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Type: Articles
Published: 2011-09-14
Page range: 63-64
Abstract views: 53
PDF downloaded: 34

The type species of the threadsnake genus Tricheilostoma Jan revisited (Squamata, Leptotyphlopidae)

Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, PA 16802 USA
Reptilia Squamata Leptotyphlopidae

Abstract

For most of the last 150 years, Tricheilostoma Jan, 1860 has resided in the synonymy of other snake genera such as Glauconia Gray, 1845 and Leptotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 (Boulenger, 1893; McDiarmid et al., 1999). Thus there has been less practical concern over the identity of the type species. This changed recently with the proposal of a new classification of the family Leptotyphlopidae and resurrection of the Genus Tricheilostoma (Adalsteinsson et al., 2009). Pinto et al. (2010) alluded to a potential taxonomic problem with the type species of that genus, but determined that no change was necessary. However, the problem remains and affects 15 species of South American and African snakes. The purpose of this note is to resolve the issue and make the necessary taxonomic changes.

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