Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update:
April 5th, 2026.
 
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Genus
Virgotyphlops
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Brahminy Blind Snake
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Brahmanen-Blindschlange
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Brahmin-ormeslange
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2021 |  |
Virgotyphlops Wallach (type species: Eryx braminus Daudin 1803) |
Contents:
1 species, which is not endemic.
Endemism: 0%  100%
Remarks:
Previously included in the genera
Typhlops, and, more recently,
Indotyphlops.
Wickramasinghe, Wickramasinghe, Vidanapathirana, Tennakoon, Samarakoon & Gower (2022) suggested to retain braminus in the genus
Indotyphlops.
The first publication of the name Virgotyphlops (Wallach 2020) is technically unavailable.
This was subsequently corrected by the author himself (Wallach 2021), hence, the publication year of Virgotyphlops should be cited as 2021.
Distribution:
As for the single species.
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Meristic and other data
of the world's snakes.
Compiled by
V. Wallach
Key to abbreviations
Head drawings of the
genus Virgotyphlops.
Compiled by V. Wallach
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Virgotyphlops braminus
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Brahminy Blind Snake, Flowerpot Snake, Flowerpot Blind Snake, Common Blind Snake, Island Blind Snake
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Brahmanen-Blindschlange, Blumentopf-Schlange
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Brahmin-ormeslange, Urtepotteslange
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1803 | |
Eryx braminus Daudin |
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Typhlops braminus Fitzinger 1826 |
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Argyrophis bramicus Gray 1845 [lapsus] (Hahn 1980) |
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Typhlina bramina Broadley 1974 |
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Ramphotyphlops braminus Robb 1966 |
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Leptotyphlops braminus Krakauer 1994 |
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Indotyphlops braminus Hedges, Marion, Lipp, Marin & Vidal 2014 |
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Virgotyphlops braminus Wallach 2021 |
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1820 | |
Tortrix russelii Merrem (Smith 1943; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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Typhlops russelli Schlegel 1839 |
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1845 | |
Argyrophis truncatus Gray (Boulenger 1893; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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1846 | |
Onychocephalus capensis Smith (Boulenger 1893; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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1861 | |
Ophthalmidium tenue Hallowell (status uncertain; Boulenger 1893; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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1863 | |
Typhlops accedens Jan (Hahn 1980; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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1863 | |
Typhlops inconspicuus Jan (Boulenger 1893; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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1882 | |
Typhlops euproctus Boettger (Boulenger 1893; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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1906 | |
Typhlops braminus var. arenicola Annandale (McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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1906 | |
Typhlops limbrickii Annandale (Wall 1909, 1923; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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1909 | |
Typhlops braminus var. pallidus Wall (McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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1910 | |
Glauconia braueri Sternfeld (Hahn 1980; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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Typhlops braueri Boulenger 1910 |
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1919 | |
Typhlops fletcheri Wall (Pyron & Wallach 2014) |
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Indotyphlops fletcheri Hedges, Marion, Lipp, Marin & Vidal 2014 |
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1962 | |
Typhlops khoratensis Taylor (Pyron & Wallach 2014) |
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Indotyphlops khoratensis Hedges, Marion, Lipp, Marin & Vidal 2014 |
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1969 | |
Typhlops pseudosaurus Dryden & Taylor (McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
Other common names:
khoratensis: Khorat Blind Snake
Remarks:
A triploid unisexual, all-female species which is continuously expanding its range around the world through human agency, mainly commercial horticulture.
(McDowell 1974; Nussbaum 1980; Wynn, Cole & Gardner 1987; Ota, Hikida, Matsui, Mori & Wynn 1991; Wallach 2021).
The native distribution of the species is regarded as Southeast Asia, from Pakistan to China, south to the Malay Peninsula (Wallach 2021).
Regarded herein as introduced to Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines, and Japan (Ryukyu Islands), but some of these populations could be native (Wallach 2021).
Previously included
Gerrhopilus beddomii and
Madatyphlops microcephalus.
Status of fletcheri and khoratensis has been controversial.
Hedges, Marion, Lipp, Marin & Vidal (2014) revalidated both forms as separate species, however, Pyron & Wallach (2014) synonymized them with braminus again.
Introduced to:
Afghanistan,
American Samoa,
Anguilla
(Anguilla Island),
Aruba,
Australia
(Northern Territory,
Queensland
[incl.
Magnetic Island,
Torres Strait Islands],
Western Australia),
Bahamas,
Bahrain,
Barbados,
Belize,
Benin,
Brunei,
Burkina Faso,
Burundi,
Cameroon,
Cape Verde,
Cayman Islands
(Grand Cayman),
Central African Republic,
Chagos Archipelago
(Diego Garcia),
Christmas Island,
Cocos (Keeling) Islands,
Colombia,
Comoro Islands
(Anjouan,
Grande Comoro,
Moheli),
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Costa Rica,
Cuba,
Curacao,
Dominican Republic,
East Timor,
Ecuador,
Egypt
(incl.
Sinai),
El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea
(incl.
Annobon),
Europa Island,
Fiji,
French Polynesia,
Gabon,
Grenada,
Guadeloupe,
Guam,
Guatemala,
Honduras
(incl.
Islas de la Bahia
[Utila]),
India
(Andaman & Nicobar Islands
[Andaman Islands,
Nicobar Islands],
Lakshadweep,
Indonesia
(Alor,
Ambon,
Aru Islands,
Bacan,
Bali,
Bangka,
Belitung,
Buru,
Buton,
Flores,
Halmahera,
Hoga,
Java,
Kabaena,
Kai Islands,
Kalimantan,
Komodo,
Krakatau,
Lombok,
Madura,
Nias,
Nila,
Penida,
Postiljon Islands,
Riau Islands,
Sabalana,
Saparua,
Savu,
Selayar,
Seram,
Solor Archipelago,
(incl.
Lembata,
Sulawesi,
Sumatra,
Sumba,
Sumbawa,
Tanimbar Islands
[Yamdena],
Ternate,
Weh,
West Timor,
Western New Guinea),
Iran,
Iraq,
Israel
(Palestine),
Italy,
Sicily,
Ivory Coast,
Japan
(Bonin Islands,
Izu Islands,
Ryukyu Islands
[Amami Islands,
Okinawa Islands,
Sakishima Islands
(Miyako Islands,
Yaeyama Islands),
Tokara Islands]),
Kenya,
Kiribati,
Kuwait,
Libya,
Madagascar
(incl.
Nosy Be),
Malaysia
(Sabah,
Sarawak),
Maldives,
Malta,
Northern Mariana Islands,
Marshall Islands
(incl.
Arno Atoll),
Mauritania,
Mauritius
(incl.
Mauritius Island
Rodrigues),
Mayotte,
Mexico
(Aguascalientes,
Baja California Norte,
Baja California Sur,
Campeche,
Chiapas,
Chihuahua,
Coahuila,
Colima,
Distrito Federal,
Durango,
Guanajuato,
Guerrero,
Hidalgo,
Jalisco,
Mexico State,
Michoacan,
Morelos,
Nayarit,
Nuevo Leon,
Oaxaca,
Puebla,
Queretaro,
Quintana Roo,
San Luis Potosi,
Sinaloa,
Sonora,
Tabasco,
Tamaulipas,
Veracruz,
Yucatan,
Zacatecas),
Micronesia
(Kosrae,
Pohnpei State,
[Pohnpei],
Yap State,
[Yap Islands],
Montserrat,
Morocco,
Mozambique,
Nauru,
New Caledonia
(incl.
Grande Terre,
Isle of Pines,
Loyalty Islands
[Mare]).
New Zealand,
Nicaragua,
Nigeria,
Northern Mariana Islands,
(Saipan,
Tinian),
Oman,
Palau,
Panama,
Papua New Guinea
(Bismarck Archipelago
[New Britain],
Eastern New Guinea,
North Solomon Islands
[incl.
Bougainville],
Trobriand Islands,
Woodlark),
Philippines
(Agutayan,
Apo,
Babuyan Islands
[incl.
Barit,
Camiguin Norte (Babuyan Islands),
Dalupiri,
Fuga,
Mabag],
Bantayan,
Batan Islands
[Batan,
Ivojos],
Bohol,
Boracay,
Calamian Islands
[Busuanga,
Calauit],
Camiguin Sur,
Camotes Islands
[Pacijan,
Ponson],
Catanduanes,
Cebu,
Corregidor,
Gigante Islands
[Gigante Sur],
Guimaras,
Ibuhos,
Lapinig Islands
[Lapinig Chico],
Leyte,
Luzon,
Mactan,
Marinduque,
Masbate,
Maybag,
Mindanao,
Mindoro,
Negros,
Palawan,
Pamilacan,
Panay,
Panubulon,
Polillo,
Samar,
Semirara,
Sibay,
Sibuyan,
Sulu Islands
[Basilan,
Bongao,
Jolo],
Tablas,
Tintiman]),
Portugal
(incl.
Madeira),
Puerto Rico,
Qatar,
Reunion,
Saba,
Saint Barthelemy,
Saint Kitts & Nevis
(Saint Kitts),
Saint Martin,
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
(Mustique,
Petite Saint Vincent),
Saudi Arabia,
Senegal,
Seychelles,
Sint Eustatius,
Solomon Islands
(Ghizo,
Guadalcanal),
Nggela Islands
[Tulagi],
Rennell),
Somalia,
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal,
Western Cape),
Spain
(incl.
Balearic Islands,
Canary Islands
[Fuerteventura,
Gomera,
Gran Canaria,
Lanzarote,
Tenerife]),
Taiwan,
Tanzania
(incl.
Pemba,
Zanzibar),
Togo,
Tonga,
Turks & Caicos Islands
(Caicos Islands,
Turks Islands),
U.S. Virgin Islands
(St. Croix),
Saint Thomas),
United Arab Emirates,
USA
(Alabama,
Arizona,
California,
Florida,
Georgia,
Hawaii,
[incl.
Midway Islands]
Louisiana,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
Minnesota,
Mississippi,
North Carolina,
Ohio,
South Carolina,
Texas,
Virginia),
Washington, D.C.,
Vanuatu
(incl.
Espiritu Santo).
Distribution (native):
Bangladesh,
Bhutan,
Cambodia,
China
(Chongqing,
Fujian,
Guangdong
[incl.
Nan Ao Island],
Guangxi,
Guizhou,
Hainan,
Hong Kong
[incl.
Shek Kwu Chau Island],
Hubei,
Hunan,
Jiangxi,
Macau,
Sichuan,
Yunnan,
Zhejiang),
India
(Andhra Pradesh,
Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Bihar,
Chhattisgarh,
Delhi,
Goa,
Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir,
Jharkhand,
Karnataka,
Kerala,
Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra,
Meghalaya,
Mizoram,
Nagaland,
Odisha,
Punjab,
Rajasthan,
Sikkim,
Tamil Nadu,
Telangana,
Tripura,
Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand,
West Bengal),
Laos,
Malaysia
(West Malaysia
[incl.
Langkawi Archipelago,
Seribuat Archipelago,
(incl.
Aur,
Tioman)]),
Myanmar,
Nepal,
Pakistan,
Singapore,
Sri Lanka,
Thailand,
Vietnam
(incl.
Cat Ba Island).
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Virgotyphlops braminus
© Henrik Bringsøe
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