Typhlops diardii Schlegel, 1839

Grismer, L. Lee, Neang, Thy, Chav, Thou, Wood, Perry L., Jr & Oaks, Jamie R., 2008, Additional Amphibians And Reptiles From The Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary In Northwestern Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia, With Comments On Their Taxonomy And The Discovery Of Three New Species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 56 (1), pp. 161-175 : 171

Typhlops diardii Schlegel, 1839

( Fig. 16)

Material examined. – LSUHC 7969 : Che Teal Chrum, 12 Aug.2006 .

Remarks. – A single juvenile (SVL 97 mm) matches Wallach’s (2001) diagnosis reasonably well in having the preocular scale separate from the nasal scale; inferior nasal suture contacting the second supralabial; two postoculars; 28 midbody scale rows reducing to 24 posteriorly; eight rows of subcaudal scales; eye distinct with a pupil; parietals twice as broad as deep; and a gradual, lateral transition between the opaquely purple dorsal coloration (specimen nearly ready to shed) and the cream-colored venter. It differs from Wallach’s (2001) diagnosis in having 383 total middorsal scales as opposed to 298–341 ( Wallach, 2001:40; n = 6). In this regard, it falls within the range of T. muelleri (298–402), which has been reported from the central Cardamoms (Stuart & Emmett, 2006).

Although this is the first record of this species from Cambodia, it has been reported to range from India to Thailand and Vietnam (see David & Vogel, 1996) so its occurrence in Cambodia is not unexpected. The specimen was dug up from a garden by a villager.