Leptotyphlops is a genus of nonvenomous blind snakes, commonly known as slender blind snakes and threadsnakes,[2] in the family Leptotyphlopidae. The genus is endemic to and found throughout Africa. Eleven species have been moved to the genus Trilepida, and other species have been moved to the genera Epacrophis, Epictia, Mitophis, Myriopholis, Namibiana, Rena, Siagonodon, Tetracheilostoma, and Tricheilostoma.
Description
Most species of Leptotyphlops look much like shiny earthworms. They are generally black, grey, or blackish-brown and their scales give them a segmented appearance. Their common name comes from the fact that their eyes are greatly reduced almost to the point of uselessness, and hidden behind a protective head scale. The species which are called thread snakes are so named because of their very narrow, long bodies.
Behavior
All blind snakes including those of the genus Leptotyphlops are burrowing snakes, spending most of their time deep in loose soil, typically only emerging when it rains and they get flooded out.
Diet
The primary diet of Leptotyphlops is ant and termite larvae.
Species
Common name Scientific name
[2] Taxon author
[2] Habitat & Range Ethiopian worm snake
Leptotyphlops aethiopicus[3] Broadley &
Wallach, 2007
Habitat: Forest, grassland
Range: Ethiopia, Kenya[4]
Cape thread snake
Leptotyphlops conjunctus (
Jan, 1861)
Habitat: Grassland
Range: South Africa (Eastern Cape Province)[5]
Distant's thread snake
Leptotyphlops distanti (
Boulenger, 1892)
Habitat: Savanna, grassland
Range: Mozambique, South Africa (Limpopo Province, North-West Province, Mpumalanga, Gauteng)[6]
Emin Pasha’s worm snake
Leptotyphlops emini (Boulenger, 1890)
Habitat: Savanna, shrubland
Range: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia[7]
Howell’s worm snake
Leptotyphlops howelli [3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
Habitat: Forest, savanna
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[8]
Incognito thread snake
Leptotyphlops incognitus[3] Broadley &
Watson, 1976
Habitat: Savanna, grassland
Range: Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa (Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga), Zambia, Zimbabwe[9]
Jacobsen's thread snake
Leptotyphlops jacobseni [3] Broadley &
S. Broadley, 1999
Habitat: Grassland
Range: South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga)[10]
Shaba thread snake
Leptotyphlops kafubi [3] (Boulenger, 1919)
Habitat: Savanna, artificial / terrestrial
Range: Angola, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia[11]
Mount Kenya worm snake
Leptotyphlops keniensis[3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
Habitat: Shrubland
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[12]
Uvira worm snake
Leptotyphlops latirostris[3] (
Sternfeld, 1912)
Habitat: Savanna
Range: Burundi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, United Republic of Tanzania[13]
Goggle-eyed worm snake
Leptotyphlops macrops Broadley & Wallach, 1996
Habitat: Forest, savanna, artificial / terrestrial
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[14]
Mbanja worm snake
Leptotyphlops mbanjensis[3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
Habitat: Artificial / terrestrial
Range: United Republic of Tanzania[15]
Merker’s thread snake
Leptotyphlops merkeri [3] (
F. Werner, 1909)
Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland, artificial / terrestrial, introduced vegetation
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[16]
Black thread snake
Leptotyphlops nigricansT (
Schlegel, 1839)
Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland
Range: South Africa (Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape)[17]
Black-tip worm snake
Leptotyphlops nigroterminus[3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
Habitat: Savanna, shrubland
Range: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania[18]
Pemba worm snake
Leptotyphlops pembae[3] Loveridge, 1941
Habitat: Grassland, artificial / terrestrial
Range: Pemba Island, Tanzania[19]
Pitman’s thread snake
Leptotyphlops pitmani [3] Broadley & Wallach, 2007
Habitat: Savanna
Range: Kenya, Rwanda, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda[20]
N/A
Leptotyphlops pungwensis[3] Broadley & Wallach, 1997
Range: Mozambique
[21] Peter's thread snake
Leptotyphlops scutifrons (
W. Peters, 1854)
Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland
Range: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe[22]
Forest thread snake
Leptotyphlops sylvicolus[3] Broadley & Wallach, 1997
Habitat: Forest, grassland
Range: South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province)[23]
Tello's thread snake
Leptotyphlops telloi Broadley & Watson, 1976
Habitat: Savanna
Range: Eswatini, Mozambique[24]
T) Type species.
References
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^ McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
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^ a b c "Leptotyphlops". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
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^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Leptotyphlops" . The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
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^ Spawls, S. 2021. Leptotyphlops aethiopicus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T21584239A21584244. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T21584239A21584244.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Alexander, G.J., Tolley, K.A., Weeber, J., Conradie, W. & Pietersen, D. 2022. Leptotyphlops conjunctus (amended version of 2021 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979732A217536604. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979732A217536604.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops distanti. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979746A197419772. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979746A197419772.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Kusamba, C. 2021. Leptotyphlops emini. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T21584272A21584290. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T21584272A21584290.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Beraduccii, J., Howell, K., Msuya, C.A. & Ngalason, W. 2022. Leptotyphlops howelli (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979760A217807449. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979760A217807449.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Alexander, G.J. & Tolley, K.A. 2021. Leptotyphlops incognitus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979771A120635822. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T44979771A120635822.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops jacobseni. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T178203A197408045. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T178203A197408045.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Kusamba, C. & Zassi-Boulou, A.-G. 2021. Leptotyphlops kafubi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979786A44979794. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T44979786A44979794.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Spawls, S. & Malonza, P. 2022. Leptotyphlops keniensis (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979800A217807566. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979800A217807566.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Pietersen, D. & Verburgt, L. 2021. Leptotyphlops latirostris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T124313370A124313452. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T124313370A124313452.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Malonza, P. & Spawls, S. 2022. Leptotyphlops macrops (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979811A217807671. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979811A217807671.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Howell, K., Msuya, C.A. & Spawls, S. 2022. Leptotyphlops mbanjensis (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979823A217807781. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979823A217807781.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Branch, W.R., Wagner, P., Safari, I. & Chenga, J. 2015. Leptotyphlops merkeri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T47749549A47749558. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T47749549A47749558.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops nigricans. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979834A197419932. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979834A197419932.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Spawls, S. 2021. Leptotyphlops nigroterminus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979849A44979854. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44979849A44979854.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Spawls, S. & Malonza, P. 2022. Leptotyphlops pembae (amended version of 2014 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979860A217807882. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979860A217807882.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Wagner, P., Branch, W.R., Chenga, J. & Safari, I. 2021. Leptotyphlops pitmani. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979875A44979884. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44979875A44979884.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Farooq, H., Verburgt, L., Alexander, G.J., Raimundo, A. & Sardinha, C.I.V. 2019. Leptotyphlops pungwensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T44979890A44979892. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T44979890A44979892.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Tolley, K.A. & Alexander, G.J. 2021. Leptotyphlops scutifrons. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44979898A44979907. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T44979898A44979907.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Alexander, G.J. 2022. Leptotyphlops sylvicolus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979913A197420058. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979913A197420058.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
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^ Verburgt, L., Pietersen, D., Alexander, G.J. & Farooq, H. 2022. Leptotyphlops telloi (amended version of 2020 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T44979917A217541811. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T44979917A217541811.en. Accessed on 15 November 2022.