Xenotyphlops grandidieri (MOCQUARD, 1905)
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Xenotyphlops grandidieri
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| Higher Taxa | Xenotyphlopidae, Typhlopoidea, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Typhlops grandidieri MOCQUARD 1905: 286 Typhlops grandidieri — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 349 Xenotyphlops grandidieri — WALLACH & INEICH 1996 Xenotyphlops grandidieri — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 127 Xenotyphlops mocquardi WALLACH, MERCURIO & ANDREONE 2007 Xenotyphlops mocquardi — VIDAL et al. 2010 Xenotyphlops grandidieri — VIDAL et al. 2010 Xenotyphlops grandidieri — WALLACH et al. 2014: 804 |
| Distribution | Madagascar. Type locality: “Madagascar” mocquardi: Madagascar. Type locality: Ambodivahibe (approximately 12 km SE Antsiranana), Antsiranana Fivondronana, Antsiranana Faritany, 22°23’25”S, 49°26’20”E, elevation ca. 40 m. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: MNHN-RA 1905.0271, paralectotype: MNHN-RA 1905.0272 Holotype: MRSN R3208 (field no. FAZC 13182), an adult female collected by V. Mercurio, on 14 January 2005 [mocquardi] |
| Diagnosis | Definition of the genus: the genus Xenotyphlops is distinguishable externally from all members of the Typhlopidae by its greatly enlarged and nearly circular rostral shield that is nearly vertical in lateral aspect (giving it a ‘bulldozer” appearance) and a single enlarged anal shield. Internally Xenotyphlops is unique among typhlopids in lacking a tracheal lung and possessing an unexpanded tracheal membrane, type G tracheal foramina, and a long heart-liver gap. Other characters that are rare within the family include absence of a preocular, presence of a subocular that is larger than the ocular, absence of a visible eye, T-X supralabial imbrication pattern, elongate body of uniform diameter, absence of an apical spine, pigmentless pattern, and unipartite liver [from WALLACH et al. 2007]. See PYRON & WALLACH 2014 for an updated diagnosis of the genus. Diagnosis (mocquardi): Xenotyphlops mocquardi can be immediately diagnosed from all other Typhlopidae by its lateral snout profile (with greatly enlarged circular rostral that is nearly vertically oriented) or anal shield (which is single and broad as in many Alethinophidia). Internally it is unique among the Typhlopidae in the absence of a tracheal lung and expanded tracheal membrane, presence of type G tracheal foramina, and a long heart- liver gap. From Letheobia (=Rhinotyphlops), which contains its apparently closest relatives, X. mocquardi can be separated by a long tail (3.7% vs. < 0.7–2.2% total length with a length/width ratio of 2.7 vs. 0.7–1.7) that does not taper distally, high number of subcaudals (22 vs. 6–17), and short snout-heart interval (26.4% vs. 29.5%–40.7% SVL). Additionally, Xenotyphlops mocquardi can be distinguished from its congener X. grandidieri by midbody scale rows (22 vs. 20), posterior scale row reduction present (vs. absent), third supralabial (larger than fourth vs. fourth larger than third), orientation of anteroventral rostral point (ventrally vs. anteriorly), vestigial left lung (present vs. absent), and anterior liver extension (right lobe vs. left lobe) [from WALLACH et al. 2007]. |
| Comment | Synonymy: Xenotyphlops mocquardi was synonymized with X. grandidieri by Wegener et al. 2013. This bizarre scolecophidian has been known solely from the type specimens for more than 100 years. No precise locality is known for X. grandidieri proper. However, after the synonymization with X. mocquardi Wegener et al. 2013 described its distribution in more detail. Type species: Typhlops grandidieri MOCQUARD 1905 is the type species of the genus Xenotyphlops WALLACH & INEICH 1996. The genus is also the type genus of the family Xenotyphlopidae VIDAL et al. 2010. |
| Etymology | Named after Alfred Grandidier (1836-1921), French explorer, geographer, and ornithologist who collected in Madagascar (1865). Xenotyphlops mocquardi was named after François Mocquard (1834–1917), the herpetologist who described Xenotyphlops grandidieri. During his life Mocquard contributed in a substantial way to the knowledge of Malagasy herpetofauna (Glaw & Vences, 1994), culminating in his grand systematic synopsis (Mocquard, 1909). |
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