Leptotyphlops
Leptotyphlops distanti
Scientific classification Edit this classification
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.

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

Range: Ethiopia, Kenya[4]

Cape thread snake

Leptotyphlops conjunctus (Jan, 1861) Habitat: Grassland

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

Distant's thread snake

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, 2007 Habitat: Forest, savanna

Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[8]

Incognito thread snake

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

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

Jacobsen's thread snake

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

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

Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[14]

Mbanja worm snake Leptotyphlops mbanjensis[3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007 Habitat: 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 nigricansT (Schlegel, 1839) Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland

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

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

Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[18]

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

Range: Pemba Island, Tanzania[19]

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

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

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

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

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

Forest thread snake

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

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

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

Range: Eswatini, Mozambique[24]

T) Type species.

References

  1. ↑ McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  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" . The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  4. ↑ Spawls, S. 2021. Leptotyphlops aethiopicus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T21584239A21584244. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T21584239A21584244.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  5. ↑ Alexander, G.J., Tolley, K.A., Weeber, J., Conradie, W. & Pietersen, D. 2022. Leptotyphlops conjunctus (amended version of 2021 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979732A217536604. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979732A217536604.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  6. ↑ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops distanti. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979746A197419772. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979746A197419772.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  7. ↑ Kusamba, C. 2021. Leptotyphlops emini. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T21584272A21584290. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T21584272A21584290.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Beraduccii, J., Howell, K., Msuya, C.A. & Ngalason, W. 2022. Leptotyphlops howelli (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979760A217807449. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979760A217807449.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Alexander, G.J. & Tolley, K.A. 2021. Leptotyphlops incognitus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979771A120635822. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T44979771A120635822.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  10. ↑ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops jacobseni. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T178203A197408045. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T178203A197408045.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  11. ↑ Kusamba, C. & Zassi-Boulou, A.-G. 2021. Leptotyphlops kafubi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979786A44979794. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T44979786A44979794.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  12. ↑ Spawls, S. & Malonza, P. 2022. Leptotyphlops keniensis (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979800A217807566. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979800A217807566.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  13. ↑ Pietersen, D. & Verburgt, L. 2021. Leptotyphlops latirostris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T124313370A124313452. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T124313370A124313452.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  14. ↑ Malonza, P. & Spawls, S. 2022. Leptotyphlops macrops (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979811A217807671. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979811A217807671.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  15. ↑ Howell, K., Msuya, C.A. & Spawls, S. 2022. Leptotyphlops mbanjensis (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979823A217807781. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979823A217807781.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  16. ↑ Branch, W.R., Wagner, P., Safari, I. & Chenga, J. 2015. Leptotyphlops merkeri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T47749549A47749558. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T47749549A47749558.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  17. ↑ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops nigricans. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979834A197419932. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979834A197419932.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  18. ↑ Spawls, S. 2021. Leptotyphlops nigroterminus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979849A44979854. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44979849A44979854.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  19. ↑ Spawls, S. & Malonza, P. 2022. Leptotyphlops pembae (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979860A217807882. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979860A217807882.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  20. ↑ Wagner, P., Branch, W.R., Chenga, J. & Safari, I. 2021. Leptotyphlops pitmani. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979875A44979884. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44979875A44979884.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  21. ↑ Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Farooq, H., Verburgt, L., Alexander, G.J., Raimundo, A. & Sardinha, C.I.V. 2019. Leptotyphlops pungwensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T44979890A44979892. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T44979890A44979892.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  22. ↑ Tolley, K.A. & Alexander, G.J. 2021. Leptotyphlops scutifrons. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979898A44979907. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T44979898A44979907.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  23. ↑ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops sylvicolus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979913A197420058. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979913A197420058.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
  24. ↑ Verburgt, L., Pietersen, D., Alexander, G.J. & Farooq, H. 2022. Leptotyphlops telloi (amended version of 2020 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979917A217541811. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979917A217541811.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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