Added 11 February 2014.
Boulenger gives the following characteristics for the genus: pair of large prefrontals and a frontal; nasal large and lateral, semidivided, bordering the lip; preanal scales enlarged.
According to Kofron, dorsal scales and scale rows around the body are the only characteristics for diagnosing the species.
|
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
|
Anomalepis |
||||
|
A. aspinosus |
Taylor's Peru Blind Snake |
Peru |
Max TL 1m: avg TL 40cm |
Scalation count: neck 28-31, midbody 24-26, preanal 24; 320-343 dorsal scales along midline. [SOURCE: Marx]. |
|
A. colombia |
Colombia Blind Snake? |
Colombia |
Max TL 17cm |
Scalation count: neck 32, midbody 28, preanal 26; 365 dorsal scales along midline. Other: Coloration: light brown with lighter-edged scales; ventral coloration same as dorsal coloration [SOURCE: Marx] |
|
A. flavipices |
Ecuador Blind Snake |
NW Ecuador |
Max TL |
Scalation count: 26 scale rows at midbody; 304-308 scale rows from rostral to tail tip. Coloration: lacks brown pigment on yellowish-white head and end of tail. The holotype of the species was dorsally dark brown and ventrally lighter brown, but the paratype was “bleached completely white” [SOURCE: Peters]. |
|
A. mexicanus |
Mexican Blind Snake |
Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama. |
TL 13cm |
The Reptile Database entry queries the distribution of this species in Mexico. Scalation details: nostrils lateral; rostral rather small; prefrontals and frontal subequal in size, the former forming a median suture; supraoculars well developed; 2 superposed preoculars, of which lower contacts the 2 labials; 2 small suboculars; 2 supralabials. Scalation count: neck 28, midbody 22, preanal 22; 267-272 dorsal scales along midline. Other: snout rounded, moderately prominent; eye distinguishable under ocular; tail broader than long, rounded. Coloration: reddish brown, lighter on lower surfaces; scales have yellowish-white border. [SOURCE: Boulenger, Marx] |
“A new worm snake from Colombia, Genus Anomalepis”, Hymen Marx, Fieldiana Zoology, Vol 34 No 17, Chicago Natural History Museum, June 24 1953. Gives details for A. colombia and also comparative scalation details for A. aspinosus and A. mexicanus.
Also of relevance to this genus, but only read in abstract:
“The central and south american blindsnakes of the genus Anomalepis”, Christopher C Kofron, Amphibia-Reptilia, Volume 9, Issue 1, 1988.