Added 13 February 2014.
Boulenger gives the following characteristics for the genus: head with large scales; pair of large prefrontals and a frontal; nostril between two nasals.
|
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
|
Helminthophis |
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|
H. flavoterminatus |
Yellowtail Blind Snake |
N Colombia, NW Venezuela |
TL 30cm |
Scalation details: rostral not half width of head, not extending to level of the eyes, separated from frontal by prefrontals, the latter forming a suture with each other; frontal broad; 2 superposed preoculars and 1 subocular; 4 supralabials of which 1st largest, 3rd in contact with ocular. Scalation count: midbody 24. Other: eye visible beneath ocular. Coloration: brown, each scale darker in centre; head and tail yellow [SOURCE: Boulenger]. |
|
H. frontalis |
Costa Rica Blind Snake |
Costa Rica, Panama |
TL 15cm |
Scalation details: rostral not half width of head, not extending to level of the eyes, separated from frontal by prefrontals, the latter forming a suture with each other; frontal broad; 1 preocular and 2 suboculars; 4 supralabials of which 1st largest; ocular very small. Scalation count: midbody 22. Other: eye visible beneath ocular. Coloration: dark brown; head and anal region whitish [SOURCE: Boulenger]. |
|
H. praeocularis |
Preocular Blind Snake |
Colombia |
TL 21cm |
Scalation details: 1 supraocular between ocular and frontal; 1 preocular forming rear border of prefrontal between frontal and upper nasal; 4 supralabials, of which 3rd in contact with ocular; according to Dunn, some specimens may have smooth head scales, others tubercles on the frontal or on all upper head scales; 2 enlarged preanal scales. Scalation count: 20 scale rows at midbody. Coloration: uniform dark with head and nape light and some light at or near tip of tail; [SOURCE: Dunn, Peters & Donso-Barros]. |