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Trogonophis wiegmanni KAUP, 1830

IUCN Red List - Trogonophis wiegmanni - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaTrogonophidae, Amphisbaenia, Lacertoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
SubspeciesTrogonophis wiegmanni wiegmanni KAUP 1830
Trogonophis wiegmanni elegans (GERVAIS 1835) 
Common NamesE: Checkerboard Worm Lizard
G: Schachbrett-Doppelschleiche 
SynonymTrogonophis wiegmanni KAUP 1830
Trogonophis Wiegmanni — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 469
Trogonophis wiegmanni — GRAY 1865: 368
Trogonophis weigmanni [sic] — BELLAIRS & SHUTE 1954
Trogonophis wiegmanni — SCHLEICH, KÄSTLE & KABISCH 1996: 464
Trogonophis wiegmanni — GANS 2005: 43

Trogonophis wiegmanni elegans (GERVAIS 1835)
Amphisbaena elegans GERVAIS 1835: 113
Trogonophis wiegmanni maroccana WERNER 1931: 280
Trogonophis wiegmanni elegans — GANS & PASTEUR 1962
Trogonophis elegans — GANS 2005: 43
Trogonophis wiegmanni elegans — SINDACO & JEREMČENKO 2008
Trogonophis wiegmanni elegans — SALVI et al. 2017 
DistributionMorocco, N Algeria, WC Tunisia

elegans: Morocco; Type locality: ‘‘Alger et à Tanger’’; restricted to Tangier (Gans and Pasteur, 1962: 10).

Type locality: Unknown; restricted to ‘‘Algérie’’ (Pasteur and Bons, 1960: 79).  
Reproductionovovivparous 
TypesSyntypes: lost, originally ‘‘Zool. Inst. Giessen’’ (Kaup, 1831); destroyed (W.J. Schmidt, cited in GANS 2005).
Lectotype: MNHN-RA 3083, fide GUIBÉ 1954, Gans & Pasteur 1962 [elegans]
Holotype: MCZ 29968 [maroccana] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus): Easy to distinguish from the related genus Blanus: Trogonophis does not have preanal pores (Blanus has preanal pores). In Trogonophis the nostril is situated within a separate nasal; in Blanus the nostrils are situated in a supralabial. In Trogonophis the tail is short and conical while in Blanus it is relatively long, tapering only at the end (see Schleich et al. 1996: 464).


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CommentSynonymy: after Gans 2005: 43. Loveridge (1941:363) considered maroccana Werner, 1931, a junior synonym of elegans, but without sufficient argument.

Type Species: Trogonophis wiegmanni is the type species of the genus Trogonophis Kaup, 1830.

Diversity: Salvi et al. 2017 found 3 cryptic species within T. wiegmanni, although they did not describe them as new (yet).

Note that the family Trogonophidae is sometimes spelled as “Trogonophiidae”. We follow Gans 2005 by spelling it Trogonophidae although in previous versions of this database it was spelled Trogonophiidae.

Distribution: see Salvi et al. 2017 (Figs. 1, 2) for maps of the various clades. Note that the Islas Chafarinas off the coast of Morocco politically belong to Spain, hence reports from Spain may refer to these (or other) islands.

Karyotype: Nisi Cerioni et al. 2024. 
EtymologyNamed after A. Fr. August Wiegmann (1802-1841), zoologist in Berlin. 
References
  • Barata, Mafalda; Ana Perera, D. James Harris, Arie van der Meijden, Salvador Carranza, Francisco Ceacero, Enrique García-Muñoz, Duarte Gonçalves, Sérgio Henriques, Fátima Jorge, Jonathan C. Marshall, Luis Pedrajas and Pedro Sousa 2011. New observations of amphibians and reptiles in Morocco, with a special emphasis on the eastern region. Herpetological Bulletin (116): 4 - get paper here
  • Beddek M, Zenboudji-Beddek S, Geniez P, Fathalla R, Sourouille P, Arnal V, et al. 2018. Comparative phylogeography of amphibians and reptiles in Algeria suggests common causes for the east-west phylogeographic breaks in the Maghreb. PLoS ONE 13(8): e0201218 - get paper here
  • Bellairs, A.; Shute, C.C.D. 1954. Notes on the herpetology of an Algerian beach. Copeia 1954 (3): 224-226 - get paper here
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • Bezaz, Y. I., Hadjab, R., Khammar, H., Redjaimia, L., & Saheb, M. 2021. First data on the diversity of the herpetofauna of the Oum El Bouaghi Region (Northeast of Algeria). Ecol. Env. & Cons. 27 (3): 983-989
  • Boulenger, George A. 1891. Catalogue of the reptiles and batrachians of Barbary (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), based chiefly upon the notes and collections made in 1880-1884 by M. Fernand Lataste. Tr. Zool. Soc. 13: 93-164
  • Duméril, A. M. C. and G. Bibron. 1839. Erpétologie Générale on Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Vol. 5. Roret/Fain et Thunot, Paris, 871 pp. - get paper here
  • Elbahi A, Lawton C, Oubrou W, El Bekkay M, Hermas J, Dugon M 2022. Reptile biodiversity in Souss-Massa National Park: an internationally important hotspot in the Mediterranean region. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e79088 - 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., G.C. Huang & H.F. Clark 1967. The Diphyletism of the Amphisbaenia (Reptilia): A Re-Evaluation Based upon Chromosome Counts Copeia 1967 (2): 485-487. - get paper here
  • Gans, Carl; Pasteur, Georges 1962. Notes on amphisbaenids (Amphibaenia; Reptilia) 4. The type locality of Amphisbaena elegans Gervais. Herpetologica 18 (1): 9-11 - get paper here
  • Gervais, M. P. 1837. Amphisbène. Amphisboena. Lin. Notice sur deux espèces africaines de ce genre. Magasin Zool. Vol. 7 Classe III Pl. 10 et 11, pp. 1-6 - get paper here
  • Gervais, PAUL 1835. Les principaux résultats de l'étude . . . de reptiles envoyés de Barbarie. Bull. Soc. Sci. Nat. France (dernier trimestre), Séance de 23 Dec. 1835, Vol. 1: 112-114.
  • GOETZ, M. 2005. Zur Haltung und Nachzucht der Schachbrett-Doppelschleiche Trogonophis wiegmanni KAUP, 1830 (Squamata: Amphisbaenia: Trogonophidae). Sauria 27 (2): 23-27 - get paper here
  • Gray,J.E. 1865. A revision of the genera and species of amphisbaenians with the descriptions of some new species now in the collection of the British Museum. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) 16: 365-377 - get paper here
  • Hediger, H. 1935. Herpetologische Beobachtungen in Marokko. Verhandlungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Basel 46: 1-49
  • Kaup, JOHANN J. 1830. Trogonophis. Eine neue Amphibiengattung, den Amphisbaenen zunächst verwandt. Isis von Oken 23: 880-881 - get paper here
  • LANGNER, CHRISTIAN & MATTHIAS GOETZ 2019. "Die Nordafrikanische Schachbrettwühle, Trogonophis wiegmanni - Erkenntnisse zur Lebensweise in der Natur, zur Haltung und Nachzucht im Terrarium sowie Neuigkeiten Elaphe 2019 (6): 32-37
  • Laurent, P. 1935. Contribution à la connalssance de la faune des Vertebres du Maroc (Batraciens, Reptiles, Mammiferes). Bull. Soc. d’Hist. nat. de l’Afrique du Nord 26: 344-359
  • López, Pilar; Jesús Ortega, and José Martín 2014. Chemosensory Prey Detection by the Amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni. Journal of Herpetology 48 (4): 514-517. - get paper here
  • Martín J, Raya García E, Ortega J, López P 2020. How to maintain underground social relationships? Chemosensory sex, partner and self recognition in a fossorial amphisbaenian. PLoS ONE 15(8): e0237188 - get paper here
  • Martín, José; Eduardo Gutiérrez, and Luis V. García 2017. Alteration Effects of Ornamental Whitewashing of Rocks on the Soil Properties and Body Condition of Fossorial Amphisbaenians that Live Under Them. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 12 (2) - get paper here
  • Martín, José; Nuria Polo-Cavia, Adega Gonzalo, Pilar López, and Emilio Civantos 2011. Structure of a Population of the Amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni in North Africa. Herpetologica 67 (3): 250-257. - get paper here
  • Martín, José; Nuria Polo-Cavia, Adega Gonzalo, Pilar López, and Emilio Civantos 2012. Sexual Dimorphism in the North African Amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni. Journal of Herpetology 46 (3): 338-341. - get paper here
  • Martínez del Mármol, Gabriel; D. James Harris, Philippe Geniez, Philip de Pous, and Daniele Salvi 2019. Amphibians and Reptiles of Morocco. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 478 pp - get paper here
  • Mediani, Mohamed; José Carlos Brito, Soumia Fahd 2015. Atlas of the amphibians and reptiles of northern Morocco: updated distribution and patterns of habitat selection. Basic and Applied Herpetology 29: - get paper here
  • Mellado,J. & Mateo,J.A. 1992. New records of Moroccan Herpetofauna. The Herpetological Journal 2: 58-61 - get paper here
  • Nisi Cerioni, P., Giovannotti, M., Slimani, T., S'khifa, A., Splendiani, A., Fioravanti, T., ... & Olmo, E. 2024. Satellite DNA supports the monophyly of Lacertibaenia (Amphisbaenia and Lacertidae) in squamate phylogeny. The European Zoological Journal, 91(2), 804-816 - get paper here
  • Pasteur,G. & BONS,J. 1960. Catalogue des reptiles actuels du Maroc. Revisions des formes d’Afrique, d’Europe et d’Asie. Trav. Inst. sci. chérif., Rabat, (Zool.) 21: 1-134
  • Recio, Pablo; Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz, Jesús Ortega, José Martín 2019. PIT-Tags as a technique for marking fossorial reptiles: insights from a long-term field study of the amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni. Acta Herpetologica 14 (2): 101-107 - get paper here
  • Rouag R, Ziane N, De Sousa M 2024. A tentative list of reptilian fauna of Algeria and their conservation status. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e120471 - get paper here
  • Salvi, D., Perera, A., Sampaio, F. L., Carranza, S., & Harris, D. J. 2017. Underground cryptic speciation within the Maghreb: multilocus phylogeography sheds light on the diversification of the checkerboard worm lizard Trogonophis wiegmanni. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution - get paper here
  • Schleich, H.H., Kästle,W., Kabisch, K. 1996. Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa. Koeltz, Koenigstein, 627 pp.
  • SEUFER, H. 2017. Eine schier unglaubliche Geschichte oder Anmerkungen zum Lebensalter von Doppelschleichen (Amphisbaenia). Sauria 39 (1): 17-20 - get paper here
  • Sindaco, R. & Jeremcenko, V.K. 2008. The reptiles of the Western Palearctic. Edizioni Belvedere, Latina (Italy), 579 pp. - get paper here
  • Stemmler, Othmar 1970. Beobachtungen an marokkanischen Schachbrettschleichen Trogonophis wiegmanni Kaup 1830 (Amphisbaenia, Trogonophidae). Aquarien und Terrarien 10: 343-347
  • Werner,F. 1931. Ergebnisse einer zoologischen Forschungsreise nach Marokko. III. Unternommen 1930 mit Unterstützung der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien von Franz Werner und Richard Ebner. III. Amphibien und Reptilien. Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien Mathem.-Naturw., Sect. 1, 140: 272-318 - get paper here
  • Westphal, N., Mahlow, K., Head, J. J., & Müller, J. 2019. Pectoral myology of limb-reduced worm lizards (Squamata, Amphisbaenia) suggests decoupling of the musculoskeletal system during the evolution of body elongation. BMC Evolutionary Biology 19(1): 16 - get paper here
  • Wilms, T. 2009. Marokko - Schatzkammer in Nordwesten Afrikas. Reptilia (Münster) 14 (75): 16-23 - get paper here
  • Zulueta, A. de 1909. Nota sobre reptiles de Melilla (Marruecos). Bol. Real Sociedad Esp. Hist. Nat. 9: 351-354
 
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