Leptotyphlops bilineatus
| Leptotyphlops bilineatus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Leptotyphlopidae |
| Genus: | Leptotyphlops |
| Species: | L. bilineatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Leptotyphlops bilineatus (Schlegel, 1839) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The Two-Lined Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops bilineatus) is a harmless blind snake species endemic to Martinique in the Lesser Antilles.
Distribution
Though previously recorded on St. Lucia and Barbados, specimens identified to those islands were described in 2008 as separate species, L. breuili and L. carlae. A specimen identified as from Guadeloupe was reported by Duméril and Bibron (1844:331), but none are known from that island. The type locality given is "Vaterland Martinique."[1]
Description
It is dark brown with two yellow stripes along its sides. It was once known as the world's smallest snake, being small enough to slither through a pencil if the lead were removed. Its typical length is 11 cm (4.5 in).[2] However, the newly described L. carlae (Hedges, 2008) is reported to be even smaller.[3]
See also
- List of leptotyphlopid species and subspecies.
- Leptotyphlopidae by common name.
- Leptotyphlopidae by taxonomic synonyms.
References
- 1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
- ↑ Reptiles: Snake at San Diego Zoo. Accessed 3 June 2008.
- ↑ Hedges, S. Blair (2008), "At the lower size limit in snakes: two new species of threadsnakes (Squamata: Leptotyphlopidae: Leptotyphlops) from the Lesser Antilles" (PDF), Zootaxa 1841: 1–30, retrieved March 5, 2010
External links
- Leptotyphlops bilineatus at the Reptile database
- Leptotyphlops bilineatus at the Encyclopedia of Life