Leptotyphlops dulcis

Leptotyphlops dulcis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Leptotyphlopidae
Genus: Leptotyphlops
Species: L. dulcis
Binomial name
Leptotyphlops dulcis
(Baird & Girard, 1853)
Synonyms
  • Rena dulcis
    Baird & Girard, 1853
  • Stenostoma dulce
    Cope, 1861
  • St[enostoma]. dulce
    Jan & Sordelli, 1861
  • Stenostoma rubellum
    Garman, 1884
  • Leptotyphlops dulcis
    Stejneger, 1891
  • Glauconia dulcis
    — Cope, 1892
  • Glauconia dulcis
    Boulenger, 1893
  • Leptotyphlops dulcis dulcis
    Klauber, 1940
  • Leptotyphlops dulcis
    — Hahn, 1980[1]
Common names: Texas blind snake, Texas slender blind snake, Texas threadsnake,[2] more.

Leptotyphlops dulcis is a blind snake species endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.[2]

Description

Texas blind snakes appear much like a shiny earthworms. They are pinkish-brown (puce) in color with a deep sheen to their scales. They appear not to be segmented. Their eyes are no more than two dark dots under the head's scales. Their mouths are small and set in an underbite.

Adults can grow to approximately 27 cm (11 in) in total length, including the tail.[3]

On the top of the head, between the ocular scales, L. dulcis has three scales (L. humilis has one scale).[3]

Behavior

Texas blind snakes spend the vast majority of their time buried in loose soil, only emerging to feed or when it rains and their habitat floods with water. Blind snakes are often found after spring rains and mistaken for earthworms. If handled they usually squirm around and try to poke the tip of their tail into the handler. This is a completely harmless maneuver and likely serves as a distractive measure. Their mouths are far too small to effectively bite a human being.

Diet

The diet of L. dulcis consists primarily of termite and ant larvae.

Common names

Common names for L. dulcis include the following: burrowing snake,[4] eastern worm snake,[4] plains blind snake, Texas blind snake, Texas Rena,[4] Texas slender blind snake, Texas threadsnake,[2] Texas worm snake,[4] worm snake.[4]

Subspecies

Subspecies[2] Authority[2] Common name Geographic range
L. d. dissectus (Cope, 1896) New Mexico blind snake
L. d. dulcis (Baird & Girard, 1853) Plains blind snake
L. d. myopicus (Garman, 1884)

Geographic range

L. dulcis is found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. In the USA it occurs in southwestern Kansas, western Oklahoma including the panhandle, central & south Texas west through southern New Mexico to southeastern Arizona. In northern Mexico it has been reported in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Querétaro, Hidalgo and Puebla. The type locality given is "Between San Pedro and Camanche Springs Tex." (Comanche Springs, Texas).[1]

Conservation

Gauging wild blind snake populations is virtually impossible due to their secretive nature. However, like many other native Texas species, L. dulcis is known to be detrimentally affected by the red imported fire ant.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 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 4 5 "Leptotyphlops dulcis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 30 August 2007.
  3. 1 2 Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr. 1982. Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3. (Leptotyphlops, pp. 136-137).
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes). (Leptotyphlops dulcis, pp. 39-44, Figure 10, Map 7).

Further reading

External links

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