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Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update: December 31st, 2022.


Taxonomy of the family Scincidae
Bibliography of the genus Melanoseps
Biodiversity of the family Scincidae








Genus
Melanoseps

Black Limbless Skinks, (Legless Skinks)

Schwarze Wurmskinke

Sorte Ormeskinker

1887 Melanoseps Boulenger (type species: Herpetosaura atra Günther 1873)
Contents: 8 species, of which 4 (50.0%) are endemic.
Endemism: 0% 100%
Distribution: Equatorial Africa.
Reported from: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo-Kinshasa, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko), Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia.

Melanoseps ater

Common Black Limbless Skink

Gewöhnlicher Schwarzer Wurmskink

Almindelig Sort Ormeskink

1873 Herpetosaura atra Günther
Melanoseps ater Boulenger 1887
Scelotes ater Witte & Laurent 1943
1942 Melanoseps ater matengoensis Loveridge (Broadley, Whiting & Bauer 2006)
1953 Melanoseps ater misukuensis Loveridge (Broadley, Whiting & Bauer 2006)

Other common names:
matengoensis: Matengo Limbless Skink
misukuensis: Misuku Limbless Skink
Remarks: Previously included longicauda, rondoensis, and uzungwensis.
Distribution: Congo-Kinshasa, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia.


Melanoseps emmrichi

Uluguru Limbless Skink

Uluguru-Wurmskink

Uluguru-ormeskink

2006 Melanoseps emmrichi Broadley, Whiting & Bauer

Distribution: Tanzania.


Melanoseps longicauda

Long-tailed Limbless Skink

Langschwänziger Wurmskink

Langhalet Ormeskink

1900 Melanoseps ater longicauda Tornier
Scelotes ater longicauda Witte & Laurent 1943
Melanoseps longicauda Broadley & Howell 1991

Remarks: Status uncertain, may belong in the genus Typhlacontias (Broadley, Whiting & Bauer 2006).
Distribution: Tanzania.


Melanoseps loveridgei

Eastern Limbless Skink, (Loveridge's Limbless Skink)

Östlicher Wurmskink

Østlig Ormeskink

1981 Melanoseps loveridgei Brygoo & Roux-Esteve

Distribution: Congo-Kinshasa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia.


Melanoseps occidentalis

Western Limbless Skink, Scaly-lid Legless Skink

Westlicher Wurmskink

Vestlig Ormeskink

1877 Herpetosaura occidentalis Peters
Scelotes occidentalis Werner 1898
Melanoseps occidentalis Tornier 1901
1895 Scelotes poensis Bocage (status uncertain; Brygoo & Roux-Esteve 1981)
Melanoseps poensis Brygoo & Roux-Esteve 1981
1910 Scelotes schebeni Sternfeld (Brygoo & Roux-Esteve 1981; Bauer 2016)
1981 Melanoseps occidentalis zairensis Brygoo & Roux-Esteve

Remarks: Both Ceríaco (2021), the Reptile Database (viewed September 24th, 2021), and Sánchez-Vialas, Calvo-Revuelta & Riva (2022) treated poensis as a valid species, but without discussion. The synonym Scelotes schebeni is known from only a single specimen said to have come from Namibia. This locality is believed to be in error (Brygoo & Roux-Esteve 1981; Bauer 2016).
Distribution: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo-Kinshasa, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko), Gabon, Nigeria.


Melanoseps pygmaeus

Pygmy Limbless Skink

Zwerg-Wurmskink

Dværg-ormeskink

2006 Melanoseps pygmaeus Broadley, Whiting & Bauer

Distribution: Kenya, Tanzania.


Melanoseps rondoensis

Rondo Limbless Skink, Rondo Plateau Limbless Skink

Rondo-Wurmskink

Rondo-ormeskink

1942 Melanoseps ater rondoensis Loveridge
Melanoseps rondoensis Brygoo & Roux-Esteve 1981

Distribution: Tanzania.


Melanoseps uzungwensis

Udzungwa Mountains Limbless Skink

Udzungwa-Wurmskink

Udzungwa-ormeskink

1942 Melanoseps ater uzungwensis Loveridge
Melanoseps uzungwensis Broadley 2000

Distribution: Tanzania.