Afrotyphlops, Broadley & Wallach, 2009

Broadley, Donald G. & Wallach, Van, 2009, 2255, Zootaxa 2255, pp. 1-100 : 76-77

Key to the species of Afrotyphlops in eastern and southern Africa

(note: due to variation in most diagnostic characters, some species appear twice in this key)

1a. A subocular scale usually separates preocular from second and third labials............................................................ 2

1b. No subocular scale separating preocular from second and third labials..................................................................... 3

2a. A blue-grey lineolate dorsal pattern, with or without superimposed black blotches; midbody scale rows 26–28; middorsals 404–463; Usambara Mt ............................................................................................................. A. gierrai

2b. Dorsum uniform black or blotched black and white; midbody scale rows 30–34; middorsals 464–542; Udzungwa, Ukaguru, and Uluguru Mts. ............................................................................................................... A. nigrocandidus

3a. Middorsals less than 310; less than 200 mm in total length....................................................................................... 4

3b. Middorsals more than 310; usually more than 200 mm in total length ...................................................................... 5

4a. Midbody scale rows 22–26; middorsals 232–286; uniform grey-brown to black above and below, yellow patches below head and posterior venter .............................................................................................................. A. fornasinii

4b. Midbody scale rows 30; middorsals 287–291; dorsum lineolate, venter immaculate...................... A. nanus sp. nov.

5a. Preocular not contacting supralabials; dorsal scales in 28 rows throughout (no reductions caudally); inferior nasal suture arising from between first and second infralabials ....................................................................... A. kaimosae

5b. Preocular contacting supralabials; dorsal scale rows with some reductions caudally; inferior nasal suture arising from first supralabial and/or rostral ........................................................................................................................... 6

6a. Supraocular with lateral apex between ocular and preocular ..................................................................................... 7

6b. Supraocular with lateral apex between preocular and nasal.................................................................................... 12

7a. Ocular overlapped by second supralabial (T-0) ........................................................................................... A. bibronii

7b. Ocular not overlapped by second supralabial (T-X) .................................................................................................. 8

8a. Preocular usually overlapped by second supralabial ................................................................................................. 9

8b. Preocular not overlapped by second supralabial ...................................................................................................... 11

9a. Eye beneath ocular................................................................................................................................................... 10

9b. Eye beneath preocular or ocular/preocular border .................................................................................. A. angolensis

10a. Midbody scale rows 28–32; eye beneath ocular/preocular border; Ethiopian highlands ......................... A. blanfordii

10b. Midbody scale rows 26–28; eye beneath preocular; Congo Basin forests ............................................. A. steinhausi

11a. Dorsum heavily blotched with black, venter immaculate; midbody scale rows 26–30; supraoculars transverse ....... .................................................................................................................................................................. A. congestus

11b. Dorsum with lineate or punctate pattern, venter blotched or spotted like dorsum; midbody scale rows 30–34; supraoculars oblique ................................................................................................................................. A. punctatus

12a. Preocular overlapped by second supralabial............................................................................................................. 13

12b. Preocular not overlapped by second supralabial ...................................................................................................... 15

13a. Midbody scale rows 30–34; supraocular wedged between ocular and preocular; venter pigmented like dorsum ...... .................................................................................................................................................................. A. punctatus

13b. Midbody scale rows 22–26; supraocular wedged between preocular and nasal; venter immaculate ..................... 14

14a. Supraocular larger than frontal .............................................................................................................. A. rondoensis

14b. Frontal larger than supraocular ................................................................................................................... A. schmidti

15a. Ocular overlapped by second supralabial (T-II) ....................................................................................................... 16

15b. Ocular not overlapped by second supralabial (T-X) ................................................................................................ 17

16a. Midbody scale rows 26–32 [eye beneath ocular/preocular border; supraocular transverse] .................... A. lineolatus

16b. Midbody scale rows 22–24; [eye beneath ocular shield; supraocular oblique] .................................. A. tanganicanus

17a. Dorsum heavily blotched with black; venter immaculate; midbody scale rows 26–28 ...................... A. usambaricus

17b. Dorsum, and often venter, usually lineolate or spotted ........................................................................................... 18

18a. Midbody scale rows 26–32 ....................................................................................................................... A. lineolatus

18b. Midbody scale rows 22–26 ....................................................................................................................................... 19

19a. Ocular overlapped (or nearly so) by second supralabial; SE Tanzania.............................................. A. tanganicanus

19b. Preocular overlapped (or nearly so) by second supralabial; E Angola, SE Democratic Republic of the Congo, N Zambia........................................................................................................................................................ A. schmidti