A new species of Anilios (Scolecophidia: Typhlopidae) from Central Australia

Abstract

Anilios fossor sp. nov. is described from a single specimen collected in 1989 from Ruby Gap Nature Park, Northern Territory. The species differs from all other Anilios species in the combination of 20 midbody scales, 514 dorsal scales, a rounded, non-angulate snout in lateral and dorsal profile, a nasal cleft contacting the second supralabial and not extending to the head dorsum, and a large round rostral shield in dorsal view. It is unclear whether the paucity of material of this species represents a limited distribution, or poor sampling in a remote, sparsely settled part of the continent. Evidence for the recognition of the Australian typhlopid fauna as a distinct genus Anilios is critically reviewed, and the genus is found to be recognizable only on genetic evidence. Some other recent nomenclatural and taxonomic changes in the Australian typhlopid fauna are considered and rejected.

A new middle Pleistocene small vertebrate fauna from the Nagyharsány Crystal Cave (Villány Hills, Southern Hungary)

“…Scolecophidian vertebrae have been unearthed from more samples (I/2, I/3, I/5, II/1, III/1, and III/2), but most of the remains originate from sample I/1. All scolecophidian species have fossorial or cryptozoic habits (e.g., França & Braz 2013;Shea 2015;Webb et al 2001) so the remains which belong to this infraorder, possibly also suggest a forest environment close to the former depositional area.…”

A typhlopid hotspot in the tropics: increased blindsnake diversity in the Kimberley region of Western Australia with the description of a new Anilios species (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)

“…Species described on the basis of morphological data alone, A. insperatus Venchi, Wilson & Borsboom, 2015, A. fossor Shea, 2015and A. zonula Ellis, 2016, have been allocated to Anilios solely on geographic grounds, whereas A. systenos Ellis &Doughty in Ellis et al, 2017 andA. obtusifrons Ellis &Doughty in Ellis et al, 2017 were assigned to the genus based on phylogenetic relationships inferred from molecular data (Shea 2015;Venchi et al 2015;Ellis 2016;Ellis et al 2017).…”