The carved worm lizard (''Monopeltis scalper'') is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
amphisbaenian
Amphisbaenia (called amphisbaenians or worm lizards) is a group of typically legless lizards, comprising over 200 extant species. Amphisbaenians are characterized by their long bodies, the reduction or loss of the limbs, and rudimentary eyes. As ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Amphisbaenidae
The Amphisbaenidae (common name: worm lizards) are a Family (biology), family of amphisbaenians, a group of limbless vertebrates. There are 12 genera, containing 183 species.
Geographic range
Amphisbaenids occur in South America, some Caribbean ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
.
There are two recognized
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
.
Description
''M. scalper'' is brownish
dorsally
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provi ...
, and it is whitish ventrally. It may attain a
snout-to-vent length (SVL) of , with a tail long.
[
]
Reproduction
The mode of reproduction of ''M. scalper'' is unknown.[
]
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. ...
.[
*''Monopeltis scalper gerardi''
*''Monopeltis scalper scalper''
'']Nota bene
( ; plural: ) is the Latin language, Latin phrase meaning ''note well''.
In manuscripts, ''nota bene'' is abbreviated in upper-case as NB and N.B., and in lower-case as n.b. and nb; the editorial usages of ''nota bene'' and ''notate bene'' fi ...
'': A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
other than ''Monopeltis
''Monopeltis'' is a genus of amphisbaenians in the Family (biology), family Amphisbaenidae. Species in the genus are commonly known as worm lizards, even though they are not lizards. The genus is Endemism, endemic to southern Africa. 20 species a ...
''.
References
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. (''Monopeltis scalper'', new combination, pp. 457–458 + Plate XXIV, figures 4a–4d).
*Boulenger GA (1913). "''Description d'un Reptile Amphisbénide nouveau provenant du Katanga''". ''Revue Zoologique Africaine, Brussels'' 2: 392–393. (''Monopeltis gerardi'', new species, pp. 392–393, illustration, three views of head). (in French).
* Günther A (1876). "Notes on a small Collection brought by Lieut. L. Cameron, C.B., from Angola". ''Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London'' 1876: 678–679. (''Phractogonus scalper'', new species, pp. 678–679, illustration, three views of head).
Monopeltis
Endemic fauna of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Reptiles of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Reptiles described in 1876
Taxa named by Albert Günther
{{amphisbaenidae-stub