Leptotyphlops merkeri (WERNER, 1909)
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Leptotyphlops merkeri
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| Higher Taxa | Leptotyphlopidae, Leptotyphlopinae, Leptotyphlopini, Typhlopoidea, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Merker’s Thread Snake |
| Synonym | Glauconia merkeri WERNER 1909: 61 Glauconia conjuncta — BOULENGER 1893: 67 (part.) Stenostoma conjuncta — TORNIER 1896: 67 Glauconia scutifrons — LÖNNBERG 1907: 14 Glauconia signata — STERNFELD 1908: 243 Glauconia merkeri — BOULENGER 1915: 617 Glauconia signata — WERNER 1917: 203 (part.) Glauconia merkeri — LOVERIDGE 1923: 874 Glauconia distanti — LOVERIDGE 1929: 18 Glauconia emini — LOVERIDGE 1916: 82 (part.) Leptotyphlops distanti — BARBOUR & LOVERIDGE 1928: 109 Leptotyphlops conjuncta — LOVERIDGE 1933: 224 (part) Leptotyphlops conjuncta — LOVERIDGE 1936: 232 Leptotyphlops conjuncta conjuncta — BARBOUR & LOVERIDGE 1946: 116 (part.) Leptotyphlops scutifrons merkeri — BROADLEY & WATSON 1976: 484 Leptotyphlops conjunctus conjunctus — SPAWLS 1978: 2 (part). Leptotyphlops emini emini — SPAWLS 1978: 3 (part.) Leptotyphlops conjuncta conjuncta — HALLERMANN & RÖDEL 1995: 7 Leptotyphlops signatus — HAHN 1980: 26 (part.) Leptotyphlops scutifrons merkeri — BROADLEY & HOWELL 1991: 22 Leptotyphlops scutifrons — MCDIARMID et al., 1999: 41 (part) Leptotyphlops scutifrons — SPAWLS et al. 2002: 299 (part.) Leptotyphlops scutifrons merkeri — BROADLEY & WALLACH 2007: 43 Leptotyphlops merkeri — ADALSTEINSSON et al. 2009 Leptotyphlops scutifrons merkeri — MALONZA et al. 2011 Leptotyphlops merkeri — SPAWLS et al. 2018: 369 |
| Distribution | SC-Kenya, E Tanzania. Type locality: Moschi [= Moshi], base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (03°12’S, 37°22’E, 810 m). Elevation: 0-1500 m. |
| Reproduction | oviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Lectotype: SMNS 4170, collected by H. Merker, 1904–1905. Paralectotypes: SMNS 2517.a-c |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (merkeri): A subspecies of Leptotyphlops scutifrons, distinguished from the typical form by having 12 scale rows on the tail and a narrower wedge-shaped rostral (unguiform in the typical form), it is also smaller in average size. (Broadley & Wallach 2007) Description. Body cylindrical, with head and neck broadened and flattened, the short tail tapers abruptly to a small terminal spine. Snout rounded, frontal fused with rostral, rostral broad (0.49–0.64 head width, mean = 0.54), wedge-shaped, broader than a nasal anteriorly and extending beyond the level of the eyes, a distinct preoral groove present ventrally. Behind rostral, upper lip bordered by infranasal (nostril nearer to rostral than supralabial along nasal suture), a small anterior supralabial with width along lip 1.0–1.5 times that of infranasal, large ocular with the small eye at the upper anterior edge, and tall posterior supralabial. Supraoculars pentagonal, anteriorly wedged between upper nasal and ocular, posteriorly wedged between rostral and hexagonal post- frontal, which is smaller than a supraocular and the hexagonal interparietal and interoccipital. Parietals oblique, slightly larger than the fused occipitals, in contact with the posterior supralabials. Temporal single. No mental, four infralabials. Body covered with 14 rows of smooth, imbricate, subequal scales. Reduction to 12 scale rows on the tail takes place just posterior to the subtriangular cloacal shield. Middorsals 201–304; subcaudals 18–30. Total length/diameter ratio 40–86; total length/tail ratio 7.9–21.0. Uniform dark brown to black dorsum and venter, often with some irregular white patches on lower lip, chin and (rarely) throat. (Broadley & Wallach 2007) Size: Largest specimen (NMK/O. 2854 — Naivasha, Kenya) 220 + 11 = 231 mm. (Broadley & Wallach 2007) |
| Comment | Synonymy: Listed as synonym of Leptotyphlops scutifrons by WALLACH et al. 2014: 377. Phylogenetics: Leptotyphlops merkeri was not closely related to L. scutifrons in the phylogenetic analysis of Adalsetinsson et al. 2009. |
| Etymology | named after the collector of the type, H. Merker. |
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