Madatyphlops microcephalus (WERNER, 1909)
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Madatyphlops microcephalus
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| Higher Taxa | Typhlopidae (Madatyphlopinae), Typhlopoidea, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Typhlops microcephalus WERNER 1909: 61 Typhlops microcephalus — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 349 Typhlops microcephalus — D’CRUZE et al. 2008 Madatyphlops microcephalus — HEDGES et al. 2014 Lemuriatyphlops microcephalus — PYRON & WALLACH 2014 Madatyphlops microcephalus — NAGY et al. 2015 Typhlops microcephalus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 766 |
| Distribution | Madagascar (Montagne d'Ambre) Type locality: Madagascar |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: SMNS 6720 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Lemuriatyphlops can be distinguished from all other typhlopoids by lack of scale row reduction, and by the combination of the following characters: small-to moderate-sized (total length 77–276 mm), stout- to slender-bodied (length/width ratio 34–94) snakes with 20–22 scale rows (without reduction), 252–520 total middorsals, short to moderate tail (1.6–4.0% total length) with 6–16 subcaudals (length/width ratio 0.9–2.2), and apical spine small or nubbin. Dorsal and lateral head profiles rounded, narrow to moderate rostral (0.26–0.61 head width), inferior nasal suture in contact with second supralabial, preocular in contact with second and third supralabials, eye small with distinct pupil or eyespot, T-III or T-V SIP, and postoculars 1–3. Lateral tongue papillae present; left lung absent; tracheal lung multicameral (with 11–32 chambers), cardiac lung multicameral (with 2–4 chambers) or unicameral, and right lung multicameral (with 2–4 chambers); testes unsegmented; hemipenis eversible, lacking retrocloacal sacs; and rectal caecum small (0.8–2.5% SVL). Coloration light brown to black, venter lighter; and ventral snout, chin, cloacal region, and subcaudals yellow or white. |
| Comment | Habitat: rainforest areas of low and mid-altitude Has been considered as a synonym of Ramphotyphlops braminus (Hahn, 1980; Welch, 1982; Brygoo, 1983, 1987; McDiarmid et al., 1999, Loveridge 1957). Characters that distinguish it from R. braminus include “absence of a superior nasal suture (vs. completely divided suture) and an inferior nasal suture contacting the second supralabial (rather than the preocular). Additionally, the nostrils were reported to be inferior, the eye invisible, the coloration black, and a yellow midventral band was present that increased in size caudally. Although many scolecophidians exhibit a pale (yellow or white) chin, anal region and/or subcaudals, the extensive midventral pale coloration of T. microcephalus is unique among Malagasy Typhlopidae and we thus recognize it as a valid species.” (WALLACH & GLAW 2009). Type species: Typhlops microcephalus WERNER 1909 is the type species of the genus Lemuriatyphlops PYRON & WALLCH 2014: 55. |
| Etymology | Named after “microcephalus” meaning small head (from Greek kephale = head). The genus name is a masculine noun, and refers to the mythical lost continent of Lemuria, which connected Madagascar to India and Oceania. |
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