Monopeltis Explained

Monopeltis is a genus of amphisbaenians in the family Amphisbaenidae. Species in the genus are commonly known as worm lizards, even though they are not lizards. The genus is endemic to southern Africa. 19 species are placed in this genus.

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.

• Monopeltis adercae – Lualaba worm lizard
• Monopeltis anchietae – Angolan spade-snouted worm lizard, Anchieta's worm lizard
• Monopeltis capensis – Cape worm lizard, South African shield-snouted amphisbaenian, Cape wedge-snouted worm lizard
• Monopeltis decosteri – De Coster's worm lizard
• Monopeltis galeata – helmeted worm lizard
• Monopeltis guentheri – Western Congo worm lizard
• Monopeltis infuscata – dusky spade-snouted worm lizard, infuscate wedge-snouted amphisbaenian
• Monopeltis jugularis – Gaboon worm lizard
• Monopeltis kabindae – Kabinda worm lizard
• Monopeltis leonhardi – Kalahari worm lizard
• Monopeltis luandae
• Monopeltis mauricei – Maurice's slender worm lizard, Maurice's spade-snouted worm lizard
• Monopeltis perplexus
• Monopeltis remaclei – Witte's worm lizard
• Monopeltis rhodesiana
• Monopeltis scalper – carved worm lizard
• Monopeltis schoutedeni – Middle Congo worm lizard
• Monopeltis sphenorhynchus – slender spade-snouted worm lizard, Maurice's spade-snouted worm lizard
• Monopeltis vanderysti – Vanderyst worm lizard
• Monopeltis zambezensis

Nota bene

A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Monopeltis.

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. (Genus Monopeltis, pp. 453–454; key to species, p. 454; species accounts, pp. 455–459).
• Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (Genus Monopeltis, p. 124).
• Gans C (2005). "Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphisbaenia of the World". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (289): 1–130.