Liotyphlops is a genus of blind snakes in the family Anomalepididae. The genus is native to Central America and South America. Currently, 12 species are recognized as valid. – The Reptile Database.
Geographic range Species of Liotyphlops occur in Central America and South America, from Costa Rica southward to Paraguay.
Taxonomy Head scutellation characters are important for the identification of Liotyphlops species based on external morphology. The genus is characterized by fossorial and cryptozooic habits and is primarily nocturnal.
Species The following species are recognized as valid within the genus Liotyphlops.
Species Taxon author Common name Geographic range Liotyphlops albirostris T (W. Peters, 1857) — Southern Central America (including Costa Rica and Panama) and northern South America (Colombia, Ecuador, and north-central Venezuela). Also found on Curaçao. Liotyphlops anops (Cope, 1899) — Colombia (departments of Meta, Santander, and Cundinamarca). Liotyphlops argaleus Dixon & Kofron, 1984 — Colombia (Cundinamarca Department). Liotyphlops bondensis (Griffin, 1916) Armando’s blindsnake Colombia Liotyphlops caissara Centeno, Sawaya & Germano, 2010 — Brazil Liotyphlops haadi Silva-Haad, Franco & Maldonado, 2008 — Colombia Liotyphlops palauophis Marra Santos, 2023 — Colombia Liotyphlops schubarti Vanzolini, 1948 — Brazil (Pirassununga, São Paulo). Liotyphlops taylori Marra-Santos & Reis, 2018 — Brazil (Mato Grosso). Liotyphlops ternetzii (Boulenger, 1896) — Brazil (Pará, Goiás, São Paulo, and Mato Grosso), Paraguay, and Uruguay. Liotyphlops trefauti Freire, Caramasche & Suzart Argôlo, 2007 — Brazil Liotyphlops wilderi (Garman, 1883) — Brazil (Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro). T = Type species
Nota bene: A taxon author in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Liotyphlops.
References
Further reading Peters W (1881). "Einige herpetologische Mittheilungen. 1. Uebersicht der zu den Familien der Typhlopes und Stenostomi gehörigen Gattungen oder Untergattungen". Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin 1881 (4): 69–71. (Liotyphlops, new genus, p. 69). (in German). Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. . (Genus Liotyphlops, pp. 84, 86 + drawing of head scalation on p. 84). Goin CJ, Goin OB, Zug GR (1978). Introduction to Herpetology, Third Edition. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. xi + 378 pp. . (Genus Liotyphlops, p. 311).