Leptotyphlops dulcis

Taxobox
name = "Leptotyphlops dulcis"


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = Leptotyphlopidae
genus = "Leptotyphlops"
species = "L. dulcis"
binomial = "Leptotyphlops dulcis"
binomial_authority = (Baird & Girard, 1853)
synonyms = * "Rena dulcis" - Baird & Girard, 1853
* "Stenostoma dulce" - Cope, 1861
* "St" ["enostoma"] . "dulce" - Jan & Sordelli, 1861
* "Stenostoma rubellum" - Garman, 1884
* "Leptotyphlops dulcis" - Stejneger, 1891
* "Glauconia dulcis" - Cope, 1892
* "Glauconia dulcis" - Boulenger, 1893
* "Leptotyphlops dulcis dulcis" - Klauber, 1940
* "Leptotyphlops dulcis" - Hahn, 1980McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).]

:"Common names: Texas slender blind snake, Texas threadsnake,ITIS|ID=174336|taxon="Leptotyphlops dulcis"|year=2007|date=30 August] more.""Leptotyphlops dulcis" is a blind snake species found in the southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Description

These snakes appear much like shiny earthworms. They are pinkish or brown in color with a deep sheen to their scales. They appear to be segmented. Their eyes are no more than two dark dots under the head scales. Their mouths are small and set in an underbite. Adults can grow to approximately 20 cm (8 inches) in length.

Common names

Texas slender blind snake, Texas threadsnake, Texas blind snake, plains blind snake.

Geographic range

Found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. In the USA it occurs in southwestern Kansas, western Oklahoma including the panhandle, central Texas west through southern New Mexico to southeastern Arizona. In northern and central Mexico it has been reported in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Querétaro, Hidalgo and Puebla. The type locality given is "Between San Pedro and Camanche Springs Tex." (Comanche Springs, Texas).

Habitat

Texas Blind Snakes spend the vast majority of their time buried in loose soil, only emerging to feed or when it rains and their habitat floods with water.

Conservation concerns

Gauging wild blind snake populations is virtually impossible due to their secretive nature. However, like many other native Texas species, they are known to be detrimentally affected by the imported fire ant.

Behavior

Blind snakes are often found after spring rains and mistaken for earthworms. If handled they usually squirm around and try to poke the tip of their tail into the handler. This is a completely harmless maneuver and likely serves as a distractive measure. Their mouths are far too small to effectively bite a human being.

Feeding

Their diet consists primarily of termite and ant larvae.

ubspecies

ee also

* List of leptotyphlopid species and subspecies.
*.
*.

References

External links

*
* [http://www.digimorph.org/specimens/Leptotyphlops_dulcis/ "Leptotyphlops dulcis", Texas Blind Snake] at [http://www.digimorph.org/ DigiMorph] . Accessed 30 August 2007.