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Leptotyphlops emini

L. emini.JPG

Range: African rift Valley region, from South Sudan through Uganda, Kenya, and the DRC to Tanzania and extreme eastern Zambia

 

A Rift Valley native, Emin Pasha’s worm snake is found in a broad elevational range (0-2200 meters) within regions from southern South Sudan to the southern end of Tanzania. It can grow up to 16 cm in length, extremely narrow-bodied with a slightly flattened but otherwise cylindrical head and a short tail with a ventrally recurved spine tip. Midbody scale row count is 14. Coloration is overall dark brown to jet black, but possesses spots of white along the lips and chin and a white cloacal shield.

 

Habitat: Native to savannah environments or patchwork grass/woodland regions, where it lives underground in holes or cracks and rarely emerges at night.

 

Prey: Soft-bodied invertebrates, especially ant and termite larvae.

 

Lifespan and reproduction: Lifespan unknown, likely less than 7 years. Oviparous.

 

 

Sources: http://www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=29027&start=75

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/104369-Leptotyphlops-emini

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emin_Pasha%E2%80%99s_worm_snake

https://books.google.com/books?id=JM1SDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT770&lpg=PT770&dq=leptotyphlops+emini&source=bl&ots=RKejGBzjtF&sig=qfLzdKjA-b-UploPPq6-Ps3Si18&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjo96uE57zeAhVKyYMKHVckDmE4ChDoATAFegQIARAB#v=onepage&q=leptotyphlops%20emini&f=false

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