Angolan spade-snouted worm lizard

About the Angolan spade-snouted worm lizard

Monopeltis anchietae, also known commonly as Anchieta's worm lizard, Anchieta's spade-snouted worm lizard, and the Angolan spade-snouted worm lizard, is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is native to southern Africa.

The specific name, anchietae, is in honor of Portuguese naturalist José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta, who was an explorer of Africa. M. anchietae is found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia (including the Caprivi Strip), and Zambia.

The preferred natural habitat of M. anchietae is savanna, at altitudes of 500–1,200 m (1,600–3,900 ft). M. anchietae is reddish brown dorsally, and unpigmented ventrally. The head shields are yellowish tan. Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in). The maximum recorded SVL is 34.5 cm (13.6 in).

M. anchietae is viviparous. Auerbach RD (1987). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana. Gaborone, Botswana: Mokwepa Consultants. 295 pp. ISBN 978-9991201139. (Monopeltis anchietae, p. 139). Bocage JVB (1873). "Reptiles nouveaux de l'intérieur de Mossamedes ". Jornal... Wikipedia →