus by its small head and eyes, the large scales on the forehead, a single nasal scale bordering the second supralabial scale, the absence of the loreal and preocular scales, a lone postocular scale, and the lack of a mental groove. [2]

It can be differentiated from the two other species in its genus, which both also occur on Borneo, by its significantly larger size and a combination of coloration and scalation. It differs from A. weberi in lacking pale stripes along its sides and having an unpaired parietofrontal scale on the forehead. It can be distinguished from A. leonardi by the absence of pale patches bordering the vertebral scales and the number of midventral scales (monticola has 258–261, compared to 214–252 for leonardi). [2]

Distribution and habitat

A. monticola is currently only known from Kinabalu Park in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, where it has been recorded in submontane and montane rainforests at elevations of 1,450–1,513 m (4,757–4,964 ft). It likely inhabits both disturbed and primary forest. [2] [1] The two known localities from which specimens were collected were near a rocky stream and a metalled road. Like other dwarf pipesnakes, it is fossorial and is found in leaf litter. [2]

Ecology and conservation

A. monticola is nocturnal and fossorial. [2] The ecology of the species is poorly studied, and little is known about its diet and reproductive habits. [3] The absence of the mental groove suggests that the snake feeds on elongate invertebrates like earthworms and perhaps on small, slim vertebrates like snakes and legless lizards. [5] Reproduction in the species has not been studied, but other Anomochilus are known to lay eggs, unlike the rest of the Uropeltoidea, which give birth to live young. [3] [5]

The species is currently classified as being data deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to a lack of information about its range and threats affecting it. Its known range falls entirely with the protected Kinabalu Park. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Anomochilus</i> Genus of reptiles

Anomochilidae is a family of snakes with one genus, Anomochilus, containing three species of snake. Members of the family are known as anomochilids, or by the common names dwarf pipesnake, lesser pipesnake, and giant blind snake. Initially created as Anomolochilus in 1890 for the species A. weberi, the genus was renamed in 1901 because the original name was already in use for a genus of beetles. Dwarf pipesnakes are small and cylindrical, with short, conical tails and small, rounded heads that are continuous with the neck. They have blackish to purplish-brown uppersides and dark brown or black undersides, with orange-red bands around the tail and a variety of pale markings on the snout and belly. All three species of dwarf pipesnake are endemic to Sundaland, where they are found on the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

<i>Anilius</i> Genus of snakes

The Aniliidae are a monotypic family created for the monotypic genus Anilius that contains the single species Anilius scytale. Common names include the American pipe snake and false coral snake. It is found in South America. This snake possesses a vestigial pelvic girdle that is visible as a pair of cloacal spurs. It is ovoviviparous. It is non-venomous, and its diet consists mainly of amphibians and other reptiles. Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

The Uropeltidae, also commonly known as shield tail snakes, shield-tailed snakes or earth snakes, are a family of primitive, nonvenomous, burrowing snakes native to Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. The name is derived from the Greek words ura ('tail') and pelte ('shield'), indicating the presence of the large keratinous shield at the tip of the tail. Seven or eight genera are recognized, depending on whether Teretrurus rhodogaster is treated in its own genus or as part of Brachyophidium. The family comprises over 50 species. These snakes are not well known in terms of their diversity, biology, and natural history.

<i>Lycodon capucinus</i> Species of snake

Lycodon capucinus, also known as the common wolf snake, is a species of colubrid snake, which is commonly found in the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Named after their enlarged front teeth, which gives them a muzzled appearance similar to canines, it also makes the snout somewhat more squarish than other snakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Checkered keelback</span> Species of snake

The checkered keelback, also known commonly as the Asiatic water snake, is a common species in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Asia. It is non-venomous.

Meristogenys kinabaluensis is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Borneo and is found in Sabah, Sarawak (Malaysia), and Kalimantan (Indonesia). The specific name refers to its type locality, Mount Kinabalu.

Anomochilus leonardi is a species of snake in the family Anomochilidae. The species is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. No subspecies are recognized as of 2015. It is sometimes called Leonard's pipe snake, Leonard's burrowing snake, and Malayan giant blind snake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alethinophidia</span> Clade of snakes

The Alethinophidia are an infraorder of snakes that includes all snakes other than blind snakes and thread snakes. Snakes have long been grouped into families within Alethinophidia based on their morphology, especially that of their teeth. More modern phylogenetic hypotheses using genetic data support the recognition of 19 extant families, although the taxonomy of alethinophidian snakes has long been debated, and ultimately the decision whether to assign a particular clade to a particular Linnaean rank is arbitrary.

<i>Trimeresurus sumatranus</i> Species of snake

Trimeresurus sumatranus is a venomous pitviper species found in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Arboreal, its coloration is pale green with a red tail. Common names include Sumatran pitviper, Sumatran tree viper, and Sumatran pit viper.

Garthius chaseni, commonly known as Chasen's mountain pit viper, Chasen's tree viper, and the Kinabalu brown pit viper, is a species of venomous pitviper in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the island of Borneo in Malaysia. No subspecies are currently recognized. It is monotypic in the genus Garthius.

<i>Anomochilus weberi</i> Species of snake

Anomochilus weberi, commonly known as Weber's dwarf pipesnake or the Sumatran giant blind snake, is a species of snake in the dwarf pipesnake family Anomochilidae. It is endemic to Borneo and Sumatra, where it inhabits montane and lowland dipterocarp forest at altitudes of 300–1,000 m (980–3,280 ft). Described by the herpetologist Theodorus Willem van Lidth de Jeude in 1890, the species is a stout, cylindrical snake with a small head and short, conical tail. It is the smallest species in its genus, with a total length of 230 mm (9.1 in). It is mostly black in color, with pale stripes along its sides and pale blotches bordering the vertebral scales, as well as a variety of other pale spots and markings on the tail and head. It can be told apart from the other species in its genus by its small size, the presence of a pale stripe along its sides, and the presence of pale blotches along its back.

<i>Afrotyphlops schlegelii</i> Species of snake

Afrotyphlops schlegelii, commonly known as Schlegel's beaked blind snake or Schlegel's giant blind snake, is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to eastern and southern Africa, and bears the distinction of being the world's largest typhlopid. It is harmless to humans and lives exclusively on a diet of termites.

Aspidura ceylonensis, also known as the Ceylon keelback, black-spined snake, or slender mould snake, is a colubrid snake endemic to Sri Lanka. It is locally known as කුරුන් කරවලා or රත් කරවලා in Sinhala.

Dibamus vorisi is a species of legless lizard in the family Dibamidae. The species is endemic to Borneo.

Hikida's bow-fingered gecko, also known commonly as Matsui's bent-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to the island of Borneo.

The gibber earless dragon also known as the smooth-snouted earless dragon, is a species of agamid lizard endemic to Australia. It is one of a documented species of the genus Tympanocryptis, a group of small terrestrial lizards that feed off invertebrates and are characterised by the absence of an external ear structure.

<i>Lerista timida</i> Australian species of skink

Lerista timida, the dwarf three-toed slider or wood mulch-slider, is a species of skink found in Australia. Other common names for the species include timid slider and dwarf burrowing skink. The skink is a member of the Lerista genus which are confined to continental Australia and are mostly a burrowing species of skink. The genus consists of consists elongated, smooth-scaled, Fossorial lizards that are specialized for life in the upper soils and dry leaf litter through which they slide using Lateral undulation as a form of locomotive action, giving rise to their nickname as sliders. They normally emerge of a night-time to hunt for small Invertebrates such as ants, termites and insects. If disturbed, they dive immediately into any loose substrate to avoid predation, this behavior leaves behind a distinctive disrupted wavy track that often found on sandy flats or dunes, roads and tracks.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Iskandar, D.; Jenkins, H.; Das, I.; Auliya, M.; Inger, R.F.; Lilley, R. (2012). "Anomochilus monticola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T191983A2023863. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T191983A2023863.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Das, Indraneil; Lakim, Maklarin; Lim, Kelvin K. P.; Hui, Tan Heok (2008). "New species of Anomochilus from Borneo (Squamata: Anomochilidae)" (PDF). Journal of Herpetology. 42 (3): 584–591. doi:10.1670/07-154.1. S2CID   85684485.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Das, Indraneil (2010). Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-East Asia. London: New Holland Publishers. p. 257. ISBN   978-1-4729-2057-7. OCLC   455823617.
  4. ↑ "Anomochilus monticola Mountain Pipe Snake". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 O'Shea, Mark (2023). Snakes of the World: A Guide to Every Family. Princeton: Princeton University Press. pp. 91–93. ISBN   9780691240671. OCLC   1356003917.
  6. ↑ Gower, D. J.; Vidal, N.; Spinks, J. N.; McCarthy, C. J. (2005). "The phylogenetic position of Anomochilidae (Reptilia: Serpentes): first evidence from DNA sequences". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 43 (4): 315–320. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0469.2005.00315.x.
  7. ↑ Li, Peng; Wiens, John J. (2022). "What drives diversification? Range expansion tops climate, life history, habitat and size in lizards and snakes". Journal of Biogeography. 49 (2): 237–247. doi:10.1111/jbi.14304. S2CID   245849898.


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