Anilios Gray, 1845

Vidal, Nicolas, 2017, Worms in the sand: Systematic revision of the Australian blindsnake Anilios leptosoma (Robb, 1972) species complex (Squamata: Scolecophidia: Typhlopidae) from the Geraldton Sandplain, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4323 (1), pp. 1-24 : 9

Anilios Gray, 1845

Type species. Anilios australis Gray, 1845 , by subsequent designation by Stejneger (1904) [p. 683].

Diagnosis. From Hedges et al. (2014) and Pyron and Wallach (2014): blindsnakes variable in size and body size with 16–24 scale rows (usually without reduction), 263–750 dorsal/ventral scales, variable tail length with 8– 36 subcaudals and usually a small apical tail spine. The genus Anilios is distinguished from other Typhlopidae genera by a protrusible hemipenis, retrocloacal sacs (in male specimens), absence of frontorostral scale and paired prefrontals. The function of the retrocloacal sacs remains unknown; however, Robb (1966b) suggested the organs may store sperm.

Etymology. Masculine noun formed from the Greek words an —not and helios —sun (without sun) in reference to the fossorial or below ground habits of these species ( Savage & Boundy 2012; Hedges et al. 2014).

Remarks. Shea (2015) identified significant variability and overlap in morphological diagnostic characteristics for the genera Anilios and Ramphotyphlops presented by Hedges et al. (2014) and Pyron and Wallach (2014) making the diagnoses for the two genera of little value, and assignment of many typhlopid taxa in Australia to a particular genus impossible without genetic evidence. In addition, the diagnostic ‘small apical tail spine’ used by Hedges et al. (2014) and Pyron and Wallach (2014) is also not considered to be a suitable diagnostic for the genus Anilios alone as this character is known to be absent in two species, A. aspina (Couper, Covacevich & Wilson, 1998) and Anilios zonula Ellis, 2016 .

The genus Anilios is a monophyletic genus only known from Australia and New Guinea, and as such all Australian taxa have been included in the genus by Hedges et al. (2014) and Pyron and Wallach (2014). With the exception of the introduced Indotyphlops braminus ( Daudin, 1803) , Anilios is the only typhlopid genera present in Australia based on molecular genetic data and as such species placement within the genus is largely based on molecuar data or by geographic inferance. Shea (2015) tentatively placed A. fossor into Anilios based on the geographic distributions of the genus within Australia; however, the accuracy of the placement of A. fossor and many other species within Anilios is unconfirmed due to the lack of genetic samples from some species, particularly species known from single or few individuals lacking genetic material. Placement of A. leptosoma and two new taxa within the genus Anilios is supported by results of molecular sequencing by Marin et al. (2013a).