Species Anilios unguirostris (Peters, 1867)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Typhlops (Onychocephalus) unguirostris Peters, W. 1867. Über Flederthiere und Amphibien. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1867: 703-713 [1868 on title page] [708, fig. 3] [in part; smaller of 2 original syntypes, ZMB 5884, referred to Ramphotyphlops affinis (Boulenger, 1867)].

  Type data:

   Lectotype ZMB 5884 (larger of 2 original syntypes), Rockhampton, QLD.

  Subsequent designation references:

  McDowell, S.B. 1974. A catalogue of the snakes of New Guinea and the Solomons, with special reference to those in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Part I. Scolecophidia. Journal of Herpetology 8: 1-57.

  Secondary source:

   Shea, G.M. 1998. New data on typhlopid type specimens from Queensland in the collection of the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 42(2): 532 [532].
• Typhlops curvirostris Peters, W. 1879. Mitteilung über neue Amphibien des Kgl. Zoologischen Museums (Euprepes, Acontias, Typhlops, Zamenis, Spilotes, Oedipus). Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1879: 773-779 [1880 on title page] [776, fig. 5].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB 7525, Port Clinton (as Port Bowen), QLD.

  Secondary source:

   Shea, G.M. 1998. New data on typhlopid type specimens from Queensland in the collection of the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 42(2): 532 [532].

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Cogger, H.G., in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E. & Cogger, H.M. 1983. Amphibia and Reptilia. 313 pp. in Walton, D.W. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1 vi + 313 pp. [199]

 

Generic Combinations

• Ramphotyphlops unguirostris (Peters, 1867).
• Austrotyphlops unguirostris (Peters, 1867).
• Anilios unguirostris (Peters, 1867).

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Vic, WA: Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Northern Kimberley (NK), Pine Creek (PCK), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Burrower, fossorial, nocturnal, oviparous, soil dweller.

Extra Ecological Information

Feeds primarily on ant and termite larvae and pupae.

 

General References

Waite, E.R. 1918. Review of the Australian blind snakes. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 1: 1-34 (taxonomy)

 

Common Name References

Clayton, M., Wombey, J.C., Mason, I.J., Chesser, R.T. & Wells, A. 2006. CSIRO List of Australian Vertebrates: A Reference with Conservation Status. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing iv 162 pp. [42] (Claw-snouted Blind Snake)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
03-Feb-2023	Anilios Gray, 1845	04-May-2022	MODIFIED
07-Feb-2024	TYPHLOPIDAE	28-Jun-2016	MODIFIED
07-Feb-2024	TYPHLOPIDAE	09-Jul-2014	MODIFIED	ABRS
07-Feb-2024		07-May-2012	MODIFIED
08-Mar-2011		02-May-2011	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)