Megatyphlops, Broadley & Wallach, 2009

Broadley, Donald G. & Wallach, Van, 2009, 2255, Zootaxa 2255, pp. 1-100 : 47

Megatyphlops gen. nov.

Giant blind-snakes

Type species. — Onychocephalus mucruso Peters, 1854 , Ber. Bekanntmach. Geeignet. Verhandl. Königl.- Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1854(11): 621.

Diagnosis. —An endemic African genus characterized by the following combination of characters: snout sharply angular in profile, with a keratinized horizontal edge in adults, supralabial imbrication pattern T-II or T-X, nasal shield incompletely divided and lacking posterior concavity, nostrils directed ventrally, inferior nasal suture contacting first or second supralabial or rostral ( Megatyphlops anomalus ), 3–7 postoculars, dorsal rostral broad (greater than 1/2 interocular head width), ventral rostral broad (greater than 1/2 internarial snout width), well-developed eye with discernible pupil, dorsum pigmented (often with lineate, mottled or blotched pattern), and vestigial left lung present. Other typical characters include 30–44 midbody scale rows, robust body (length/width 17–58), and large size (maximum length 350–950 mm).

Distribution. —Endemic to eastern and southern Africa.

Content. —Four species.