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Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update: October 31st, 2023.


Taxonomy of the family Typhlopidae
Bibliography of the genus Rhinotyphlops
Biodiversity of the family Typhlopidae








Genus
Rhinotyphlops

African Beaked Blind Snakes

Afrikanische Schnabelblindschlangen

Afrikanske Næbormeslanger

1843 Rhinotyphlops Fitzinger (type species: Typhlops lalandei Schlegel 1839)
1844 Onychocephalus Dumeril & Bibron (type species: Typhlops lalandei Schlegel 1839)
1845 Onychophis Gray (type species: Onychopsis franklinii Gray 1845)
Contents: 7 species, of which 2 (28.6%) are endemic.
Endemism: 0% 100%
Remarks: Previously included in Typhlops. Rhinotyphlops was removed from the synonymy of Typhlops and revalidated as a separate genus by Roux-Esteve (1974). Although this taxonomic change was questioned initially (e.g., Broadley 1983; Broadley & Howell 1991), its validity is now accepted, although now reduced in number of species compared to Roux-Esteve's work, due to the subsequent revalidation of Grypotyphlops and Letheobia, and the description of Afrotyphlops.
Distribution: E. and S. Africa.
Reported from: Botswana, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa (Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Northern Cape, Western Cape), Tanzania, Zimbabwe.

Rhinotyphlops ataeniatus

Somali Gracile Blind Snake, Somali Blind Snake

Somalische Blindschlange

Somalisk Ormeslange

1912 Typhlops unitaeniatus var. ataeniatus Boulenger
Typhlops ataeniatus Gans & Laurent 1965
Rhinotyphlops unitaeniatus ataeniatus Largen 1978
Rhinotyphlops ataeniatus Wallach 1994
Letheobia ataeniata Broadley & Wallach 2007

Remarks: Previously regarded as a synonym (e.g., Hahn 1980) or as a subspecies (e.g., Largen 1978, Largen & Rasmussen 1993) of unitaeniata. Treated as a separate species in the most recent revision (Broadley & Wallach 2007) as well as in some older publications (e.g., Gans & Laurent 1965, Wallach 1994). Transferred back from Letheobia to Rhinotyphlops by Hedges, Marion, Lipp, Marin & Vidal (2014).
Distribution: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia.


Rhinotyphlops boylei

Kalahari Beaked Blind Snake, (Boyle's Beaked Blind Snake)

Kalahari-Schnabelblindschlange

Kalahari-næbormeslange

1932 Typhlops boylei Fitzsimons
Rhinotyphlops boylei Wallach 1994

Remarks: Stated to occur in Northern Cape, South Africa, by Broadley & Wallach (2009), but not included for the country by Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] (2014), although the latter authors suggested the it may occur there.
Distribution: Botswana, Namibia.


Rhinotyphlops lalandei

Cape Blind Snake, (Delalande's Beaked Blind Snake)

Kap-Schnabelblindschlange

Kap-næbormeslange

1839 Typhlops lalandei Schlegel
Rhinotyphlops lalandei Fitzinger 1843
Onychophis lalandii Gray 1845
Onychocephalus lalandii Günther 1866
1844 Onychocephalus delalandii Duméril & Bibron [substitute name for Typhlops lalandei Schlegel 1839]
Typhlops delalandei Boettger 1887
1845 Onychopsis fordii Gray (Hahn 1980)
1845 Onychopsis franklinii Gray (Hahn 1980)
1860 Typhlops Smithii Jan (Hahn 1980)
1883 Typhlops lalandei var. paucisquamosa Boettger (Hahn 1980)
Typhlops delalandei var. paucisquamata Boettger 1898 [lapsus] (Hahn 1980)

Distribution: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa (Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Northern Cape, Western Cape), Zimbabwe.


Rhinotyphlops leucocephalus

Somali White-headed Blind Snake, White-headed Blind Snake

Somalische Schnabelblindschlange

Somalisk Næbormeslange

1930 Typhlops leucocephalus Parker
Rhinotyphlops leucocephalus Roux-Estève 1974
Madatyphlops leucocephalus Pyron & Wallach 2014

Remarks: Reassigned to Rhinotyphlops by Nagy, Marion, Glaw, Miralles, Nopper, Vences & Hedges (2015).
Distribution: Somalia.


Rhinotyphlops schinzi

Black-spotted Beaked Blind Snake, (Schinz's Beaked Blind Snake)

Schwarzfleckiger Schnabelblindschlange

Sortplettet Næbormeslange

1887 Typhlops schinzi Boettger
Rhinotyphlops schinzi Roux-Estève 1974

Distribution: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Northern Cape).


Rhinotyphlops scorteccii

Afgoi Gracile Blind Snake, (Scortecci's Gracile Blind Snake)

Afgoi-Blindschlange

Afgoi-ormeslange

1965 Typhlops scorteccii Gans & Laurent
Rhinotyphlops scorteccii Roux-Estève 1974
Letheobia scorteccii Broadley & Wallach 2007

Remarks: Transferred back from Letheobia to Rhinotyphlops by Hedges, Marion, Lipp, Marin & Vidal (2014).
Distribution: Somalia.


Rhinotyphlops unitaeniatus

Yellow-striped Gracile Blind Snake, Yellow-striped Blind Snake, Stripe-backed Blind Snake, Yellow-backed Blind Snake

Gelbstreifen-Blindschlange

Gulstribet Ormeslange

1878 Typhlops unitaeniatus Peters
Rhinotyphlops unitaeniatus Roux-Estève 1974
Letheobia unitaeniata Broadley & Wallach 2007

Remarks: Previously included ataeniatus (e.g., Largen 1978; Hahn 1980; Largen & Rasmussen 1993). Records from Ethiopia (e.g., Lanza 1990; Largen & Rasmussen 1993) refer to ataeniatus (Broadley & Wallach 2007). Transferred back from Letheobia to Rhinotyphlops by Hedges, Marion, Lipp, Marin & Vidal (2014).
Distribution: Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania.