Lang's worm lizard explained

Lang's worm lizard (Chirindia langi) is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is native to Southern Africa. There are two recognized subspecies.

Etymology

The specific name, langi, is in honor of German taxidermist Herbert Lang.^[1]

Geographic range

C. langi is found in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of C. langi is savanna, at altitudes of 230–.

Description

Adults of C. langi usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 12–. The maximum recorded SVL is 15.8cm (06.2inches). It is slender, and its coloration is uniformly pink.^[2]

Reproduction

C. langi is oviparous.

Subspecies

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

• Chirindia langi langi
• Chirindia langi occidentalis

Further reading

• Broadley DG, Gans C (1978). "Southern forms of Chirindia (Amphisbaenia, Reptilia)". Annals of Carnegie Museum 47: 29–51. (Chirindia langi, pp. 46, 48 + Figures 4–8).
• FitzSimons VFM (1939). "Descriptions of some new species and subspecies of lizards from South Africa". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 20 (1): 5–16. (Chirindia langi, new species).
• Gans C (2005). "Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphisbaenia of the World". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (289): 1–130. (Chirindia langi, p. 26).
• Jacobsen NHG (1984). "A new subspecies of Chirindia langi (Reptilia: Amphisbaenia) from southern Africa, with notes on the ecology of the species". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 33 (26): 391–398. (Chirindia langi occidentalis, new subspecies).

Notes and References

1. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
2. [William Roy Branch|Branch, Bill]