Leptotyphlops

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Leptotyphlops
Leptotyphlops distanti.jpg
Leptotyphlops distanti
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Leptotyphlopidae
Genus: Leptotyphlops
Fitzinger, 1843
Synonyms [1]

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 .

Contents

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 nameScientific name [2] Taxon author [2] Habitat & Range
Ethiopian worm snake Leptotyphlops aethiopicus [3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007Habitat: Forest, grassland

Range: Ethiopia, Kenya [4]

Cape thread snake

Leptotyphlops conjunctus.jpg

Leptotyphlops conjunctus (Jan, 1861)Habitat: Grassland

Range: South Africa (Eastern Cape Province) [5]

Distant's thread snake

Leptotyphlops distanti.jpg

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, 2007Habitat: Forest, savanna

Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania [8]

Incognito thread snake

Leptotyphlops incognitus.jpg

Leptotyphlops incognitus [3] Broadley & Watson, 1976Habitat: Savanna, grassland

Range: Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa (Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga), Zambia, Zimbabwe [9]

Jacobsen's thread snake

Leptotyphlops jacobseni.jpg

Leptotyphlops jacobseni [3] Broadley & S. Broadley, 1999Habitat: 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, 2007Habitat: 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

Goggle-eyed worm snake Leptotyphlops macrops.jpg

Leptotyphlops macrops Broadley & Wallach, 1996Habitat: Forest, savanna, artificial / terrestrial

Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania [14]

Mbanja worm snake Leptotyphlops mbanjensis [3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007Habitat: 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 nigricans.jpg

Leptotyphlops nigricans T(Schlegel, 1839)Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland

Range: South Africa (Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape) [17]

Black-tip worm snake Leptotyphlops nigroterminus [3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007Habitat: Savanna, shrubland

Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania [18]

Pemba worm snake Leptotyphlops pembae [3] Loveridge, 1941Habitat: Grassland, artificial / terrestrial

Range: Pemba Island, Tanzania [19]

Pitman’s thread snake Leptotyphlops pitmani [3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007Habitat: Savanna

Range: Kenya, Rwanda, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda [20]

N/A Leptotyphlops pungwensis [3] Broadley & Wallach, 1997Range: Mozambique [21]
Peter's thread snake

Leptotyphlops scutifrons full body.jpg

Leptotyphlops scutifrons (W. Peters, 1854)Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland

Range: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe [22]

Forest thread snake

Leptotyphlops sylvicolus.jpg

Leptotyphlops sylvicolus [3] Broadley & Wallach, 1997Habitat: Forest, grassland

Range: South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province) [23]

Tello's thread snake Leptotyphlops telloi Broadley & Watson, 1976Habitat: Savanna

Range: Eswatini, Mozambique [24]

T) Type species.

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<i>Leptotyphlops conjunctus</i> Species of snake

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slender threadsnake</span> Species of snake

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Leptotyphlops telloi, also known commonly as Tello's threadsnake or Tello's worm snake, is a species of snake in the family Leptotyphlopidae. The species is indigenous to southern Africa.

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References

  1. ↑ McDiarmid, RW; Campbell, JA; Touré, TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Vol. 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. ISBN   1-893777-01-4.
  2. 1 2 3 "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 at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  4. ↑ Spawls, S. (2021). "Leptotyphlops aethiopicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T21584239A21584244. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T21584239A21584244.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  5. ↑ Alexander, G.J.; Tolley, K.A.; Weeber, J.; Conradie, W.; Pietersen, D. (2022) [amended version of 2021 assessment]. "Leptotyphlops conjunctus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979732A217536604. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979732A217536604.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Alexander, G.J. (2022). "Leptotyphlops distanti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979746A197419772. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979746A197419772.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  7. ↑ Kusamba, C. (2021). "Leptotyphlops emini". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T21584272A21584290. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T21584272A21584290.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  8. ↑ Beraduccii, J.; Howell, K.; Msuya, C.A.; Ngalason, W. (2022) [amended version of 2014 assessment]. "Leptotyphlops howelli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979760A217807449. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979760A217807449.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  9. ↑ Alexander, G.J.; Tolley, K.A. (2021). "Leptotyphlops incognitus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T44979771A120635822. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T44979771A120635822.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  10. ↑ Alexander, G.J. (2022). "Leptotyphlops jacobseni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T178203A197408045. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T178203A197408045.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  11. ↑ Kusamba, C.; Zassi-Boulou, A.-G. (2021). "Leptotyphlops kafubi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T44979786A44979794. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T44979786A44979794.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  12. ↑ Spawls, S.; Malonza, P. (2022) [amended version of 2014 assessment]. "Leptotyphlops keniensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979800A217807566. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979800A217807566.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  13. ↑ Pietersen, D.; Verburgt, L. (2021). "Leptotyphlops latirostris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T124313370A124313452. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T124313370A124313452.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  14. ↑ Malonza, P.; Spawls, S. (2022) [amended version of 2014 assessment]. "Leptotyphlops macrops". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979811A217807671. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979811A217807671.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  15. ↑ Howell, K.; Msuya, C.A.; Spawls, S. (2022) [amended version of 2014 assessment]. "Leptotyphlops mbanjensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979823A217807781. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979823A217807781.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  16. ↑ Branch, W.R.; Wagner, P.; Safari, I.; Chenga, J. (2015). "Leptotyphlops merkeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T47749549A47749558. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T47749549A47749558.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  17. ↑ Alexander, G.J. (2022). "Leptotyphlops nigricans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979834A197419932. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979834A197419932.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  18. ↑ Spawls, S. (2021). "Leptotyphlops nigroterminus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T44979849A44979854. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44979849A44979854.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  19. ↑ Spawls, S.; Malonza, P. (2022) [amended version of 2014 assessment]. "Leptotyphlops pembae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979860A217807882. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979860A217807882.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  20. ↑ Wagner, P.; Branch, W.R.; Chenga, J.; Safari, I. (2021). "Leptotyphlops pitmani". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T44979875A44979884. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44979875A44979884.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  21. ↑ Tolley, K.A.; Conradie, W.; Farooq, H.; Verburgt, L.; Alexander, G.J.; Raimundo, A.; Sardinha, C.I.V. (2019). "Leptotyphlops pungwensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T44979890A44979892. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T44979890A44979892.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  22. ↑ Tolley, K.A.; Alexander, G.J. (2021). "Leptotyphlops scutifrons". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T44979898A44979907. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T44979898A44979907.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  23. ↑ Alexander, G.J. (2022). "Leptotyphlops sylvicolus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979913A197420058. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979913A197420058.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  24. ↑ Verburgt, L.; Pietersen, D.; Alexander, G.J.; Farooq, H. (2022) [amended version of 2020 assessment]. "Leptotyphlops telloi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T44979917A217541811. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979917A217541811.en . Retrieved 16 April 2024.
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