Afrotyphlops, Broadley & Wallach, 2009

Broadley, Donald G. & Wallach, Van, 2009, 2255, Zootaxa 2255, pp. 1-100 : 26

Afrotyphlops gen. nov.

African blind-snakes

Aspidorhynchus Fitzinger, 1843: 24 . Type species: Typhlops Eschrichtii Schlegel [= Typhlops punctatus ( Leach, 1819) ], by original designation. Preoccupied by Aspidorhynchus Agassiz, 1833 (Pisces) .

Type species. — Acontias punctatus Leach, 1819 , in Bowdich, Mission Cape Coast …Ashantee: 493 .

Diagnosis. —An endemic African genus characterized by the following combination of characters: snout more or less rounded in profile, lacking a keratinized edge, T-II or T-X supralabial imbrication pattern, nasal shield incompletely divided and lacking posterior concavity, nostrils directed ventrally, inferior nasal suture contacting first supralabial or rostral, 3–7 postoculars, dorsal rostral broad (greater than 1/2 interocular head width), ventral rostral moderate to narrow (less than 1/2 internarial snout width), well-developed eye with discernible pupil, dorsum pigmented (with lineate or blotched pattern), and vestigial left lung present. Other typical characters include 24–36 midbody scale rows, robust body (length/width 20–40), and large size (maximum length 350–750 mm).

Distribution. —Endemic to subsaharan Africa.

Content. —20 species. In addition to the 16 species discussed below, the following four species are considered to be referrable to Afrotyphlops based on external morphology.

1. Typhlops angeli Guibé, 1952 , Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (2) 24(1): 79. Type locality: “ Nzo (Mt. Nimba) ,

500 m,” [= Guinea], holotype MNHN 1951.1 , collected by Lamotte , 1943.

= Afrotyphlops angeli (Guibé)

2. Typhlops (Ophthalmidion) elegans Peters, 1868 , Mber. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1868(7): 450, Pl. 2, fig.

1. Type locality: “Prinzens-insel (Ilha de Principe) an der Westküste Africa” [= Príncipe Island, São Tomé

& Príncipe , Gulf of Guinea], syntypes (3) ZMB 6066 and ZZSD (2), collected by H. Dohrn.

= Afrotyphlops elegans (Peters)

3. Onychocephalus liberiensis Hallowell, 1848 , Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 4: 59, pl. figs. 1–2. Type locality: “ Liberia, western coast of Africa ,” holotype ANSP 3243 , collected by Dr. Savage.

= Afrotyphlops liberiensis (Hallowell)

4. Typhlops manni Loveridge, 1941 , Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus., 91(3128): 118. Type locality: “Harbel, Republic of

Liberia,” holotype USNM 109634 , collected W. M. Mann, 10 March–17 July 1940 .

= Afrotyphlops manni (Loveridge)