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Anilios grypus (WAITE, 1918)

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Higher TaxaTyphlopidae (Asiatyphlopinae), Typhlopoidea, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: long-beaked Blind Snake 
SynonymTyphlops grypus WAITE 1918: 11, 17
Typhlops kenti WAITE 1918 (preoccupied)
Typhlops nigroterminatus PARKER 1931: 604 (nom. nov. pro T. kenti)
Ramphotyphlops nigroterminatus — ROBB 1966: 676
Ramphotyphlops gryphus ROBB 1966: 676
Typhlina grypha MCDOWELL 1974: 45 (misspelling)
Typhlina nigroterminata — MCDOWELL 1974: 31
Ramphotyphlops grypus — STORR 1981: 248
Ramphotyphlops grypus — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 65
Ramphotyphlops grypus — COGGER 2000: 592
Austrotyphlops grypus — WALLACH 2006
Austrotyphlops nigroterminatus — WALLACH 2006
Ramphotyphlops grypus — WILSON & SWAN 2010: 412
Ramphotyphlops grypus — MARIN et al. 2013
Anilios grypus — HEDGES et al. 2014
Anilios nigroterminatus — HEDGES et al. 2014
Ramphotyphlops grypus — COGGER 2014: 802
Anilios grypus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 38
Ramphotyphlops grypus — DITTMER et al. 2020
Anilios grypus — TIATRAGUL et la. 2023 
DistributionN Australia (N Western Australia, WC/C/EC Northern Territory, NW Queensland)

Type locality: unknown (fide COGGER 1983)

nigroterminatus: NW Australia; Type locality: Roebuck Bay, N Western Australia  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: NMV D12351 (formerly R7102), no locality or collector.
Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.11.58 [nigroterminatus] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A moderately large, very slender, black-tailed blind-snake with snout
beaked in profile, 18 midbody scale rows and nasal cleft usually proceeding from second labial (from Storr 1981).


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CommentSynonymy: Cogger (1983) listed Ramphotyphlops nigroterminatus as a synonym of Ramphotyphlops grypus. Not listed by COGGER 2000, COGGER 2014. Ellis 2016 re-evaluated the status of nigroterminatus and concluded that no data has been put forward to justify the validity of this species despite (unsupported) claims by Pyron and Wallach (2014) and others and thus recommended to keep it as synonym of A. grypus. 
EtymologyPresumably named after the Greek grypos (hook-nosed) in allusion to the snout shape in this species. (G. Shea, pers. comm., 9 Feb 2024) 
References
  • Cogger, H. G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th ed. CSIRO Publishing, xxx + 1033 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
  • Dittmer, D. E., Chapman, T. L. & Bidwell, J. R. 2020. In the shadow of an iconic inselberg: Uluru’s shadow influences climates and reptile assemblage structure at its base. J. Arid Environ. 181, 104179 (2020) - get paper here
  • Ellis, Ryan J. 2016. A New Species of Blindsnake (Scolecophidia: Typhlopidae: Anilios) from the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Herpetologica 72 (3): 271-278. - get paper here
  • Hedges, S.B., Marion, A.B., Lipp, K.M., Marin, J. & Vidal, N. 2014. A taxonomic framework for typhlopid snakes from the Caribbean and other regions (Reptilia, Squamata). Caribbean Herpetology 49: 1–61 - get paper here
  • Marin, J., Donnellan, S.C., Hedges, S.B., Puillandre, N., Aplin, K., Doughty, P., Hutchinson, M.N., Couloux, A. & Vidal, N. 2013. Hidden species diversity of Australian burrowing snakes (Ramphotyphlops). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, doi: 10.1111/bij.12132 - get paper here
  • Maryan, B., Gaikhorst, G., & Parkhurst, B. 2024. The terrestrial herpetofauna of the Zuytdorp coast and hinterland of Western Australia: Exceptional richness in a global biodiversity hotspot. Western Australian Naturalist, 33, 3
  • McDiarmid, R.W.; Campbell, J.A. & Touré,T.A. 1999. Snake species of the world. Vol. 1. [type catalogue] Herpetologists’ League, 511 pp.
  • McDowell, S. B. 1974. A catalogue of the snakes of New Guinea and the Solomons, with special reference to those in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Part l. Scolecophidia. Journal of Herpetology 8 (1): 1-57 - get paper here
  • Parker, H. W. 1931. A new species of blind snake from N. W. Australia. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (10) 8: 604-605 - get paper here
  • Robb,J. 1966. The generic status of Australasian typhlopids (Reptilia: Squamata). Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (13) 9: 675-679 - get paper here
  • Shea, G.M. 1999. Waite’s blind snakes (Squamata: Scolecophidia: Typhlopidae): identification of sources and correction of errors. Rec. Austral. Mus. 51 (1): 447-450 - get paper here
  • Storr G M 1981. The genus Ramphotyphlops (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) in Western Australia. Rec. West. Austr. Mus. 9 (3): 235-271 - get paper here
  • Tiatragul, S., Skeels, A., & Keogh, J. S. 2023. Paleoenvironmental models for Australia and the impact of aridification on blindsnake diversification. Journal of Biogeography, 50, 1899–1913 - get paper here
  • Waite, E. R. 1918. Review of the Australian blind snakes. Rec. South Austral. Mus. 1: 1-34 - get paper here
  • Wallach, V. 2006. The nomenclatural status of Australian Ramphotyphlops (Serpentes: Typhlopidae). Bull. Maryland Herp. Soc. 42 (1): 8-24 - get paper here
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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