Systematics of the blindsnakes (Serpentes: Scolecophidia: Typhlopoidea) based on molecular and morphological evidence Author Pyron, Robert Alexander Author Wallach, Van text Zootaxa 2014 3829 1 1 81 journal article 36820 10.11646/zootaxa.3829.1.1 a4b69269-5a4c-4b5b-9f89-6b314d3ba284 1175-5326 286556 75210CDC-AC6A-4624-A6F1-1BC969BC7CAA Rhinotyphlops Fitzinger, 1843 Type species. Typhlops lalandei Schlegel, 1839 Species content. Rhinotyphlops ataeniatus , Rh. boylei , Rh. lalandei , Rh. schinzi , Rh. scorteccii , and Rh. unitaeniatus . TABLE 5. Visceral character states comparing Malagasy Lemuriatyphlops (LEM) with Malagasy Madatyphlops (Malagasy MAD ) and African Madatyphlops (African MAD ), based on measurement of the specimens in Appendix II (part). Characters are as follows: data in sections (A)-(D) represent sample means as % SVL; organ lengths (PT = posterior tip) are included in section (A) ; organ midpoints (MP) are listed in section (B) ; organ gaps (GAP) and intervals (INT) are compiled in section (C) ; organ midpoint intervals (MP-MP INT) are included in section (D) ; meristic values are listed in section (E) ; ratios of two characters listed in (F) .

Taxon	LEM	Malagasy MAD	African MAD
Sample size	n = 7	n = 36	n = 16
(A)
Right liver	25.2	27.1	31.5
Right gonad	4.4	5.6	7.2
Total gonad	8.5	10.1	13.5
Rectal caecum	1.8	2.5	2.8
Right lung	17.4	21.1	19.7
Right lung PT	50.5	52.7	53.3
Tracheal lung	17.3	18.7	17.6
Right bronchus	6.9	9.1	9.7
(B)
Total gonad MP	81.9	76.6	77.7
Right lung MP	41.9	42.1	43.4
(C)
Snout-heart INT	33.2	31.6	31.2
Heart-liver GAP	2.8	2.3	2.5
Heart-liver INT	32.6	34	38.8
Heart-gall bladder GAP	32.6	33.4	34.9
Liver-gall bladder GAP	4.6	3.9	1
Liver-gall bladder INT	31.4	32.6	34.6
Liver-kidney GAP	26.6	24.6	18.8
Gall bladder-gonad GAP	10.4	4.2	3.6
Gall bladder-kidney GAP	20.4	19.1	15.6
Gonad-kidney GAP	1.8	3.7	6.1
Kidney-vent INT	12.3	14.3	13.6
Rectal caecum-vent INT	7.8	9	10
Tracheal lung MP	19.9	18.5	18.2
(D)
Heart MP-Right lung MP INT	11	12.8	12.2
Heart MP-Liver MP INT	17.7	18.2	20.7
Liver MP-Kidney MP INT	42.5	41.6	38.9
Heart MP-Gonad MP INT	49	44.2	46.8
Trachea/bronchus MP-Kidney MP INT	70.6	68.2	68.2
(E)
Right liver segments	9.8	8.4	6.4
Right testis segments	1	5.5	4
Left testis segments	1	4.8	3.7
Total testis segments	2	10.3	7.7
(F)
Posterior liver tail/liver	0.08	0.12	0.17
Left liver/right liver	1.04	0.89	0.94

Diagnosis. Rhinotyphlops can be distinguished from all other typhlopoids by the combination of the following characters: snout with sharply pointed lateral profile, T-0 SIP (T-II in Rh. schinzi ), 22–34 midbody scale rows, pigmented dorsum and absence of left lung. Small- to large-sized (total length 90–455 mm ), stout- to slenderbodied (length/width ratio 27–88) snakes with 22–34 scale rows (with reduction), 311–586 total middorsals, short to moderate tail (0.6–2.3% total length) with 6–13 subcaudals (length/width ratio 0.5–1.5), and apical spine minute. Moderate to broad rostral (0.54–0.85 head width), inferior nasal suture in contact with first or second supralabial, preocular in contact with second or second and third supralabials, and postoculars 2–5. Lateral tongue papillae present; left lung absent, tracheal, cardiac and right lungs multicameral (with 24–47 + 1–8 + 2–10 chambers, respectively); testes unsegmented, hemipenis eversible, lacking retrocloacal sacs; and rectal caecum moderate (1.4–3.8% SVL). Coloration dark brown to blackish-brown above and below (with or without a yellow vertebral stripe) or dorsum light with irregular dark pigmentation and light venter. Phylogenetic definition. Includes the MRCA of Rhinotyphlops lalandei and Rh. unitaeniata and all descendants thereof, and all species more closely related to Rh. lalandei than to the type species of the 15 other typhlopid genera listed here. Etymology. Likely refers to enlarged rostral (Greek rhinos for nose) of the type species, R. lalandei . Distribution. Range includes much of sub-Saharan Africa. Remarks. The species Rhinotyphlops lalandei is also the type species of Onychocephalus described by Duméril & Bibron (1844) , which is in the synonymy of several other genera listed here ( McDiarmid et al. 1999 ; Wallach et al. 2014), but Rhinotyphlops has priority over Onychocephalus . Note that Hedges et al. (2014) included Madatyphlops leucocephalus in Rhinotyphlops , but it is apparently allied with Madatyphlops based on SIP (T-V vs. T-0 or T-II in Rhinotyphlops ), fourth supralabial and its orientation (high and vertical vs. low and horizontal in Rhinotyphlops ), and rostral width (<50% of head width vs. 54%–85% in Rhinotyphlops ).