You are here » home › advanced search › Leptotyphlops conjunctus

Leptotyphlops conjunctus (JAN, 1861)

IUCN Red List - Leptotyphlops conjunctus - Least Concern, LC
iNaturalist logo

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Leptotyphlops conjunctus?

Add your own observation of
Leptotyphlops conjunctus »

Find more photos by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaLeptotyphlopidae, Leptotyphlopinae, Leptotyphlopini, Typhlopoidea, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Cape Thread Snake 
SynonymStenostoma conjunctum JAN 1861: 189
Stenostoma groutii COPE 1875: 128
Glauconia conjuncta — BOULENGER 1890
Glauconia conjuncta — BOULENGER 1893: 67
Glauconia lepezi BOULENGER 1901: 8
Leptotyphlops conjunctus — LOVERIDGE 1933: 224
Leptotyphlops conjuncta conjuncta — LOVERIDGE 1955: 181
Leptotyphlops conjunctus conjunctus — LAURENT 1956: 82
Leptotyphlops conjunctus lepezi — LAURENT 1956
Leptotyphlops conjunctus lepezi — LAURENT 1958: 120
Leptotyphlops conjunctus lepezi — TRAPE & ROUX-ESTÈVE 1995: 37
Leptotyphlops lepezi — BROADLEY 1998
Leptotyphlops scutifrons conjunctus — BROADLEY 1998: 26
Leptotyphlops scutifrons conjunctus — BROADLEY & BROADLEY 1999: 26
Leptotyphlops conjunctus — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 25
Leptotyphlops scutifrons conjunctus — BROADLEY & WALLACH 2007: 62
Leptotyphlops conjunctus — ADALSTEINSSON, BRANCH, TRAPE, VITT & HEDGES 2009
Leptotyphlops conjunctus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 367
Leptotyphlops scutifrons conjunctus — BATES et al. 2014: 321
Leptotyphlops lepezi — TRAPE 2023: 800
Leptotyphlops scutifrons conjunctus — STANDER 2023: 310 
DistributionRepublic of South Africa, Lesotho, W Eswatini (Swaziland)

lepezi: W Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire, fide BROADLEY 1998), Congo (Brazzaville) ?

Type locality: "Cape of Good Hope", South Africa. Restricted to Eastern Cape Province by BROADLEY & WATSON (1976:493)
 
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: SMNS 2519A, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Stuttgart.
Holotype: ZMB 22376, collected by R. Grauer, 1907–08; Boulenger, 1915a: 198 [latirostris].
Holotype: ANSP 3293; South Africa, Zulu Country, nr. Umvoti Mission [Stenostoma groutii COPE 1875] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: This subspecies differs from typical L. scutifrons in its lower middorsal counts (192-258) and narrower rostral shield. The posterior supralabial reaches the level of the eye; there are 10 scale rows on the tail, which tapers to a small terminal spine. Total length/diameter ratio 40-77; total length/tail ratio 8.3-16.3. Uniform black above and below except for some white speckling on the chin and sometimes the cloacal shield, but about 60% of specimens from southeastern Mpumalanga and Swaziland have white patches covering up to 10 distal subcaudals and the terminal spine; there are sometimes a few white ventrals anterior to the cloacal shield. (Broadley & Broadley 1999)


Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 164 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentDistribution: Not listed by BROADLEY & POYNTON 1998 for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire). However, these authors list both Leptotyphlops lepezi and Leptotyphlops latirostris which have been considered as synonyms of L. conjunctus. Not listed for Namibia by MARAIS 2004.

Synonymy: Leptotyphlops emini is said to be a synonym of L. nigricans by LANZA 1983. Glauconia lepezi is listed as synonym of Namibiana latifrons by WALLACH et al. 2014.

Subspecies: BROADLEY & WALLACH 2007 list conjunctus as a subspecies of L. scutifrons. Leptotyphlops conjunctus incognitus BROADLEY & WATSON 1976 and L. c. latirostris have been elevated to full species status. 
EtymologyNamed after Latin for "connected" or "joined," derived from coniungere, meaning "to unite." 
References
  • Adalsteinsson, S.A.; Branch, W.R.; Trapé, S.; Vitt, L.J. & Hedges, S.B. 2009. Molecular phylogeny, classification, and biogeography of snakes of the Family Leptotyphlopidae (Reptilia, Squamata). Zootaxa 2244: 1-50 - get paper here
  • Angel, Fernand 1925. Résultats Scientifiques. Vertebrata. Reptiles et Batraciens. [Mabuia (Mabuiopsis) jeanneli, Lygosoma graueri quinquedigitata, Ablepharus massaiensis]. In: Voyage de Ch. Alluaud et R. Jeannel en Afrique Orientale (1911-1912). - Paris, 2: 1-63.
  • Auerbach, R.D. 1987. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana. Mokwepa Consultants, Botswana, 295 pp.
  • Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M.; Burger, M., Marais, J.; Alexander, G.J. & de Villliers, M.S. (eds.) 2014. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 512 pp.
  • Bogert,C.M. 1940. Herpetological results of the Vernay Angola Expedition. I. Snakes, including an arrangement of the African Colubridae. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 77: 1-107 - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G. A. 1901. Materiaux pour la faune du Congo. Batraciens et reptiles nouveaux. Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Zool. (sect. C. ser. 1) 2: 7-14.
  • Boulenger, G. A. 1908. On a collection of fresh-water fishes, batrachians, and reptiles from Natal and Zululand, with description of new species. Ann Natal Gov. Mus. (Pietermaritzburg) 1(3): 219-235
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1890. Description of a new Snake of the Genus Glauconia Gray, obtained by Dr. Emin Pasha on the Victoria Nyanza. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 6: 91-93. - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. London (Taylor & Francis), 448 pp. - get paper here
  • Branch,W.R. 1988. Field Guide to the snakes and other reptiles of southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 328 pp.
  • Broadley D G. Wallach V. 1997. A review of the worm snakes of Mozambique (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae) with the description of a new species. Arnoldia Zimbabwe 10 (11): 111-119
  • Broadley, D. G. 1971. The reptiles and amphibians of Zambia. The Puku, Occas. Pap. Dept. Wild. Fish. Natl. Parks Zambia 6: 1-143
  • Broadley, D.G. 1959. The herpetology of Southern Rhodesia. Part I--the snakes. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 120 (1): 1-100 [reprint 1972] - get paper here
  • Broadley, D.G. 1998. The reptilian fauna of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa). In: Schmidt, K.P. and Noble, G.K., Contributions to the Herpetology of the Belgian Congo... [reprint of the 1919 and 1923 papers]. SSAR Facsimile reprints in Herpetology, 780 pp.
  • Broadley, D.G. & WATSON,G. 1976. A revision of the Worm Snakes of South-eastern Africa (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae). Occ. Pap. nation. Mus. Rhodesia Bulawayo, (BS) 1976: (8): 465-510
  • Broadley, D.G.; Doria, C.T. & Wigge, J. 2003. Snakes of Zambia. An Atlas and Field Guide. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt, 280 pp. [review in Sauria 26 (3): 21]
  • Broadley, Donald G. & Broadley, Sheila 1999. A review of the Arican wormsnakes from South of Latitude 12°S (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae). Syntarsus 5: 1-36
  • Broadley, Donald G. & Wallach, V. 2007. A revision of the genus Leptotyphlops in northeastern Africa and southwestern Arabia (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae). Zootaxa 1408: 1–78 - get paper here
  • Chifundera, K. 1990. Snakes of Zaire and their bites. Afr. Stud. Monogr. (Kyoto) 10(3): 137-157.
  • Chippaux, Jean-Philippe & Kate Jackson 2019. Snakes of Central and Western Africa. Johns Hopkins University Press, 448 pp. [detaileld review in HR 51 (1): 161] - get paper here
  • Cope, E.D. 1875. On the Batrachia and Reptilia of Costa Rica with notes on the herpetology and ichthyology of Nicaragua and Peru. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia N.S. (2) 8: 93-183 [sometimes said to be published 1876 but see Murphy et al. 2007 for clarification]] - get paper here
  • Fitzsimons, V. 1966. A check-list, with syntopic keys, to the snakes of southern Africa. Annals Transvaal Museum 25 (3): 35-79 - get paper here
  • Fitzsimons, Vivian Frederick Maynard 1939. An account of the reptiles and amphibians collected on an expedition to south-eastern Rhodesia during December 1937 and January 1938. Annals Transvaal Museum 20 (1): 17-46. - get paper here
  • Gough, L.H. 1908. Catalogue of the South African snakes in the ncollections of the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, the Albany Museum, Grahamstown, and the State Museum, Bloemfontein. Annals Transvaal Mus. 1: 17-45 - get paper here
  • Hahn D. E. & V. WALLACH, 1998. Comments on the systematics of Old World Leptotyphlops (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae), with description of a new species. Hamadryad 23: 50-62 - 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
  • Jacobsen, Niels H.G.; Errol W. Pietersen & Darren W. Pietersen 2010. A preliminary herpetological survey of the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula, Vilankulo, Mozambique. Herpetology Notes 3: 181-193
  • Jan, G. 1861. Iconographie générale des ophidiens. 2. Livraison. J.B. Bailière et Fils, Paris - get paper here
  • Jan, G. 1862. Note sulla famiglia dei Tiflopidi, sui loro generi e sulle specie del genere Stenostoma. Arch. Zool. Anat. Fisiol. Genova 1 [1861]: 178-199 - get paper here
  • Laurent, R.F. 1956. Contribution à l'herpetologie de la région des Grandes Lacs de l'Afrique centrale. Ann. Mus. Roy. Congo Belge (Sci. Zool.), 48: 1-390
  • Laurent, R.F. 1958. Notes herpétologiques africaines II. Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr., 58 (1–2): 115–128
  • Loveridge, A. 1955. On a second collection of reptiles and amphibians taken in Tanganyika Territory by C. J. P. lonides,. Journ. E. Africa Nat. Hist. Soc. 22: 169-198
  • Loveridge,A. 1933. Reports on the scientific Results of an Expedition to the Southwestem Highlands of Tanganyika Territory. VII. Herpetology. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 74: 197-415 - get paper here
  • Manaças, SARA 1957. Contribuiçao para o estudo dos répteis (saurios e leptotiflopideos) de Moçambique. An. Junta Invest. Ultramar 9 (Pt. 3): 1-8
  • McDiarmid, R.W.; Campbell, J.A. & Touré,T.A. 1999. Snake species of the world. Vol. 1. [type catalogue] Herpetologists’ League, 511 pp.
  • MURPHY R. W., SMITH A. and NGO A. 2007. The versions of Cope's Batrachia and Reptilia of Costa Rica. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 7 (1): - get paper here
  • Pienaar, Uys de Villiers 1978. The Reptile Fauna of the Kruger National Park. Pretoria: National Parks Board of South Africa, i-vii, 222 S.
  • Pitman,C.R.S. 1974. A guide to the snakes of Uganda. Codicote, Wheldon & Wesley, L., 290 pp.
  • Reeves, B., Brooke, C. F., Venter, J. A., & Conradie, W. 2022. The Reptiles and Amphibians of the Mpofu-Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve Complex in the Winterberg Mountains, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. African Journal of Wildlife Research, 52(1) - get paper here
  • Rupert Wilkey & Sarah Nann 2025. Field Guide to the Snakes of Eswatini. Pelagic, 208 pp., DOI: 10.53061/FWDV3720 - get paper here
  • Schlüter, A. & Hallermann, J. 1997. The Type Specimens in the Herpetological Collection of the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde in Stuttgart. Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturk. Ser. A (553): 1-15 - get paper here
  • Stander, R.I. 2023. The Reptiles of the Limpopo Province and Kruger National Park. Herp Nomad, Polokwane, South Africa, 367 pp. - get paper here
  • Sternfeld, R. 1912. IV. Zoologie II. Lfg. Reptilia. In: Schubotz., R. (ed.): Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Zentral-Afrika Expedition 1907- 1908, unter Führung A. Friedrichs, Herzogs zu Mecklenburg. Klinkhard und Biermann, Leipzig: 197-279 [published 1912, not 1913, as often cited, see Männel & Kucharzewski 2017] - get paper here
  • Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Pietersen, D.W., Weeber, J., Burger, M. & Alexander, G.J. (eds) 2023. Conservation status of the reptiles of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. Suricata 10. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria
  • Trape, J.-F. 2023. Guide des serpents d’Afrique occidentale, centrale et d’Afrique du Nord. IRD Éditions, Marseille, 896 pp.
  • Trape, J.F. & R. ROUX-ESTÈVE 1995. Les serpents du Congo: liste commentée et clé de détermination. Journal of African Zoology 109 (1): 31-50
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:


Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator