Grypotyphlops acutus explained
Grypotyphlops acutus, also known as the beaked worm snake, beaked blind snake, or beak-nosed worm snake, is a harmless blind snake species endemic to peninsular India. It is the only species in the genus Grypotyphlops. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Taxonomy
Grypotyphlops is thought to group with the African typhlopids in the genera Afrotyphlops, Letheobia, and Rhinotyphlops, being the sister group to the latter two and having dispersed from Africa to the Indian subcontinent during the Paleogene. This contrasts with the other blind snakes in the Indian subcontinent, which are thought to have either mainland Asian ancestry (Indotyphlops and Argyrophis) or be descended from ancient Gondwanan endemics of Insular India (Gerrhopilus).[1]
Geographic range
This species is found throughout peninsular India south of the Ganges and Rajputana basins. The type locality given is "inconnue" (French for unknown).
Further reading
- Boulenger, G.A. 1890. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp.
- Duméril, A.M.C. & Bibron, G. 1844. Erpetologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complete des Reptiles. Vol.6. Libr. Encyclopédique Roret, Paris.
- Wallach, Van 1994. The status of the Indian endemic Typhlops acutus (Duméril and Bibron) and the identity of Typhlops psittacus Werner (Reptilia, Serpentes, Typhlopidae). Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique Biologie. Vol. 64, pp. 209–229.
Notes and References
- Sidharthan . Chinta . Karanth . K. Praveen . 2021-04-01 . India's biogeographic history through the eyes of blindsnakes- filling the gaps in the global typhlopoid phylogeny . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . en . 157 . 107064 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.107064 . 33387646 . 230282291 . 1055-7903.
