Monopeltis rhodesiana explained

Monopeltis rhodesiana is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is native to southern Africa.

Geographic range

M. rhodesiana is found in southern Malawi, central Mozambique, southern Zambia, and northwestern Zimbabwe.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of M. rhodesiana is mesic savanna, with alluvial soil.

Description

M. rhodesiana is pinkish, both dorsally and ventrally. Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 20–. The maximimum recorded SVL is 28.5cm (11.2inches). The tail is short, with only 5–9 caudal annuli.^[1]

Reproduction

The mode of reproduction of M. rhodesiana is unknown.

Further reading

• Broadley DG (1997). "A review of the Monopeltis capensis complex in southern Africa (Reptilia: Amphisbaenidae)". African Journal of Herpetology 46 (1): 1–12.
• Broadley DG, Gans C, Visser J (1976). "Studies on Amphisbaenians (Amphisbaenia, Reptilia). 6. The Genera Monopeltis and Dalophia in Southern Africa". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 157: 311–486. (Monopeltis capensis rhodesianus, new subspecies, pp. 394–398, Figures 56–59).
• Gans C (2005). "Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphisbaenia of the World". Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist. (289): 1–130. (Monopeltis rhodesianus, p. 37).

Notes and References

1. [William Roy Branch|Branch, Bill]