Opisthopatus roseus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. As traditionally defined, this species is rose pink with 18 pairs of legs. Known as the pink velvet worm, it is found only in the Weza Forest, a Mistbelt Forest in South Africa. Specimens have been found on the forest floor amongst leaf litter, beneath, and within fallen logs.
Opisthopatus is a genus of South African velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae. The number of legs in this genus range from 16 pairs to 18 pairs. Mothers in this genus give birth to live young. In particular, this genus exhibits matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta.
Peripatopsis is a genus of South African velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. The number of legs in this genus ranges from as few as 16 pairs to as many as 25 pairs and varies within species when the number is greater than 18 pairs. Velvet worms in this genus feature a last pair of legs that is rudimentary or reduced in size, mainly in males. This genus exhibits matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta.
Peripatopsidae is one of the two living velvet worm families.
Opisthopatus cinctipes is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 16 pairs of legs, all with claws and all used for walking. The color of the dorsal surface varies from blue to olive green. Females range from 7 mm to 50 mm in length, whereas males range from 6 mm to 36 mm. Like other velvet worms in this genus, this species exhibits matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta. The type locality is in South Africa.
Opisthopatus amatolensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 16 pairs of legs. The type locality is in South Africa. The validity of this species is uncertain: Although some authorities deem O. amatolensis to be invalid even as a subspecies of O. cinctipes, a similar species also found in South Africa, other authorities recognize O. amatolensis as a separate species, citing the significant distance between the type localities of these two species.
Opisthopatus amaxhosa is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the O. cinctipes species complex. This species has 16 or 17 pairs of legs in both sexes and varies from light to dark pink on the dorsal surface and from dark to light brown on the ventral surface. Males of this species range from 12 mm to 14 mm in length. Also known as the Xhosa velvet worm, this species is found in the Eastern Cape province in South Africa.
Opisthopatus drakensbergi is a species of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the O. cinctipes species complex. This species has 16 pairs of legs. Specimens are brown and slate black with a line down the middle of the back and a brown ventral surface. The original description of this species is based on a male holotype measuring 13 mm in length. This species is found at high altitude in the forests of the Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.
Opisthopatus highveldi is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the O. cinctipes species complex. This species has 16 pairs of legs and varies in color from brown to black to indigo. The original description of this species is based on two holotypes ranging from 16 mm to 17 mm in length. Also known as the Highveld velvet worm, this species is found in indigenous forest patches along the Highveld in Mpumalanga province in South Africa.
Opisthopatus kwazululandi is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is part of the O. cinctipes species complex. This species has 16 pairs of legs. The color of its dorsal surface varies from brown to rose pink, and the ventral surface ranges from light brown to creamy white. The original description of this species is based on a male holotype measuring 16 mm in length and a female holotype measuring 22 mm in length. Also known as the coastal velvet worm, this species is found in Eastern Cape province and Kwazulu-Natal province in South Africa.
Opisthopatus laevis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 16 pairs of legs. The type locality is in South Africa. The validity of this species is uncertain: Some authorities consider O. laevis invalid even as a subspecies of O. cinctipes, a similar species also found in South Africa, but other authorities recognize O. laevis as a separate species, citing the significant distance between the type localities of these two species.
Opisthopatus natalensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 16 pairs of legs. The type locality is in South Africa. The validity of this species is uncertain: Although some authorities have deemed O. natalensis to be a subspecies of O. cinctipes, a similar species also found in South Africa, and others regard O. natalensis as invalid even as a subspecies, still other authorities recognize O. natalensis as a separate species, citing the significant distance between the type localities of these two species.
Peripatopsis balfouri is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 18 pairs of clawed legs. Also known as the blue velvet worm, this species ranges from 9 mm to 22 mm in length. The type locality is in South Africa.
Peripatopsis bolandi is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the P. balfouri species complex and ranges from 18 mm to 22 mm in length. Also known as the Boland velvet worm, this species is found in the Hottentots Holland Mountain region in South Africa.
Peripatopsis moseleyi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Males of this species have 20 to 24 pairs of legs with claws ; females have 19 to 23 pairs of legs with claws. Females range from 11 mm to 75 mm in length, whereas males range from 9 mm to 50 mm. The type locality is in South Africa.
Peripatopsis sedgwicki is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Also known as the Tsitsikamma velvet worm, this species varies from blue-tan green to bright orange and brown violet. The number of legs in this species ranges from 19 pairs to 23 pairs, with a claw present on the genital pair and the last pair reduced more in the male than in the female. Females of this species range in size from 12 mm to 68 mm in length, whereas males range from 10 mm to 46 mm in length. Like other velvet worms in this genus, this species exhibits matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta. The type locality is in South Africa. This species has a limited geographic distribution but is especially abundant in the indigenous forest of the Tsitsikamma mountains.
Peripatopsis purpureus is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is a clade in the P. balfouri species complex. Males of this species have 17 clawed legs with the last pair highly reduced, whereas females have a complete foot with claws on the reduced leg. Specimens range from 17 mm to 25 mm in length. Named for its purple-blue color, this species is found in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
Opisthopatus herbertorum is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. The type locality is in South Africa. As originally described, this species is uniformly white with 17 pairs of legs. Subsequent phylogenetic results, however, cast doubt on this species delimitation based on morphology, indicating instead that O. herbertorum is a junior synonym of O. roseus.
Opisthopatus baziya is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species has 16 or 17 pairs of legs in both sexes and ranges from rose pink to dark pink. Male specimens range from 17 mm to 31 mm in length; female specimens range from 13 mm to 26 mm in length. This species is endemic to the forests at Baziya in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Opisthopatus camdebooi is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species is light pink and has 16 pairs of legs in both sexes. Males specimens range from 15 mm to 18 mm in length; female specimens range from 12 mm to 14 mm in length. Also known as the Camdeboo velvet worm, this species is endemic to the Camdeboo Nature Reserve in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
