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Monopeltis rhodesiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monopeltis rhodesiana
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Amphisbaenidae
Genus: Monopeltis
Species:
M. rhodesiana
Binomial name
Monopeltis rhodesiana
Synonyms[1]
  • Monopeltis capensis rhodesianus
    Broadley, Gans & Visser, 1976
  • Monopeltis rhodesianus
    — Broadley, 1988
  • Monopeltis rhodesiana
    — Broadley, 1997

Monopeltis rhodesiana is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is native to southern Africa.

Geographic range

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M. rhodesiana is found in southern Malawi, central Mozambique, southern Zambia, and northwestern Zimbabwe.[1]

Habitat

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The preferred natural habitat of M. rhodesiana is mesic savanna, with alluvial soil.[2]

Description

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M. rhodesiana is pinkish, both dorsally and ventrally. Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in). The maximimum recorded SVL is 28.5 cm (11.2 in). The tail is short, with only 5–9 caudal annuli.[2]

Reproduction

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The mode of reproduction of M. rhodesiana is unknown.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Monopeltis rhodesiana at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 24 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Monopeltis rhodesiana, pp. 125–126 + Plate 41).

Further reading

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  • Broadley DG (1997). "A review of the Monopeltis capensis complex in southern Africa (Reptilia: Amphisbaenidae)". African Journal of Herpetology 46 (1): 1–12.
  • Broadley DG, Gans C, Visser J (1976). "Studies on Amphisbaenians (Amphisbaenia, Reptilia). 6. The Genera Monopeltis and Dalophia in Southern Africa". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 157: 311–486. (Monopeltis capensis rhodesianus, new subspecies, pp. 394–398, Figures 56–59).
  • Gans C (2005). "Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphisbaenia of the World". Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist. (289): 1–130. (Monopeltis rhodesianus, p. 37).