Mexican blind lizard

Last updated

Mexican blind lizard
Anelytropsis.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Dibamidae
Genus: Anelytropsis
Cope, 1885
Species:
A. papillosus
Binomial name
Anelytropsis papillosus
Cope, 1885

The Mexican blind lizard (Anelytropsis papillosus) is a species of legless lizard in the family Dibamidae, and the only species in the genus Anelytropsis. [2] It is endemic to Mexico. [1] [2] They look like Amphisbaenia, but are in fact, only distantly related. [3]

Contents

Etymology

Although early authors did not discuss the etymology, the generic name, Anelytropsis, is presumed to be based on the Greek words: ana = up opon; elytron = shield; ops = eye, in reference to the eyes which are concealed by ocular scales. The trivial name or specific epithet, papillosus, is Latin and refers to the minute papillae present on the scales in the anterior areas of the mouth and nose (rostral scale, first labial scale, and loreal). [4]

Description

The Mexican blind lizard is a limbless lizard, adapted for burrowing. The head is discernible from the cylindrical body by only a slightly greater width. There are no ear openings and each eye is entirely concealed under a single ocular plate. There are three large plates on the top of the head. The scales on the body are "scincoid", smooth with rounded edges, and may occur in even or odd numbered rows. It is a small species, ranging 20 - 50 cm. in total length. The tail is about one fourth of the total length of the lizard. Anelytropsis are brownish to flesh-colored, with some individuals exhibiting patches of pale scales producing a faint piebald appearance. [4] [5]

Distribution

Anelytropsis papillosus is endemic to Mexico. It is known from northeastern regions of the country at elevations from 300 to 2300 meters, including southern Tamaulipas, eastern San Luis Potosí, northern Hidalgo and Querétaro, northern and central Veracruz, and extreme northern Oaxaca. Considering the fact that several confirmed localities are extremely close to state boundaries, its rarity, and its fossorial and secretive behavior, some authors have speculated it should be anticipated in areas west of the confirmed distribution, specifically southern Nuevo Leon, extreme eastern Guanajuato, and eastern Puebla. [4] [6]

Ecology and natural history

Anelytropsis papillosus, municipality of Tula, Tamaulipas (15 Aug 2004). Anelytropsis papillosus, Mexican Blind Lizard, Tamaulipas.jpg
Anelytropsis papillosus, municipality of Tula, Tamaulipas (15 Aug 2004).

Very little information has been published on the ecology and natural history of this rare and enigmatic species. [6] Hobart M. Smith reported finding two specimens in rotten logs near ant nests and noted they were "apparently" feeding on termites or ants in the logs. [7]

Collector's accounts of finding two specimens in San Luis Potosí, on separate occasions, stated that both lizards intensely bit the collectors fingers continuously for about three or four minutes when first handled. Then each lizard engaged in thanatosis (death feigning behavior), at which time the lizards were relaxed but slightly rigid with their mouths half open, one for about two or three minutes, the other for a briefer length of time but subsequently, it suddenly lashed its body and autotomized about half of its tail. [8]

Habitat

Chihuahua Desert scrub flats, Municipality of Tula, Tamaulipas (24 Sept 2003) Chihuahua Desert SW of Tula, Municipality of Tula, Tamaulipas, Mexico (24 September 2003).jpg
Chihuahua Desert scrub flats, Municipality of Tula, Tamaulipas (24 Sept 2003)

Locality records for the fossorial Anelytropsis papillosus do not correlate to surface vegetation communities or typical biogeographic patterns. [9] It has been reported from a remarkably wide spectrum of habitats, from Chihuahuan Desert scrub flats on the Mexican Plateau, to cloud forest in the Sierra Madre Oriental (El Cielo Biosphere Reserve), and tropical deciduous forest on the coastal plain in Tamaulipas. [10] [11] Pine -oak forest, tropical thorn forest, and semiarid deciduous vegetation have also been identified as collecting sites. [4] [12] It has been found under boulders, rocks, and stones, under fallen logs, burrowing in rotten logs, and under dead yucca trees. [7] [13] [8] The distribution of the species falls mostly within the Mexican ecoregions of the tropical Veracruz moist forests, the Sierra Madre Oriental pine–oak forests, and southwestern portions of the Meseta Central matorral.

Conservation status

The Mexican Federal Government list Anelytropsis papillosus as a threatened species and it is protected by Mexican law. [14] In a conservation evaluation using Environmental Vulnerability Scores (EVS) [low, 3–9; medium, 10–13; high, 14–20], Anelytropsis papillosus was rated 10, a species of medium vulnerability. [15] :17 p. Conversely, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ranked Anelytropsis papillosus as a species of least concern.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibamidae</span> Family of lizards

Dibamidae or blind skinks is a family of lizards characterized by their elongated cylindrical body and an apparent lack of limbs. Female dibamids are entirely limbless and the males retain small flap-like hind limbs, which they use to grip their partner during mating. They have a rigidly fused skull, lack pterygoid teeth and external ears. Their eyes are greatly reduced, and covered with a scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas tortoise</span> Species of tortoise

The Texas tortoise is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species G. berlandieri is one of six species of tortoises that are native to North America.

<i>Rena dulcis</i> Species of snake

Rena dulcis, also known commonly as the Texas blind snake, the Texas slender blind snake, or the Texas threadsnake, is a species of snake in the family Leptotyphlopidae. The species is endemic to the Southwestern United States and adjacent northern Mexico. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

<i>Indotyphlops braminus</i> Species of reptile

Indotyphlops braminus, commonly known as the brahminy blind snake and other names, is a non-venomous blind snake species, found mostly in Africa and Asia, and has been introduced in many other parts of the world. It is a completely fossorial reptile, with habits and appearance similar to an earthworm, for which it is often mistaken, although close examination reveals tiny scales and eyes rather than the annular segments characteristic of a true earthworm. The species is parthenogenetic and all known specimens have been female. The specific name is a Latinized form of the word Brahmin. No subspecies are currently recognized as being valid.

Dibamus nicobaricum is a species of lizard found in the Nicobar Islands of India.

<i>Agkistrodon taylori</i> Species of snake

Agkistrodon taylori is a species of venomous snake, a pitviper (Crotalinae) found only in northeastern Mexico. The standardized names are Taylor's cantil (English) and Metapil (Spanish), although it is sometimes called the ornate cantil as well as several other colloquial names. It was named in honor of American herpetologist Edward Harrison Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern sheep frog</span> Species of amphibian

The northern sheep frog is native to Central America, Mexico, and extreme south Texas, United States. It occurs in the lowlands from Sonora, Mexico, to northern Costa Rica on the Pacific coast, and south Texas to Honduras on the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts. The sheep frog inhabits semiarid thornscrub, savannas, pasturelands, and open woodlands, as well as more humid, moist forest in the canyons, basins, foothills, and lower elevations of mountains slopes. It is a fossorial, burrowing frog that is seldom seen on the surface except at night after heavy rains when they emerge to breed. The sheep frog gets its name from its distinctive call that resembles a sheep's bleat. It is a diet specialist primarily feeding on termites and ants.

<i>Drymobius margaritiferus</i> Species of snake

Drymobius margaritiferus, commonly known as the speckled racer, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake native to the Americas. The specific name, margaritiferus, means "pearl-bearing" in Latin, referring to the pearl-like spots on the dorsal scales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican alligator lizard</span> Species of lizard

The Mexican alligator lizard, also known as the green arboreal alligator lizard, is an endangered species of lizard endemic to the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca highlands of Mexico. It can be found in the states of Puebla, Veracruz, and Oaxaca. It was originally described under the genus Gerrhonotus as Gerrhonotus gramineus by Edward D. Cope in 1864.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leora's stream salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The Leora's stream salamander or ajolote is a rare species of mole salamander in the family Ambystomatidae. It is endemic to a very small area of land in the Iztaccihuatl-Popocatepetl National Park on the border of the State of Mexico with Puebla, with a single known population on Mount Tlaloc. Its very specific requirements as regards water quality militates against its survival in a habitat where water is being extracted, cattle graze and the salamander has traditionally been eaten as food. It has been listed as a threatened species by the Mexican Government and as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veracruz moist forests</span> Tropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion of Mexico

The Veracruz moist forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in eastern Mexico.

<i>Metlapilcoatlus nummifer</i> Species of snake

Metlapilcoatlus nummifer, commonly known as Mexican jumping pit viper or jumping viper, is a pit viper species endemic to Mexico.

<i>Ctenosaura acanthura</i> Species of reptile in Mexico

Ctenosaura acanthura, is a species of iguanid lizard found in eastern Mexico and extreme western Guatemala. The standardized English name is the Mexican spiny-tailed iguana. Confusingly however, an earlier edition of standardized names for Mexican herpetofauna called Ctenosaura acanthura the northeastern spinytailed iguana and applied the name Mexican spinytailed iguana to Ctenosaura pectinata, which was called the western spiny-tailed iguana in the second edition. It has also been referred to as the Veracruz spiny-tailed iguana and Gulf Coast spiny-tailed iguana. It is an egg laying species that is mostly herbivorous and a moderately large lizard commonly growing over one meter in total length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Cielo Biosphere Reserve</span> Natural reserve in Mexico

The El Cielo Biosphere Reserve is located in the Sierra Madre Oriental in the southern part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas near the town of Gómez Farias. The reserve protects the northernmost extension of tropical forest and cloud forest in Mexico. It has an area of 144,530 hectares made up mostly of steep mountains rising from about 200 metres (660 ft) to a maximum altitude of more than 2,300 metres (7,500 ft).

Dibamus bogadeki, or Bogadek's burrowing lizard, is a species of legless lizard in the family Dibamidae. The species is endemic to Hong Kong.

Dibamus greeri, also known commonly as Greer's blind skink, is a species of legless lizard in the family Dibamidae. The species is endemic to Vietnam.

Smith's blind skink is a species of legless lizard in the family Dibamidae. The species is endemic to Vietnam.

<i>Scincella caudaequinae</i> Species of lizard

Scincella caudaequinae, commonly known as the Horsetail Falls ground skink is endemic to Mexico. It was named for the type locality "Horsetail Falls, 25 miles south of Monterrey, Nuevo, Leon". Scincella caudaequinae occurs in the northern Sierra Madre Oriental in Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, southeast Coahuila, and Tamaulipas. It was considered a subspecies of Scincella silvicola for many decades.

Lepidophyma gaigeae, also known commonly as Gaige's tropical night lizard and la lagartija nocturna de Gaige in Mexican Spanish, is a small species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. The species is native to eastern Mexico.

<i>Ficimia hardyi</i> Species of snake

Ficimia hardyi, also known commonly as Hardy's hooknose snake, Hardy's hook-nosed snake, the Hidalgo hook-nosed snake, and nariz de gancho de Hardy in Mexican Spanish, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Mexico.

References

  1. 1 2 Canseco-Márquez, L.; Mendoza-Quijano, F. & Ponce-Campos, P. (2007). "Anelytropsis papillosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2007: e.T64016A12735885. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64016A12735885.en .
  2. 1 2 Anelytropsis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 6 November 2017.
  3. Reeder, T. W.; Townsend, T. M.; Mulcahy, D. G.; Noonan, B. P.; Wood, P. L.; Sites, J. W.; Wiens, J. J. (2015). "Integrated analyses resolve conflicts over squamate reptile phylogeny and reveal unexpected placements for fossil taxa". PLOS ONE. 10 (3): e0118199. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1018199R. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118199 . PMC   4372529 . PMID   25803280.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Campbell, Howard W. 1974. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles: Anelytropsis, A. papillosus. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 156:1–2.
  5. Cope, E. D. 1885. A Contribution to the Herpetology of Mexico. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 22: 380-381
  6. 1 2 Valdez-Villavicencio, Jorge, Eli Garcia-Padilla, and Vicente Mata-Silva. 2016. Anelytropsis papillosus Cope, 1885 (Squamata: Dibamidae), an overlooked species in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mesoamerican Herpetology 3(1):178-180 p.
  7. 1 2 Smith, Hobart M. 1935. Miscellaneous notes on Mexican lizards. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 22: 146.
  8. 1 2 Torres-Cervantes, Ricardo J., Xóchitl Hernándex-Ibarra, and Aurelio Ramírez-Bautista. 2004. Anelytropsis papillosus (Mexican Blind Lizard), Death Feigning and Autotomy. Herpetological Review 35(4): 384 p.
  9. Dixon, James R. and Julio A. Lemos Espinal. 2010. Amphibians and Reptiles of the State of Querétaro, Mexico. Published jointly by Texas A&M University, College Station, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and CONABIO. xiv, 428 pp. [pages 211-212] ISBN   978-607-7607-22-9
  10. Farr, William L., Pablo A. Lavin-Murcio, and David Lazcano. 2007. New distributional records for amphibian and reptiles from the state of Tamaulipas, México. Herpetological Review 38(2): 230.
  11. Garcia-Padilla, Elí, and William L. Farr. 2010. Anelytropsis papillosus (Mexican Blind Lizard) México: Tamaulipas. Herpetological Review 41(4); 511
  12. Axtell, Ralph W. 1958. A northward range extension for the lizard Anelytropsis papillosis, with some notes on the distribution and habits of several other Mexican lizards. Herpetologica 14(4): 189–191.
  13. Mendoza-Quijano, Fernando, Efrín Hernández Garcia, and Walter Schmidt Ballardo. 1993. Anelytropsis papillosus (Mexican Blind Lizard) México: Hidalgo. Herpetological Review 24(2): 66 p.
  14. SEMARNAT (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales). 2019. Norma Official Mexicana, NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2019, protección ambiental-especies nativas de México de flora y fauna silvestre-categorías de riesgo y especificaciones para su inclusión, exclusión o cambio-lista de especies en riesgo. Diario Oficial de la Federación. México, D.F., Mexico.
  15. Wilson, Larry D., Vicente Mata-Silva, and Jerry D. Johnson. 2013. A conservation reassessment of the reptiles of Mexico based on the EVS measure. Special Mexico Issue. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 7(1): 1–47.