Liotyphlops cf. ternetzii (Boulenger, 1896)

Guedes, Thaís B., Nogueira, Cristiano & Marques, Otavio A. V., 2014, Diversity, natural history, and geographic distribution of snakes in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 3863 (1), pp. 1-93 : 18

Liotyphlops cf. ternetzii (Boulenger, 1896) “Cobra-cega”

(Figs. 8.2 and 21.1)

Only one specimen, recorded in state of Ceará, Parque Nacional de Ubajara, Ibiapaba-Araripe Plateau, 519 m elevation. The nominal species L. ternetzii is widespread along central Brazilian Cerrado ( Nogueira et al. 2010, 2011). The single specimen was collected in arboreal caatinga next to a river on red-yellow latosols (Loebmann 2009; Loebmann & Haddad 2010), but we believe its presence in the Caatinga may be associated to elevated plateaus with cerrado vegetation. The species has fossorial habits, is nocturnal, and feeds mostly on arthropods ( Parpinelli & Marques 2008).