De Coster's Worm-Lizard

About the De Coster's Worm-Lizard

De Coster's worm lizard (Monopeltis decosteri), also known commonly as De Coster's spade-snouted worm lizard and De Coster's worm-lizard, is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is indigenous to southern Africa.

The specific name, decosteri, is in honor of Belgian Consul Juste De Coster, who was stationed at Delagoa Bay, Mozambique. M. decosteri is found in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The preferred natural habitat of M. decosteri is moist savanna with sandy soil.

In life M. decosteri is pinkish white dorsally and ventrally. Preserved specimens in alcohol are yellowish white. Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in), but the maximum recorded SVL is 29 cm (11 in).

M. decosteri is viviparous. Bates MF, Branch WR, Bauer AM, Burger M, Marais J, Alexander GJ, de Villiers MS (editors) (2014). Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata 1. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). xvii + 485 pp. ISBN 978-1-919976-84-6. (Monopeltis... Wikipedia →