Home - Taxonomy - Geography - Biodiversity - Literature - Purchase RepFocus Recent updates Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk). Latest update: December 31st, 2022. Taxonomy of the family Amphisbaenidae Bibliography of the genus Monopeltis Biodiversity of the family Amphisbaenidae Genus Monopeltis Spade-snouted Worm Lizards, (Wedge-snouted Worm Lizard) Spatenschnäuzige Doppelschleichen Spadesnudede Ormeøgler, Enkeltskjoldede Ormeøgler 1848 Monopeltis Smith (type species: Monopeltis capensis Smith 1848) 1852 Phractogonus Hallowell (type species: Phractogonus galeatus Hallowell 1852; syn. Gans 2005) 1865 Monotrophis Gray (type species: Monopeltis capensis Smith 1848; syn. Gans 2005) Contents: 20 species, of which 5 (25.0%) are endemic. Endemism: 0% 100% Distribution: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Equatorial Guinea (Corisco Island, Rio Muni), Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique (incl. Bazaruto Archipelago), Namibia, South Africa (Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Northern Cape), Zambia, Zimbabwe. Monopeltis adercae Lualaba Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Lualaba-Doppelschleiche Lualaba-ormeøgle 1953 Monopeltis adercae Witte 1956 Monopeltis adercai Laurent [emendation] Distribution: Congo-Kinshasa. Monopeltis anchietae Mossamedes Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, (Angolan Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, Anchieta’s Spade-snouted Worm Lizard) Mossamedes-Doppelschleiche Mossamedes-ormeøgle 1873 Lepidosternon anchietae Bocage Monopeltis anchietae Boulenger 1885 1910 Monopeltis quadriscutata Werner (Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976) 1931 Monopeltis okavangensis Monard (Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976) 1937 Monopeltis devisi Monard (Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976) Distribution: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia. Monopeltis capensis Cape Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Kap-Doppelschleiche Kap-ormeøgle 1848 Monopeltis capensis Smith Monotrophis capensis Gray 1865 Lepidosternon capense Strauch 1881 Distribution: Botswana, South Africa (Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, North West Province, Northern Cape), Zimbabwe. Monopeltis decosteri Delagoa Bay Worm Lizard, (De Coster's Spade-snouted Worm Lizard) Delagoa Bay-Doppelschleiche Delagoa Bay-ormeøgle 1910 Monopeltis decosteri Boulenger Distribution: Mozambique, South Africa (Limpopo, Mpumalanga), Zimbabwe. Monopeltis galeata Helmeted Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, Gabon Helmeted Worm Lizard, (Hallowell's Spade-snouted Worm Lizard) Spatenschnäuzige Helm-Doppelschleiche Hjelm-ormeøgle 1852 Phractogonus galeatus Hallowell Lepidosternum galeatum Strauch 1881 Monopeltis galeata Boulenger 1885 1879 Monopeltis magnipartitus Peters (Gans & Lehman 1973) 1881 Lepidosternum dumerilii Strauch (Gans & Lehman 1973) 1903 Monopeltis boveei Mocquard (Gans & Lehman 1973) 1903 Monopeltis unirostralis Mocquard (Gans & Lehman 1973) Distribution: Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea (Corisco Island). Gabon. Monopeltis guentheri Western Congo Worm Lizard Westkongolesische Doppelschleiche Vestcongolesisk Spadesnudet Ormeøgle 1885 Monopeltis guentheri Boulenger 1887 Monopeltis boulengeri Boettger (Gans & Latifi 1971) Distribution: Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa. Monopeltis infuscata Dusky Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, Infuscate Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Dunkle Spatenschnäuzige Doppelschleiche Mørk Spadesnudet Ormeøgle 1997 Monopeltis infuscata Broadley Distribution: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Northern Cape), Zimbabwe. Monopeltis jugularis Equatorial Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, (Gabon Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, Peters' Spade-snouted Worm Lizard) Äkvatoriale Spatenschnäuzige Doppelschleiche Ækvatorial Spadesnudet Ormeøgle 1880 Monopeltis jugularis Peters Lepidosternon jugulare Strauch 1881 1881 Lepidosternon koppenfelsii Strauch (Gans & Lehman 1973) 1893 Monopeltis semipunctata Boettger (Gans & Lehman 1973) Remarks: Erroneously reported from Gabon (Pauwels & Vande weghe 2008). Distribution: Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni). Monopeltis kabindae Cabinda Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Cabinda-Doppelschleiche Cabinda-ormeøgle 1942 Monopeltis kabindae Witte & Laurent Distribution: Central African Republic, Congo-Kinshasa. Monopeltis leonhardi Kalahari Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, (Leonhard's Spade-snouted Worm Lizard) Kalahari-Doppelschleiche Spadesnudet Kalahari-ormeøgle 1910 Monopeltis leonhardi Werner 1932 Monopeltis vernayi FitzSimons (Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976) Distribution: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Limpopo, Northern Cape), Zimbabwe. Monopeltis luandae Luanda Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Luanda-Doppelschleiche Luanda-ormeøgle 1976 Monopeltis luandae Gans Distribution: Angola. Monopeltis mauricei Botswana Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, (Maurice Worm Lizard) Botswana-Doppelschleiche Botswana-ormeøgle 1935 Monopeltis mauricei Parker Monopeltis sphenorhynchus mauricei Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976 Remarks: Previously regarded as a subspecies of sphenorhynchus (e.g., Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976). Revalidated as a separate species by Broadley (2001). Distribution: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (North West Province, Northern Cape), Zambia, Zimbabwe. Monopeltis perplexus Western Angolan Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Westangolische Doppelschleiche Vestangolansk Spadesnudet Ormeøgle 1976 Monopeltis perplexus Gans Distribution: Angola. Monopeltis remaclei Lukulu Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, (Witte's Spade-snouted Worm Lizard) Lukulu-Doppelschleiche Lukulu-ormeøgle 1933 Monopeltis remaclei Witte Distribution: Congo-Kinshasa. Monopeltis rhodesiana Zimbabwe Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Zimbabwe-Doppelschleiche Zimbabweansk Ormeøgle 1976 Monopeltis capensis rhodesianus Broadley, Gans & Visser Monopeltis rhodesianus Broadley 1988 Distribution: Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Monopeltis scalper Carved Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Kilembe-Doppelschleiche Kilembe-ormeøgle 1876 Phractogonus scalper Günther Lepidosternon scalprum Strauch 1881 Monopeltis scalper Boulenger 1885 1913 Monopeltis gerardi Boulenger (Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976) Monopeltis scalper gerardi Laurent 1964 1954 Monopeltis scalper bulsi Laurent Distribution: Congo-Kinshasa. Monopeltis schoutedeni Kunungu Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, (Middle Congo Spade-snouted Worm Lizard) Kunungu-Doppelschleiche Kunungu-ormeøgle 1933 Monopeltis schoutedeni Witte Distribution: Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Gabon. Monopeltis sphenorhynchus Slender Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Grazile Spatenschnäuzige Doppelschleiche Slank Spadesnudet Ormeøgle 1879 Monopeltis sphenorhynchus Peters Lepidosternon sphenorhynchus Strauch 1881 1937 Monopeltis capensis gazei Fitzsimons (Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976) 1937 Monopeltis habenichti Fitzsimons (Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976) 1941 Monopeltis ocularis Fitzsimons (Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976) Other common names: habenichti: Manhinga Worm Lizard ocularis: Bechuanaland Worm Lizard Remarks: Previously included mauricei. The status of a single record from Northern Cape is uncertain (Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014). Distribution: Botswana, Mozambique (incl. Bazaruto Archipelago), South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape). Monopeltis vanderysti Wombali Spade-snouted Worm Lizard, (Vanderyst Spade-snouted Worm Lizard) Wombali-Doppelschleiche Wombali-ormeøgle 1922 Monopeltis vanderysti Witte 1922 Monopeltis lujae Witte (Broadley, Gans & Visser 1976) 1954 Monopeltis vanderysti closei Laurent 1954 Monopeltis vanderysti vilhenai Laurent Distribution: Angola, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa. Monopeltis zambezensis Zambezi Spade-snouted Worm Lizard Zambezi-Doppelschleiche Spadesnudet Zambezi-ormeøgle 1974 Monopeltis zambezensis Gans & Broadley Remarks: May occur in Mozambique, for which country it was mentioned by Schneider, Buramuge, Aliasse & Serfontein (2005), however, the two sources this was based on actually did not specifically claim that the species is found in Mozambique. Vouchers are needed to confirm its presence in the country. Distribution: Zambia, Zimbabwe.