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Anilios unguirostris (PETERS, 1867)

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Higher TaxaTyphlopidae (Asiatyphlopinae), Typhlopoidea, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Claw-snouted Blind Snake 
SynonymTyphlops (Onychocephalus) unguirostris PETERS 1867
Typhlops curvirostris PETERS 1879: 776
Typhlops unguirostris — BOULENGER 1893: 49
Typhlops curvirostris — BOULENGER 1893: 48
Typhlops unguirostris — WAITE 1918: 15
Ramphotyphlops unguirostris — ROBB 1966: 676
Typhlina unguirostris — COGGER 1975
Ramphotyphlops unguirostris — STORR 1981: 264
Ramphotyphlops unguirostris — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 74
Ramphotyphlops unguirostris — COGGER 2000: 598
Austrotyphlops unguirostris — WALLACH 2006
Ramphotyphlops unguirostris — WILSON & SWAN 2010: 422
Ramphotyphlops unguirostris — MARIN et al. 2013
Anilios unguirostris — HEDGES et al. 2014
Ramphotyphlops unguirostris — COGGER 2014: 812
Anilios unguirostris — WALLACH et al. 2014: 41
Anilios unguirostris — TIATRAGUL et la. 2023 
DistributionAustralia (Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia)

Type locality: “Rockhampton in Nordaustralien” [Queensland]  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesLectotype: ZMB 5884 (larger of 2 specimens); designated by McDowell 1974
Paralectotype: ZMB 5884 (smaller specimen); the paralectotype is referable to Ramphotyphlops affinis (BOULENGER 1889) fide McDowell 1974. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A moderately slender blind-snake with 24 midbody scale rows, nasal cleft proceeding from first labial, and snout tipped with cutting edge. Further distinguishable from R. ligatus by much wider rostral.


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CommentType species: Typhlops unguirostris Peters 1867 is the type species of the subgenus Robinwitttyphlops Hoser 2013: 43 (subgenus of Libertadictus Wells & Wellington 1984).

Distribution: not in NSW (fide Swan et al. 2017, Field Guide NSW). 
EtymologyPresumably named after the Latin unguis (fingernail) plus rostrum (snout), in reference to the snout shape. (G. Shea, pers. comm., 9 Feb 2024) 
References
  • Aplin, K. P. 1998. Three new blindsnakes (Squamata: Typhlopidae) from northwestern Australia. Rec. West. Austr. Mus. 19 (1): 1-12 - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. London (Taylor & Francis), 448 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H. G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th ed. CSIRO Publishing, xxx + 1033 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
  • Hedges, S.B., Marion, A.B., Lipp, K.M., Marin, J. & Vidal, N. 2014. A taxonomic framework for typhlopid snakes from the Caribbean and other regions (Reptilia, Squamata). Caribbean Herpetology 49: 1–61 - get paper here
  • Marin, J., Donnellan, S.C., Hedges, S.B., Puillandre, N., Aplin, K., Doughty, P., Hutchinson, M.N., Couloux, A. & Vidal, N. 2013. Hidden species diversity of Australian burrowing snakes (Ramphotyphlops). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, doi: 10.1111/bij.12132 - get paper here
  • McDiarmid, R.W.; Campbell, J.A. & Touré,T.A. 1999. Snake species of the world. Vol. 1. [type catalogue] Herpetologists’ League, 511 pp.
  • Peters, Wilhem Carl Hartwig 1867. Über Flederthiere (Pteropus gouldii, Rhinolophus deckenii, Vespertilio lobipes, Vesperugo temminckii) und Amphibien (Hypsilurus godeffroyi, Lygosoma scutatum, Stenostoma narirostre, Onychocephalus unguirostris, Ahaetulla poylepis, Pseudechis scutella Monatsber. königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin. 1867 (November): 703-712 - get paper here
  • Peters, Wilhem Carl Hartwig 1879. Über neue Amphibien des Kgl. Zoologischen Museums (Euprepes, Acontias, Typhlops, Zamenis, Spilotes, Oedipus). Monatsber. königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin. 1879(August): 773-779 [1880] - get paper here
  • Robb,J. 1966. The generic status of Australasian typhlopids (Reptilia: Squamata). Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (13) 9: 675-679 - get paper here
  • Shea, G M 1998. New data on typhlopid type specimens from Queensland in the collection of the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 42 (2): 532 - get paper here
  • Shea, G.M. 1999. Waite’s blind snakes (Squamata: Scolecophidia: Typhlopidae): identification of sources and correction of errors. Rec. Austral. Mus. 51 (1): 447-450 - get paper here
  • Somaweera, R. 2009. Snakes of Darwin. Poster, University of Sydney
  • Storr G M 1981. The genus Ramphotyphlops (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) in Western Australia. Rec. West. Austr. Mus. 9 (3): 235-271 - get paper here
  • Tiatragul, S., Skeels, A., & Keogh, J. S. 2023. Paleoenvironmental models for Australia and the impact of aridification on blindsnake diversification. Journal of Biogeography, 50, 1899–1913 - get paper here
  • Waite, E. R. 1918. Review of the Australian blind snakes. Rec. South Austral. Mus. 1: 1-34 - get paper here
  • Wallach, V. 2006. The nomenclatural status of Australian Ramphotyphlops (Serpentes: Typhlopidae). Bull. Maryland Herp. Soc. 42 (1): 8-24 - get paper here
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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