Afrotyphlops fornasinii (Bianconi)

Broadley, Donald G. & Wallach, Van, 2009, 2255, Zootaxa 2255, pp. 1-100 : 27-29

Afrotyphlops fornasinii (Bianconi)

( Fig. 4A)

Fornasini’s dwarf blind-snake

Typhlops fornasini Bianconi, 1849a: 107 (incorrect original spelling). Type locality: “ Mozambico ” [= Mozambique], collected by C. Fornasini , holotype MBI; Bianconi, 1849b: 203; Bocage, 1895: 64, 1896a: 99; Branch 1986: 285; Wallach, 1993b: 33; Frank & Ramus, 1995: 253; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102.

Typhlops fornasinii Bianconi, 1850a: 183 , pl. 6, fig. 1, 1850b in 1850–1870: 13, pl. 3, fig. 1; Jan, 1863: 12, 1864: 17; Jan & Sordelli, 1864c: 4, pl. 5, fig. 5, pl. 6, fig. 5; Peters, 1882: 94, pl. 15, fig. 3; Boulenger, 1893: 38, 1910: 497; FitzSimons, F., 1912 & 1919: 52; Werner, 1921: 313; Schmidt, 1923: 33; Barbour & Loveridge, 1929: 357; Rose, 1950: 252, 1955: 74, 1962: 320; Brynard & Pienaar, 1960: 31; FitzSimons, V., 1962: 65, fig. 4, 1966a: 37, 1970 & 1974: 65, 1978: 55; Isemonger, 1968: 81, 1983: 84; Laurent, 1964: 421, 1968: 1; Broadley, 1973: 20, 1978: 29, 1983: 40, fig. 4, 1998c: 385, 1990a: 40 & 377, fig. 4, 1990b: 485; 1992: 543; Roux-Estève, 1974: 146, figs. 13.23 & 97, 1975a: 492, fig. 30; Broadley & Cock, 1975: 101; Bruton & Haacke, 1975: 26, 1980: 262; Bourquin, 1977: 46, 1989: 20; Hahn, 1977: 37, 1980: 58; Poynton & Broadley, 1978: 941; Broadley & Blake, 1979: 10; Welch, 1982: 128, 1994: 67; Hughes, 1983: 354; Haagner & Els, 1986: 20; Branch, 1986: 290, 1988a & 1994: 47, pl. 40, 1988b: 11, 1998: 54, pl. 40; Marais, 1992: 178, 3 figs., 286, 2 figs.; Meirte, 1992: 22; Wallach, 1993a: 217, 1993b: 33, 1998a: 183, 1998b: 370; Haagner, 1994: 34; Broadley & Kalk, 1995: 322; Mattison, 1999: 147; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102; Webb et al., 2001: 559; Murphy, 2003: 552; Brogard, 2005: 115; Schneider et al., 2005: 116; Alexan- der & Marais, 2007: 52, 2 figs.; Maritz & Alexander, 2009: 6.

Onychocephalus mossambicus Peters, 1854 , Ber. Bekanntmach. Geeignet. Verhandl. Königl.-Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1854(11): 621. Type locality: “Insulae Mossambique et Anjoana” [= Mozambique Island and Nzwani, Comoro Islands], syntypes MCZ 21007 (formerly ZMB 3948), ZMB 3949–50, 63441 (formerly ZMB 3949), collected by W.C.H. Peters, June 1843 – March 1847 (Anjoana syntype presumably lost fide Bauer et al., 2002: 161 ); Peters, 1855: 50, 1882: 93, pl. 15, fig. 2; Lichtenstein, 1856: 21; Günther, 1866: 25; Barbour & Loveridge, 1929: 310; Fitz- Simons, V., 1962, 66, 1966a: 38; Roux-Estève, 1974: 146; Hahn, 1980: 58; Bauer et al., 1995: 78, 2002: 161; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102.

Onychocephalus trilobus Peters, 1854 , Ber. Bekanntmach. Geeignet. Verhandl. Königl.-Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1854(11): 621. Type locality: “Lourenzo-Marques, Inhambane ” [= Maputo and Inhambane, Mozambique], syntypes MCZ 21006 (formerly ZMB 3917), ZMB 3915–16, collected by W.C.H. Peters, July–November 1846; Peters, 1855: 50, 1860: 80; Lichtenstein, 1856: 21; Barbour & Loveridge, 1929: 310; FitzSimons, V., 1962, 65, 1966a: 37; Roux- Estève, 1974: 146; Hahn, 1980: 58; Bauer et al., 1995: 78, 2002: 162; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102.

Ophtalmidion (sic) mossambicus Jan, 1857: 43 .

Onychocephalus tettensis Peters, 1860 , Mber. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1860(2): 80. Type locality: “Mossambique, Tette” [= Tete, Mozambique], holotype ZMB 3944, collected by W.C.H. Peters, December 1844 – September 1845; Peters, 1882: 92, pl. 15, fig. 1; Roux-Estève, 1974: 146; Hahn, 1980: 58; Bauer et al., 1995: 78, 2002: 162; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102.

Typhlops (Ophthalmidion) bianconii Jan & Sordelli, 1860: 1 , pl. 5, fig. 3, pl. 6, fig. 3. Type locality: “Mosambique,” by restriction of type locality by Jan, 1863: 13, holotype MZUT fide Jan, 1864: 23 (contra MSNM fide Jan & Sordelli, 1860: 1 ); Jan, 1863: 13, 1864: 23; Hahn, 1980: 58; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102.

Typhlops (Typhlops) fornasinii — Jan, 1863: 12; Hahn, 1980: 58.

Typhlops (Ophthalmidion) mossambicus — Jan, 1863: 13; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102.

Typhlops bianconii — Jan, 1863: 13; Roux-Estève, 1974: 146.

Typhlops mossambicus — Jan & Sordelli, 1864c: 4, pl. 5, fig. 3, pl. 6, fig. 3; Jan, 1864: 22; Peters, 1882: 93, pl. 15, fig. 2; Boulenger, 1887:174, 1893: 41, 1908a: 227, 1910: 498, 1915b: 615; Bocage, 1896a: 99; Sclater, 1898: 97; Gough, 1908: 18; FitzSimons, F., 1910: 26, 1912 & 1919: 52; Sternfeld, 1908b: 242; Werner, 1921: 314; Schmidt, 1923: 33; Loveridge, 1924: 3; Essex, 1927: 925, figs. 77–78; Barbour & Loveridge, 1929: 357; Pitman, 1938 & 1974: pl. 1, fig. 1; Rose, 1950: 252, 1955: 74, 1962: 320; Brynard & Pienaar, 1960: 31; FitzSimons, V., 1962: 66, fig. 5, 1966a: 38, 1970 & 1974: 66, 1978: 56; Isemonger, 1962: 93, 1968: 83, 1983: 87; Laurent, 1964: 421; Pooley, 1965: 47; Hahn, 1977: 35, 1980: 58; Welch, 1982: 128; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102.

Typhlops tettensis — Peters 1882: 92, pl. 15, fig. 1; Boulenger, 1915b: 615; Werner, 1921: 314; Schmidt, 1923: 33; Broadley, 1961: 3; Hahn, 1980: 58; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102; Brogard, 2005: 116.

Typhlops trilobus — Peters 1882, pl. 15, fig. 3.

Typhlops tetensis (sic)— Bocage, 1896a: 99.

Typhlops mossombicus (sic)— Werner, 1921: 336; Hahn, 1980: 58; McDiarmid et al., 1999: 102.

Typhlops bianconi — FitzSimons, V., 1966a: 38.

Rhinotyphlops fornasinii — Broadley & Wallach, 2000: 167.

Description. Snout rounded, prominent. Rostral broad and slightly pointed behind; frontal small, subhexagonal; supraocular transverse, its lateral apex between preocular and ocular; eye beneath or slightly behind the anterior border of the ocular; nasal often completely divided, the nasal sulcus arising from the first labial; SIP T-II-O (N2, P/O, O, O); MSR 22–26, reduction A/B 0 to 2, B/C 0–4; MD 232–286 (mean 260.7, n = 35); vertebrae 144–160 (mean 154.3, n = 24); MD/V ratio 1.52–1.77 (mean 1.69, n = 23); L/D ratio 28–45 (mean 33.6, n = 28). Dark grey to black, with irregular yellowish patches below, especially on throat and cloacal region. Largest specimen (PEM 12121—Shangwane, Zululand, South Africa) has a total length of 185 mm.

Distribution. Coastal Mozambique and its offshore islands, extending into southeastern Zimbabwe and northern KwaZulu-Natal, NSL- 65 m ( Fig. 14).

Localities. MOZAMBIQUE. No precise locality MNHN 178 , 3213 ; Bazaruto Island NMZB 10002 , 11444 ; Benguerua Island NMZB 11395–97 ; Inhaca Island NMZB-UM 2301 ; Inhambane MCZ 21006 (syntype of Onychocepphalus trilobus Peters ) ; Inharrime NMZB-UM 25586 ; Lourenco-Marques MCZ 41947 ; Magaruque Island NMZB 10012 ; Maputo NMZB 11931–32 ; TMP 4829 , 4831–35 , 4841 , 4843–47 , 4849–50 ; ZMB 3915–16 ; Matola CZL 1 ; Mauele CZL 1157–59 ; Maxixe SAM 44553 ; Mozambique Island MCZ 21007 (syntype of Onychocephalus mossambicus Peters ) , ZMB 3949 (2) , 3950 (syntypes of Onychocephalus mossambicus Peters ); Tete (?) ZMB 3944 ; Vundiça TMP 29461 . ZIMBABWE. Malugwe Pan, Gonarezhou National Park NMZB-UM 12329 . SOUTH AFRICA (Kwazulu-Natal). Mseleni TMP 4830 , 4836–38 , 4848 ; Shangwane, Tembe Elephant Park PEM 12119–21 , 12123 , 12173–77 ; Sibaya Research Station TMP 46022 ; Sodwara Bay Park TMP 46001 .