Malayotyphlops luzonensis (TAYLOR, 1919)
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Malayotyphlops luzonensis
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| Higher Taxa | Typhlopidae (Asiatyphlopinae), Typhlopoidea, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Luzon Worm Snake |
| Synonym | Typhlops luzonensis TAYLOR 1919: 105 Typhlops luzonensis — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 109 Typhlops lozonensis [sic] — BROWN et al. 2000: 190 Typhlops luzonensis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 766 Malayotyphlops luzonensis — HEDGES et al. 2014 Malayotyphlops luzonensis — WYNN et al. 2016 |
| Distribution | Philippines (Luzon, Negros, Marinduque, Cebu). Type locality: “low on side of Mount Maquiling, Luguna, Luzon, Philippines” |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: CM. 2653. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus). Species of Malayotyphlops have (1) eye, distinct (rarely indistinct), (2) snout, rounded, (3) head scale arrangement, non-circular, (4) frontorostral, absent, (5) nasal, incompletely divided (sometimes completely divided), (6) nasal suture origin, 2nd supralabial (rarely, 1st supralabial), (7) suboculars or subpreoculars, absent (rarely present), (8) postoculars, 2–4 (average, 2.75), (9) preocular-labial contact, supralabials 2 & 3 or 3rd only (rarely 2nd only), (10) midbody scale rows, 24–30 (average, 26.8), (11) scale row reduction, present, (12) total scale rows, 300–461 (average, 367), (13) caudals, 9–14 (average, 11.9), (14) maximum total length, 122–445 (average, 256) mm, (15) total length/midbody diameter, 31–58 (average, 42.0), (16) total length/tail length, 28–71 (average, 51.8), (17) dorsal color, variable (brown, gray-brown, reddish brown, greenish-black, black), (18) ventral color, variable (cream, yellowish, red, pink, pinkish-yellow), (19) dorsum darker than venter, (20) overall, patternless or with longitudinal lines, series of spots, or collar (Tables 1–2); only one species is included in the molecular phylogeny (Fig. 1). In lacking a protrusible hemipenis and retrocloacal sacs (McDowell 1974), Malayotyphlops is separated from most other blindsnakes occurring in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Australasia, and the western Pacific: Acutotyphlops, Anilios, Cyclotyphlops, Ramphotyphlops, and Sundatyphlops. From other genera of Asiatyphlopinae, Malayotyphlops differs from Acutotyphlops in lacking a frontorostral and from Cyclotyphlops in having non-circular head scales (versus circular arrangement). It differs from Grypotyphlops in lacking subocular scales. It differs from Cyclotyphlops and Indotyphlops in having more postoculars (2.75 versus 1.0–1.03; averages). It differs from Anilios, Cyclotyphlops, Indotyphlops, Ramphotyphlops, Sundatyphlops, and Xerotyphlops in having higher average midbody scale rows (26.8 versus 19.4–23.5). It differs from Anilios, Grypotyphlops, and Sundatyphlops in having fewer total scale rows (367 versus 466–496, averages) and smaller body size (TL = 256 versus 353–630; averages). See also comments below regarding other potential diagnostic characters [HEDGES et al. 2014: 38]. For an alternative diagnosis see PYRON & WALLACH 2014: 55. |
| Comment | Has been synonymized with T. ruber by MCDOWELL (1974) Type species: Typhlops luzonensis TAYLOR 1919: 105 is the type species of the genus Malayotyphlops HEDGES et al. 2014. |
| Etymology | The generic name is a masculine compound noun formed from the adjective malayanus (a, um; i.e., ‘from the Malay Archipelago’) and the Greek noun typhlops (the blind). The species is named after the ype locality. |
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