Ramphotyphlops

Ramphotyphlops
Brahminy blindsnake, R. braminus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Typhlopidae
Genus:	Ramphotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843
Synonyms
Typhlina Wagler, 1830 Ramphotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 Pseudotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 Pilidion A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844 Typhlinalis Gray, 1845 Typhlira Jan, 1861[1]

Common names: long-tailed blindsnakes, long-tailed blind snakes, worm snakes.^[2]

Ramphotyphlops is a genus of nonvenomous blind snakes found in southern and southeast Asia and Australia, with one species inhabiting the Americas, as well as many islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. They occur in a wide variety of habitats. Currently, 49 species are recognized, making this the most second most diverse genus in the family Typhlopidae.^[2]

Description

Growing to 50–750 mm ( 2–30 in) in length, these snakes occur in a variety of colors from light beige, to red, to blackish brown. They are often difficult to identify properly without the aid of optical magnification. Their heads are conical and tapered into their bodies.

These snakes can be found in ant and termite nests, as well as under fallen leaves and in holes in logs. They are believed to feed on earthworms, as well as the larvae and eggs of ants and termites. They are thought to be oviparous, although this has only been observed in a few species.

Species

Species[2]	Taxon author[2]	Subsp.*[2]	Common name	Geographic range[1]
R. acuticaudus	(Peters, 1877)	0	Palau blind snake
R. affinis	(Boulenger, 1889)	0
R. albiceps	(Boulenger, 1898)	0
R. angusticeps	(Peters, 1877)	0
R. australis	(Gray, 1845)	0	Southern blindsnake	Southwest Australia [3]
R. batillus	(Waite, 1894)	0
R. bituberculatus	(Peters, 1863)	0
R. braminus	(Daudin, 1803)	0	Brahminy blind snake
R. broomi	(Boulenger, 1898)	0
R. centralis	Storr, 1984	0
R. chamodracaena	Ingram & Covacevich, 1993	0
R. cumingii	(Gray, 1845)	0
R. depressus	(Peters, 1880)	0
R. diversus	(Waite, 1894)	0
R. endoterus	(Waite, 1918)	0
R. erycinus	(Werner, 1901)	0
R. exocoeti	(Boulenger, 1887)	0	Christmas Island blind snake
R. flaviventer	(Peters, 1864)	0
R. grypus	(Waite, 1918)	0
R. guentheri	(Peters, 1865)	0
R. hamatus	Storr, 1981	0
R. howi	Storr, 1983	0
R. kimberleyensis	Storr, 1981	0
R. leptosomus	Robb, 1972	0
R. leucoproctus	(Boulenger, 1889)	0
R. ligatus	(Peters, 1879)	0
R. lineatus	(Schlegel, 1839)	0
R. longissimus	(Aplin, 1998)	0		Barrow Island (Western Australia)
R. lorenzi	(Werner, 1909)	0
R. margaretae	Storr, 1981	0
R. micromma	Storr, 1981	0
R. minimus	(Kinghorn, 1929)	0
R. multilineatus^T	(Schlegel, 1839)	0
R. nigrescens	(Gray, 1845)	0
R. olivaceus	(Gray, 1845)	0
R. pilbarensis	Aplin & Donnellan, 1993	0
R. pinguis	(Waite, 1897)	0	Rotund blind snake
R. polygrammicus	(Schlegel, 1839)	4
R. proximus	(Waite, 1893)	0
R. silvia	Ingram & Covacevich, 1993	0
R. similis	(Brongersma, 1934)	0
R. supranasalis	(Brongersma, 1934)	0
R. tovelli	(Loveridge, 1945)	0
R. troglodytes	Storr, 1981	0
R. unguirostris	(Peters, 1867)	0
R. waitii	(Boulenger, 1895)	0
R. wiedii	(Peters, 1867)	0
R. willeyi	(Boulenger, 1900)	0
R. yampiensis	Storr, 1981	0
R. yirrikalae	(Kinghorn, 1942)	0

*) Not including the nominate subspecies.
^T) Type species.^[1]

See also

• List of typhlopid species and subspecies.
• Typhlopidae by common name.
• Typhlopidae by taxonomic synonyms.

References

1. 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).
2. "Ramphotyphlops". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
3. Storr, G.M et al (1986) Snakes of Western Australia Western Australian Museum ISBN 0-7309-0399-0 |p.12

External links

• Ramphotyphlops at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 29 August 2007.
• Ramphotyphlops at Lamington National Park. Accessed 29 August 2007.