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Typhlops meszoelyi, a new species of blind snake from northeastern India (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)
Abstract
I describe a new species of blind snake, Typhlops meszoelyi, from the high elevations of Darjeeling, Assam. It superficially resembles three Indian species (T. exiguus, T. loveridgei, and T. porrectus) but can be distinguished from them by a preocular larger than the ocular, a deep concavity in the posterior border of the nasal, a nostril that is visible dorsally, a fourth supralabial that is at least twice the size of the third supralabial, and a faint eyespot located beneath the ocular in both dorsal and lateral views.
... Each measurement was taken three times and the mean value was used. Shield terminology was referred to the most recent scolecophidian publication by O'Shea et al. (2023), where the first shield behind rostral is termed frontal, however this is also termed as prefrontal by others (e.g., Stoliczka 1871, Wall 1919, Taylor 1947, Khan 1999, Wallach 1999. Nomenclature of external features abbreviated in the text, and definitions of external measurements taken, are as follows: body depth (BD, maximum depth of body, measured at midbody), body width (BW, maximum width of body, across midbody), distance between eyes (IO, shortest distance between eyes), head depth (HD, maximum depth of head, at mid-eye level), Figure 1. ...
... The type specimens of the new species are deposited in the National Museum of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka (NMSL) and the National Wildlife Research and Training Center, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Giritale, Sri Lanka (DWC). Additional sources of comparative taxonomic information include Daudin (1803), Jan (1864), Peters (1864), Stoliczka (1871), Wall (1919), Constable (1949, Auffenberg (1980), Khan (1999), Wallach (1999Wallach ( , 2020, Pauwels (2004), andO'Shea et al. (2023). Other institutional catalogue number prefixes: Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA (FMNH); Natural History Museum, London, UK (NHMUK); Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France (MNHN), Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, USA (USNM); Museum acronyms are those of Sabaj (2020). ...
... In having 20 LOS, the new species differs from I. ahsanai (Khan, 1999), I. exiguus (Jan, 1864), I. filiformis (Duméril & Bibron, 1844), I. laca O'Shea, Wallach, Hsiao & Kaiser, 2023, I. lazelli (Wallach & Pauwels, 2004), I. loveridgei (Constable, 1949), I. madgemintonae (Khan, 1999), I. meszoelyi (Wallach, 1999), and I. porrectus which have 18 LOS; and from I. leucomelas, I. jerdoni (Boulenger, 1890), I. longissimus (Duméril & Bibron, 1844) and I. tenuicollis (Peters, 1864), all of which have 22 LOS. ...
Based on both morphological and genetic evidence, we describe a new species of typhlopid snake from the dry zone of Sri Lanka, the first scolecophidian snake species to be described from Sri Lanka for nearly 75 years. Being the ninth member to the genus from the island, the new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characteristics: small body (total length 94–131 mm, snout–vent length 91–128 mm, tail length 2.1–2.8 mm); 20 longitudinal body scale rows; narrow rostral, longer than wide in dorsal aspect (rostral width/rostral length 0.55–0.57), not extending to level of eye; frontal shield extending to upper level of eye; 322–352 middorsal scales (not including intercalary scales); 306–342 midventrals; divided nasal scale; first gland line across head straight, not extending to ocular level; second gland line convex, midpoint reaching midlevel of eye. We have provided molecular phylogenetic evidence to support its distinctiveness from the phenotypically similar I. braminus.
Given Singapore’s location at the confluence of important maritime trading routes, and that it was established as a British East India Company trading post in 1819, it is unsurprising that Singapore has become one of the centres of natural history collecting and research in Southeast Asia. Despite its small size, Singapore is home to a diverse herpetofauna assemblage and boasts a rich herpetological history. The first systematic studies of Singapore’s herpetofauna (within the Linnaean binomial framework) date back to Stamford Raffles and the naturalists hired by him who first came to the island in 1819. Specimens that were collected during and after this time were deposited in museums worldwide. Over time, 39 species from Singapore were described as new to science. Due to the entrepôt nature of Singapore with its associated purchasing and trading of specimens (both alive and dead), poor record-keeping, and human introductions, numerous extraneous species from outside of Singapore were reported to occur on the island. Such issues have left a complicated legacy of ambiguous records and taxonomic complications concerning the identity of Singapore’s species-rich herpetofauna, many of which were only resolved in the past 30–40 years. By compiling a comprehensive collection of records and publications relating to the herpetofauna of Singapore, we construct an updated and more accurate listing of the herpetofauna of Singapore. Our investigation culminated in the evaluation of 309 species, in which we compiled a final species checklist recognising 166 species (149 native and 17 non-native established species). Among the 149 native species are two caecilians, 24 frogs, one crocodilian, 13 turtles (three visitors), 34 lizards, and 75 snakes. Of the 17 non-native species are five frogs, four turtles, six lizards, and two snakes. The remaining 143 species represent species to be excluded from Singapore’s herpetofauna species checklist. For each of the 309 species examined, we provide species accounts and explanatory annotations. Furthermore, we discuss Singapore’s herpetofauna from a historical and conservation perspective. Immediate deforestation and nationwide urbanisation following colonisation completely eliminated many species from throughout much of the country and restricted them to small, degraded forest patches. We hope this publication highlights the importance of publishing observations and serves as a valuable resource to future researchers, naturalists, biological consultants, and policy makers in initiating studies on species ecology, distribution, status, and promoting conservation efforts to safeguard Singapore’s herpetofauna.
The genus Letheobia Cope 1869 is revived for the “worm-like blind-snakes” which were assigned to the genus Rhinotyphlops Fitzinger 1843 by Roux-Estève in 1974 (her Groups IV to VII). Letheobia pallida is restricted to Zanzibar, and the specimens from Pemba Island, the East African coast, southern Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia are described as four new species. Three species included by Roux-Estève (1974) in the polyphyletic genus Typhlops Oppel, T. uluguruensis Barbour & Loveridge (Group II), T. obtusus Peters and T. decorosus Buchholz & Peters (Group V) are considered basal forms in the genus Letheobia and a related species, L. jubana sp. nov., is described from southern Somalia.
A new species of blind snake, Typhlops roxaneae, is described from Bangkok, Thailand. It appears to be a derived member of the Typhlops diardii group (sensu McDowell, 1974), most closely resembling T. siamensis, based upon a comparison of external features and the visceral anatomy, including paired foramina in a multicameral right lung and loss of the left lung. The composition of the T. diardii species group is discussed and a synopsis of species provided. An identification key is presented to the eleven species of Ramphotyphlops and Typhlops known to occur in Thailand.
The genus Letheobia Cope 1869 is revived for the "worm-like blind-snakes" which were assigned to the genus Rhinotyphlops Fitzinger 1843 by Roux-Estève in 1974 (her Groups IV to VII). Letheobia pallida is restricted to Zanzibar, and the specimens from Pemba Island, the East African coast, southern Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia are described as four new species. Three species included by Roux-Estève (1974) in the polyphyletic genus Typhlops Oppel, T. uluguruensis Barbour & Loveridge (Group II), T. obtusus Peters and T. decorosus Buchholz & Peters (Group V) are considered basal forms in the genus Letheobia and a related species, L. jubana sp. nov., is described from southern Somalia.
The blindsnake superfamily Typhlopoidea (Gerrhopilidae, Typhlopidae, and Xenotyphlopidae) is a diverse, widespread part of the global snake fauna. A recent systematic revision based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and some morphological evidence presented a preliminary solution to the non-monophyly of many previously recognized genera, but additional clarification is needed regarding the recognition of some species and genera. We rectify these problems here with a new molecular phylogenetic analysis including 95 of the 275 currently recognized, extant typhlopoids, incorporating both nuclear and mitochondrial loci. We supplement this with data on the external, visceral, and hemipenial morphology of nearly all species to generate a revised classification for Typhlopoidea. Based on morphological data, we re-assign Cathetorhinus from Typhlopidae to Gerrhopilidae. Xenotyphlopidae maintains its current contents (Xenotyphlops). In Typhlopidae, one monotypic genus is synonymized with its larger sister-group as it cannot be unambiguously diagnosed morphologically (Sundatyphlops with Anilios), and two genera are synonymizedwith Typhlops (Antillotyphlops and Cubatyphlops), as they are not reciprocally monophyletic. The genus Asiatyphylops is renamed Argyrophis, the senior synonym for the group. We erect one new genus (Lemuriatyphlops) for a phylogenetically distinct species-group in Asiatyphlopinae. Fourteen of eighteen recognized typhlopid genera are maintained in four subfamilies: Afrotyphlopinae (Afrotyphlops, Grypotyphlops [re-assigned from Asiatyphlopinae], Letheobia, and Rhinotyphlops), Asiatyphlopinae (Acutotyphlops, Anilios, Cyclotyphlops, Indotyphlops, Malayotyphlops, Ramphotyphlops, and Xerotyphlops), Madatyphlopinae (Madatyphlops), and Typhlopinae (Amerotyphlops and Typhlops), some with altered contents. Diagnoses based on morphology are provided for all 19 typhlopoid genera, accounting for all 275 species. This taxonomy provides a robust platform for future revisions and description of new species.
The evolutionary history and taxonomy of worm-like snakes (scolecophidians) continues to be refined as new molec-ular data are gathered and analyzed. Here we present additional evidence on the phylogeny of these snakes, from morphological data and 489 new DNA sequences, and propose a new taxonomic framework for the family Typhlopi-dae. Of 257 named species of typhlopid snakes, 92 are now placed in molecular phylogenies along with 60 addition-al species yet to be described. Afrotyphlopinae subfam. nov. is distributed almost exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa and contains three genera: Afrotyphlops, Letheobia, and Rhinotyphlops. Asiatyphlopinae subfam. nov. is distributed in Asia, Australasia, and islands of the western and southern Pacific, and includes ten genera: Acutotyphlops, Anilios, Asiatyphlops gen. nov., Cyclotyphlops, Grypotyphlops, Indotyphlops gen. nov., Malayotyphlops gen. nov., Ramphoty-phlops, Sundatyphlops gen. nov., and Xerotyphlops gen. nov. Madatyphlopinae subfam. nov. occurs only in Madagas-car and includes one genus: Madatyphlops gen. nov. Typhlopinae occurs in the New World and includes four genera: Amerotyphlops gen. nov., Antillotyphlops gen. nov., Cubatyphlops gen. nov., and Typhlops. Scolecophidians are the most ancient (deeply-branching) group of living snakes and their relationships track plate tectonics better than any other vertebrate group. Molecular data reveal large numbers of undescribed species, inferring that the true species diversity of these snakes is greatly underestimated.
Two new species and one new subspecies are described of the blind snakes of genus Typhlops from Azad Kashmir and Punjab, Pakistan. Taxonomic affinities of the new taxa are discussed and a key is provided for identification of 18 midbody scale typhlopid snakes of Himalayas.