Carved worm lizard

The carved worm lizard (Monopeltis scalper) is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1] There are two recognized subspecies.

Carved worm lizard
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Amphisbaenidae
Genus: Monopeltis
Species:
M. scalper
Binomial name
Monopeltis scalper
(Günther, 1876)
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Phractogonus scalper
    Günther, 1876
  • Lepidosternon scalprum
    — Strauch, 1881
  • Monopeltis scalper
    — Boulenger, 1885

Description

M. scalper is brownish dorsally, and it is whitish ventrally. It may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 29 cm (11 in), with a tail 2.9 cm (1.1 in) long.[2]

Reproduction

The mode of reproduction of M. scalper is unknown.[1]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[1]

  • Monopeltis scalper gerardi Boulenger, 1913
  • Monopeltis scalper scalper (Günther, 1876)

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Monopeltis.

References
  1. Monopeltis scalper at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 24 February 2019.
  2. Boulenger (1885).

Further reading
  • Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. ... Amphisbænidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I–XXIV. (Monopeltis scalper, new combination, pp. 457–458 + Plate XXIV, figures 4a–4d).
  • Boulenger GA (1913). "Description d'un Reptile Amphisbénide nouveau provenant du Katanga". Revue Zoologique Africaine, Brussels 2: 392–393. (Monopeltis gerardi, new species, pp. 392–393, illustration, three views of head). (in French).
  • Günther A (1876). "Notes on a small Collection brought by Lieut. L. Cameron, C.B., from Angola". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1876: 678–679. (Phractogonus scalper, new species, pp. 678–679, illustration, three views of head).



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