Argyrophis diardii

Argyrophis diardii
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Typhlopidae
Genus:	Argyrophis
Species:	A. diardii
Binomial name
	Argyrophis diardii; Schlegel, 1839
Synonyms[2]
	List Typhlops Diardii ; Schlegel, 1839; Typhlops Mülleri ; Schlegel, 1839; Typhlops nigro-albus ; A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844; Argyrophis bicolor ; Gray, 1845; Argyrophis Horsfieldii ; Gray, 1845; Typhlops striolatus ; W. Peters, 1861; T[yphlops]. (Typhlops) nigroalbus ; — Jan, 1863; T[yphlops]. (Typhlops) Schneideri ; Jan, 1863; T[yphlops]. (Typhlops) Diardi ; — Jan, 1863; T[yphlops]. (Typhlops) Mülleri ; — Jan, 1863; T[yphlops]. Diardi ; — Jan & Sordelli, 1864; T[yphlops]. bicolor ; — Jan & Sordelli, 1864; T[yphlops]. Mülleri ; — Jan & Sordelli, 1864; T[yphlops]. nigroalbus ; — Jan & Sordelli, 1864; Typhlops horsfieldii ; — Günther, 1864; T[yphlops]. Schneideri ; — Jan & Sordelli, 1865; Tychlpos Diardii ; — Steindachner, 1867; Typhlops barmanus ; Stoliczka, 1872; Typhlops diardi ; — Boulenger, 1893; Typhlops muelleri ; — Boulenger, 1893; Typhlops nigroalbus ; — Boulenger, 1893; Typhlops schneideri ; — Boulenger, 1893; Typhlops kapaladua ; Annandale, 1906; Typhlops tephrosoma ; Wall, 1908; [Typhlops diardi] var. cinereus ; Wall, 1909; Typhlops labialis ; Waite, 1918; Typhlops diardi diardi ; — M.A. Smith, 1923; Typhlops diardi nigroalbus ; — M.A. Smith, 1923; Typhlops fusconotus ; Brongersma, 1934; Typhlops diardi mülleri ; — Brongersma, 1934; Typhlops diardi ; — Bourret, 1936; Typhlops d[ardi]. tephrosoma ; — Bourret, 1936; Typhlops diardi diardi ; — Hahn, 1980; Typhlops muelleri ; — Hahn, 1980[3]; Typhlops diardii ; — McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré, 1999; Asiatyphlops diardii ; — Hedges et al., 2014; Argyrophis diardii ; — Pyron & Wallach, 2014;

Argyrophis diardii, commonly known as Diard's blind snake, the Indochinese blind snake, the large blind snake, or the large worm snake, is a species of harmless snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to South Asia and Southeast Asia.[1] There are two recognized subspecies.

Taxonomy

A. diardii was first described by Hermann Schlegel in 1839, as Typhlops Diardii.[4] The type locality of Schlegel's specimen was "Cochinchina [southern Vietnam]". Saint Girons (1972: 32) described it as "Cochinchina sans certitude [southern Vietnam without certainty]", and Hahn (1980: 56) as "East Indies".[3]

Etymology

Both the specific name, diardii, and the common name, "Diard's blindsnake", are in honor of French naturalist Pierre-Médard Diard.[4][5]

Subspecies

Two subspecies of Typhlops diardii are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies:[2]

Argyrophis diardii diardii Schlegel, 1839[4]
Argyrophis diardii platyventris Khan, 1998[6]

Description

A. diardii is heavy-bodied for a blindsnake. It has 22–25 scale rows around the body at midbody. The belly is distinctly flat.[2]

Distribution and habitat

A. diardii is found in India (Jalpaiguri-West Bengal, as far west as Dun Valley in Assam), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, Nias Island, Sumatra, Web Island (off northwest Sumatra), Bangka, and Borneo.[1]

The preferred natural habitats of A. diardii are forest, shrubland, and grassland, but it has also been found in agricultural areas.[1]

References

Papenfuss, T.J. (2010). "Argyrophis diardii ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T178696A7597703. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T178696A7597703.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
Species Argyrophis diardii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
Schlegel H (1839). Abbildungen neuer oder unvollständig bekannter Amphibien, nach der Natur oder dem Leben entworfen und mit einem erläuternden Texte begleitet. Düsseldorf: Arnz & Comp. xiv + 141 pp. ("Typhlops Diardii ", new species, p. 38). (in German).
Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). "Typhlops diardi ". The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5.
Khan MS [in French] (1998). "Notes on Typhlops diardi Schlegel, 1839, with description of a new subspecies". Pakistan Journal of Zoology. 30 (3): 213−221.