Monopeltis zambezensis GANS & BROADLEY, 1974

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Higher Taxa	Amphisbaenidae, Amphisbaenia, Lacertoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies
Common Names	E: Zambezi wedge-snouted amphisbaenian
Synonym	Monopeltis zambezensis, GANS & BROADLEY 1974 Monopeltis zambezensis — BROADLEY 1997: 10 Monopeltis zambezensis — GANS 2005: 38 Monopeltis zambezensis — PIETERSEN et al. 2021
Distribution	Zimbabwe (Zambezi River valley around Kariba Dam), Zambia, and presumably western Mozambique Type locality: Mana Pools National Park, Urungwe District, Zimbabwe.
Reproduction
Types	Holotype: NMZB, previously UM 5557. Paratypes: CG 2720, UM 5558 (Mana Pools); UM 50412–50414 (Bumi Confluence, Kariba Lake).
Diagnosis	Diagnosis. A derived slender species of the M. capensis complex, distinguished from all other species by having 216-263 body annuli (176-226 in other species) and less than three, or even negative numbers of supernumerary dorsal half-annuli. The low count of 226 body annuli previously recorded for the paratype NMZB-UM 5528 was too low by about 20, as there is an area of extensive damage just caudad of the pectorals. Pigmentation "consists of grey stipple on the posterior two-thirds of the dorsum, which is usually concentrated along the vertebral line, often appearing as a distinct stripe, tail tip usually solidly pigmented above and below. The dorsal head shield usually shows short blind lateral sutures, especially in eastern material, and there is a slight lateral indentation for the elongate ocular, which is in contact with the second supralabial. Usually four postgenials in the first row and 5 or 6 in the second. Apparently the smallest species in the complex, the maximum recorded snout-vent length being 275 mm (other species attain 290 to 340 mm). (Broadley 1997)
Comment
Etymology	Named after the type locality.
References	Broadley, D. G. 1997. A review of the Monopeltis capensis complex in southern Africa (Reptilia: Amphisbaenidae). African Journal of Herpetology 46 (1): 1-12. - get paper here Broadley, D.G., Gans,C. & Visser, J. 1976. Studies on Amphisbaenians. (6). The Genera Monopeltis and Dalophia in Southern Africa. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 157 (5): 311-486 - get paper here Gans, C. 2005. CHECKLIST AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE AMPHISBAENIA OF THE WORLD. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 289: 1-130 - get paper here Gans, C. & Broadley, D.G. 1974. A new dwarfed species of Monopeltis from the middle Zambezi Valley (Reptilia: Amphisbaenia). Arnoldia, Rhodesia 6 (35): 1-5 Pietersen, Darren, Verburgt, Luke & Davies, John 2021. Snakes and other reptiles of Zambia and Malawi. Struik Nature / Penguin Random House South Africa, 376 pp., ISBN 9781775847373
External links	IUCN Red List Google images

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