Added 1 February 2003

Family Amphisbaenidae

Introduction

The family Amphisbaenidae contains by far the largest number of genera and species of the suborder Amphisbaena. The following is a list of the genera and their general characteristics and distribution.

Please note that due to the general paucity of readily available knowledge about these creatures, this list is an ongoing work and will probably take some time to complete. Links will be provided from genus names to a list of their species when such information is available.

QUICK INDEX

Amphisbaena Ancyclocranium Anops

Aulura Baikia Blanus

Bronia Cercolophia Cherindia

Cynisca Dalophia Geocalamus

Leposternon Loveridgea Mesobaena

Monopeltis Rhineura Zygaspis

Genus Common Name No. of species Distribution Notes

Amphisbaena 66 Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guiana, Surinam, French Guiana, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Trinidad, Ecuador, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Hispaniola, Virgin Islands Mainly South America (not Chile), also Caribbean

Ancyclocranium Sharp-Snouted Worm Lizards 3 Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopian E African genus

Anops 2 Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina

Aulura 1 Brazil

Baikia 1 Nigeria and Cameroon

Blanus 4 Morocco, Portugal, Spain, W Turkey, Greece (Rhodos, Kos, Cyprus), Lebanon, poss. Israel (but may be extinct), Syria, N Iraq Mostly Moroccan

Bronia 9 N S America, Ecuador, Colombia,
N Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Caribbean, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana ?, Trinidad, Tobago ?, Paraguay, Argentinia

Cercolophia 4 Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia

Chirindia Pink Round-Headed Worm Lizards 5 Tanzania, Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique Rounded head with extensive fusion of head shields (usually the nasal, 1st upper labial and prefrontal, and sometimes other shields, are all fused behind the rostral into 1-2 large shields).

Cynisca 17 Congo, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Liberia, Cameroon, Senegal, probably in S Mali

Dalophia Blunt-Tailed Worm Lizards 7 Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Caprivi Strip, Congo, Republic of South Africa, Mozambique

Geocalamus Wedge-Snouted Worm Lizards 2 Kenya, Tanzania Compressed snout, well-developed pectoral shields.

Leposternon 6 Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay,
N Argentina Mainly Brazilian genus

Loveridgea Round-Snouted Worm Lizards Tanzania Slender and small. Long conical heads, snout compressed and very bent.

Mesobaena 1 Venezuela, Colombia

Monopeltis Spade-Snouted Worm Lizards 19 Angola, N Namibia, Botswana, Congo, Republic of South Africa, S Mozambique, SE Zimbabwe, Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, Rio Muni, Malawi Large species, found mainly in Congo. Broad horizontal-shaped snout covered with 1-2 large horny shields. Nasals are always separated by rostral. Pectoral region usually has enlarged long smooth shields. Body is cylindrical with <300 annuli counted along the belly.

Rhineura 1 USA (Florida, Georgia) Sometimes counted as a separate family, the Rhineuridae

Zygaspis Purple Round-Headed Worm Lizards 6 Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Congo, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa Small and stout species: distinct nasal, prefrontal and ocular scales.

Bibliography

Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa, W Kästle, H H Schleich and K Kabisch, Koeltz Scientific Books, Germany 1996. Outstanding review of N African herpetofauna giving detailed account of each species.

Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa by Stephen Spawls, Kim Howell, Robert Drewes and James Ashe. Detailed and invaluable review of all reptile species in the region.

Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa, Bill Branch, Struik. Very good overview of all reptiles in the region with identification details.

Links

Back to Amphisbaenians | Back to Reptiles | Back to Herpetology | Back to HomePage

	QUICK INDEX
Amphisbaena	Ancyclocranium	Anops
Aulura	Baikia	Blanus
Bronia	Cercolophia	Cherindia
Cynisca	Dalophia	Geocalamus
Leposternon	Loveridgea	Mesobaena
Monopeltis	Rhineura	Zygaspis

Genus	Common Name	No. of species	Distribution	Notes
Amphisbaena		66	Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guiana, Surinam, French Guiana, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Trinidad, Ecuador, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Hispaniola, Virgin Islands	Mainly South America (not Chile), also Caribbean
Ancyclocranium	Sharp-Snouted Worm Lizards	3	Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopian	E African genus
Anops		2	Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina
Aulura		1	Brazil
Baikia		1	Nigeria and Cameroon
Blanus		4	Morocco, Portugal, Spain, W Turkey, Greece (Rhodos, Kos, Cyprus), Lebanon, poss. Israel (but may be extinct), Syria, N Iraq	Mostly Moroccan
Bronia		9	N S America, Ecuador, Colombia, N Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Caribbean, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana ?, Trinidad, Tobago ?, Paraguay, Argentinia
Cercolophia		4	Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia
Chirindia	Pink Round-Headed Worm Lizards	5	Tanzania, Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique	Rounded head with extensive fusion of head shields (usually the nasal, 1st upper labial and prefrontal, and sometimes other shields, are all fused behind the rostral into 1-2 large shields).
Cynisca		17	Congo, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Liberia, Cameroon, Senegal, probably in S Mali
Dalophia	Blunt-Tailed Worm Lizards	7	Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Caprivi Strip, Congo, Republic of South Africa, Mozambique
Geocalamus	Wedge-Snouted Worm Lizards	2	Kenya, Tanzania	Compressed snout, well-developed pectoral shields.
Leposternon		6	Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, N Argentina	Mainly Brazilian genus
Loveridgea	Round-Snouted Worm Lizards		Tanzania	Slender and small. Long conical heads, snout compressed and very bent.
Mesobaena		1	Venezuela, Colombia
Monopeltis	Spade-Snouted Worm Lizards	19	Angola, N Namibia, Botswana, Congo, Republic of South Africa, S Mozambique, SE Zimbabwe, Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, Rio Muni, Malawi	Large species, found mainly in Congo. Broad horizontal-shaped snout covered with 1-2 large horny shields. Nasals are always separated by rostral. Pectoral region usually has enlarged long smooth shields. Body is cylindrical with <300 annuli counted along the belly.
Rhineura		1	USA (Florida, Georgia)	Sometimes counted as a separate family, the Rhineuridae
Zygaspis	Purple Round-Headed Worm Lizards	6	Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Congo, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa	Small and stout species: distinct nasal, prefrontal and ocular scales.