Amphisbaena leucocephala PETERS, 1878
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Amphisbaena leucocephala
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| Higher Taxa | Amphisbaenidae, Amphisbaenia, Lacertoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Whitheaded Worm Lizard Portuguese: Cobra-de-Duas-Cabeças, Cobra-Cega |
| Synonym | Amphisbaena leucocephala PETERS 1878 Amphisbaena leucocephala — BAUER et al. 1995: 67 Amphisbaena leucocephala — GANS 2005: 16 |
| Distribution | Brazil (Bahia, Sao Paulo to Rio Grande do Sul), N Uruguay Type locality: “Bahia”. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: ZMB 1379 |
| Diagnosis | DIAGNOSIS: A large-sized species of Amphisbaena, without major fusions of head shields; with a rounded snout on a relatively blunt head that continues into the trunk without nuchal constriction or posterior widening; and with large parietals equalling the frontals in size. The form has 233 to 240 body annuli; 26 to 27 caudal annuli, the last two poorly inscribed, and the terminal ones with the segments swollen. The sixth caudal annulus narrows sharply into an autotomy constriction. A midbody annulus has 18 to 20 dorsal and 21 to 22 ventral segments. The precloacal row bears 12 small round pores. Only the lateral sulci are strongly indicated. Specimens are brown dorsally and lighter ventrally, the brown color proceeding to the end of the sixth body annulus, so that the head and neck are light colored. The ventral countershading occurs more or less gradually along the sides, close to the lateral sulcus. There is some tendency for central pigment accentuation on dorsal segments and dropping out of pigment by segments. (Gans 1965). Additional details (5745 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Regarded by Gans (1967) as a “species inquirenda”, but valid according to Vechi et al. 2016. Distribution: not listed for Argentina fide AVILA et al. 2010, Lista de las lagartijas y anfisbaenas de Argentina. |
| Etymology | Named after Greek leuco (λευκο), white + Greek kéfali (κεφάλη), head. (PETERS 1878, Esteban Lavilla, pers. comm., April 2024) |
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