Class Reptilia Rank Species | Subphylum Vertebrata Suborder Serpentes Genus Rhinotyphlops Phylum Chordata Order Scaled reptiles | |
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Similar Rhinotyphlops, Afrotyphlops schlegelii, Scaled reptiles, Typhlops bibronii, Prosymna | ||
Rhinotyphlops lalandei (Delalande's beaked blind snake) is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family. It is endemic to southern Africa.
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Etymology
The specific name, lalandei, is in honor of French naturalist Pierre Antoine Delalande.
Description
R. lalandei is a slender, pinkish-grey, blind snake, which has a pointed nose that it uses for burrowing.
Maximum snout-vent length (SVL) 35 cm (13 3⁄4 in). Scales arranged in 26-30 rows around the body. More than 300 dorsal scales in the vertebral row.
Nostrils located below the sharp horizontal cutting edge of the snout. Diameter of body 35 to 50 times in the total length. Tail as broad as long, or broader than long, ending in a spine.
Geographic range
It occurs throughout the eastern half of Southern Africa, as far south as Cape Town and with isolated populations in western parts such as Namibia.
Habitat
It can be found in a variety of habitats including semidesert, savannah, coastal bush, and fynbos.
Reproduction
This species is oviparous. The female lays a clutch of 2-4 eggs. The hatchlings are flesh-colored.