Dominican blind snake

Dominican blind snake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Typhlopidae
Genus: Typhlops
Species: T. dominicanus
Stejneger, 1904
Binomial name
Typhlops dominicanus
Subspecies

(controversial; see text)
T. d. dominicanus
T. d. guadeloupensis

Synonyms

Typhlops cinereus
Typhlops dominicana

The Dominican blind snake or Dominican worm snake (Typhlops dominicanus) is a species of blind snake that is endemic to the Caribbean island-nation of Dominica, in the Lesser Antilles.

It is widespread, mainly in coastal xeric woodland and associated cultivated lands, but it is uncommonly seen because of its burrowing habits. It can reach 385 mm long. It has a small, rounded head, and colored brown all over, with a lighter ventral surface.

The Guadeloupe blind snake (T. guadeloupensis), endemic to Guadeloupe, is sometimes described as a subspecies, T. d. guadeloupensis, with the Dominican population then classified as the nominate subspecies, T. d. dominicanus.

References

  • Evans, Peter G.H.; James, Arlington (1997). Dominica, Nature Island of the Caribbean: Wildlife Checklists. Dominica Ministry of Tourism. p. 20. 
  • Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S.; Hypolite, Eric; James, Arlington (2007). "A report on the status of the herpetofauna of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies". Appl. Herpetol. 4: 177–94. doi:10.1163/157075407780681365. 
  • Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S. (1999). Reptiles & Amphibians of the Eastern Caribbean. Macmillan Education Ltd. p. 41. ISBN 0-333-69141-5. 

External links

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