Xerotyphlops vermicularis (Merrem, 1820:158)

Wagner, Philipp, Bauer, Aaron M., Leviton, Alan E., Wilms, Thomas M. & Böhme, Wolfgang, 2016, A Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Afghanistan *, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (13), pp. 457-565 : 516

Xerotyphlops vermicularis (Merrem, 1820:158)

1820 Typhlops vermicularis Merrem, Versuch eines Systems der Amphibien — Tentamen Systematis Amphibiorum. Johann Christian Krieger, Marburg, Germany. XV+191 [German], XV +191 [Latin] pp., 1 pl.

TYPE (S).— Not located, from “Griechische Inseln, Asien/ in Archipelagi, Asia” [Greek islands and Asia], incorrectly restricted to “Griechische Inseln [= Greek islands]” by Mertens and Müller (1928).

SYNONYMS.— Typhlops persicus Blanford, 1874 from “in Persia meridionali”, is based on two syntypes ( ZSI 6899 and BMNH 1946.1.11. 87 [formerly BMNH 1874.11.25. 17]). Blanford (1876) specified the type locality as “Hills, north-east of Darján, between Karmán and Shiráz ” [ Iran]. Sclater (1891) and Das et al. (1998) recognized ZSI 6899 as the holotype, but Blanford (1876) explicitely referred to two type specimens. Therefore, the taxon is based on two syntypes rather than on one holotype (see e.g., McDiarmid et al. 1999:124).

LOCALITIES.— Chinkilok, N of Herat ( Boulenger 1889:101); Kishm (Keshem), near Dara-i-kur [Badakhshan Prov.] ( USNM 163539); Kunduz ( ZFMK 94241); Tala ( MZLU L947/3197) [see pl. 14, fig. 1 for distribution].

REMARKS.— Boulenger (1889:101) mentioned one specimen as “ Typhlops persicus ” from “camp at Chinkilok, north of Herat […] if not there, certainly between that and the Sang-khotal pass.”, that probably refers to BMNH 1886.9.21. 93. Sindaco et al. (2013) provided additional records from northern Afghanistan .