Letheobia Cope, 1869, 1868

Broadley, Donald G. & Wallach, Van, 2009, 2255, Zootaxa 2255, pp. 1-100 : 65-66

Letheobia Cope, 1869

Gracile blind-snakes

Letheobia Cope, 1869: 322 . Type species: Letheobia caecus ( Duméril, 1856) , by subsequent designation of Peters, 1881: 70; Broadley & Wallach, 2007b: 38.

Diagnosis.– A genus characterized by the following combination of characters: snout bluntly rounded or angular in profile, with keratinized horizontal edge, body usually unpigmented and elongate (L/W ratio 45–120), normally completely blind (eyespot rarely visible), T-X or T-II supralabial imbrication pattern, dorsal rostral broad (greater than 1/2 head width) and usually extending posterior to ocular level, ventral rostral broad (greater than 1/2 internarial snout width), nostrils directed ventrally, 3–5 postoculars, and very short tail (less than 2% total length). Other typical characters include high number of middorsals (335–735), midbody scale rows 18–30, ocular shield often reduced, and inferior nasal suture contacting supralabial 1 or 2.

Distribution.– Subsaharan Africa and extreme southwestern Asia.

Content. –33 species. In addition to the 22 species covered by Broadley & Wallach (2007b), the 11 extralimital species below are referred to Letheobia based on internal and external morphology:

1. Typhlops acutirostratus Andersson, 1916 , Meddel. Göteborgs Mus. Zool. Afd. 17(5): 23, fig. 3. Type locality: “ Irebu , Belgian Congo” [= Democratic Republic of the Congo], holotype NHMG 1375 , collected by Capt. Göransson , 1910.

= Letheobia acutirostrata (Andersson)

2. Onychocephalus caecus Duméril, 1856 , Rev. Mag. Zool., (2) 8(10): 462, pl. 21, fig. 4. Type locality: “ Gabon,” syntypes MNHN 1063 & 1063A, collected by Aubry.

= Letheobia caeca (Duméril)

3. Typhlops crossii Boulenger, 1893 , Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., 1: 52, pl. 3, fig. 5. Type locality: “Asaba, 180 miles up the Niger, West Africa,” holotype BMNH 1946.1.11.55 (formerly BMNH 1892.6.23.3), donated by J. W. Crosse (W. H. Crosse fide Boulenger, 1895b: 32 ).

= Letheobia crossii (Boulenger)

4. Rhinotyphlops episcopus Franzen & Wallach, 2002 , J. Herpetol., 36(2): 177, figs. 1–2. Type locality: “ 3 km N Halfeti , Sanliurfa Province, Turkey,” holotype ZFMK 74224 , collected by W. Bischoff, 8 April 2000 .

= Letheobia episcopus (Franzen & Wallach)

5. Typhlops feae Boulenger, 1906 , Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova, (3) 2(42): 209, fig. 5. Type locality: “Vista Alegre, San Thomé” [= São Tomé & Príncipe], holotype MSNG 28871, collected by L. Fea, 1901. = Letheobia feae (Boulenger)

6. Typhlops leucostictus Boulenger, 1898a , Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (7) 1(2): 124. Type locality: “ Liberia,” holotype BMNH 1946.1 .11.24 (formerly BMNH 1897.5.8.16).

= Letheobia leucostictus (Boulenger)

7. Typhlops (Onychocephalus) newtoni Bocage, 1890 , Jorn. Sci. Math. Phys. Nat., (2) 2(5): 61. Type locality: “Ilheo das Rolas, ilot situé au sud de l’île St. Thomé” [= Rolas Island , south of São Tomé, Gulf of Guinea], holotype MBL 1890 (destroyed by fire 18 March 1978), collected by F. Newton.

= Letheobia newtoni (Bocage)

8. Letheobia pauwelsi Wallach, 2005 , Afr. J. Herpetol., 54(1): 86, fig. 1. Type locality: “ Mt. Iboundji , Ogooué Province, Gabon,” holotype IRSNB 2580 , collected by O.S.G. Pauwels, 18 November 2001 .

= Letheobia pauwelsi Wallach

9. Typhlops praeocularis Stejneger, 1894a , Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus., 16(970): 709. Type locality: “Leopoldville, or Stanley Pool, Congo Free State, Africa” [= Kinshasa , or Malebo Pool, Democratic Republic of the Congo], holotype USNM 20799 , collected by J. H. Camp.

= Letheobia praeocularis (Stejneger)

10. Onychocephalus simoni Boettger, 1879 , Ber. Senck. Naturf. Ges., 1878–1879: 58. Type locality: “Haiffa, Syriae” [= Israel], lectotype SMF 16673 (formerly SMF 7051, 1a) (designated by Mertens, 1967: 87), collected by H. Simon, 1879.

= Letheobia simoni (Boettger)

11. Typhlops stejnegeri Loveridge, 1931 , Copeia , 1931(3): 92, figs. 1–2. Type locality: Luebo District, Belgian Congo [= Democratic Republic of the Congo], holotype USNM 23979 , collected by D.W. Snyder.

= Letheobia stejnegeri (Loveridge)

Species accounts.– see Broadley & Wallach (2007b).