A review of East and Central African species of Letheobia Cope, revived from the synonymy of Rhinotyphlops Fitzinger, with descriptions of five new species (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) Author Wallach, Van text Zootaxa 2007 1515 31 68 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.177278 44e92dc8-7d91-43bd-900b-36f28549b744 1175-5326 177278 Letheobia rufescens (Chabanaud) ( Fig 5 C) Oubangui gracile blind-snake Typhlops rufescens Chabanaud 1917 , Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, 22: 365, Figs. 4–6 . Type locality: Congo français [= Haut-Oubangui, Central African Republic ], collected by J. Rouchet de Chazotte, 1908, holotype MNHN 1916.262. Typhlops vrydaghi Laurent 1956 , Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 53: 249. Type locality: Bambesa-Takpwo, Bas-Uele, Congo [= Democratic Republic of Congo ] ( 03°23’N , 25°47’E , elevation 650 m ), holotype MRAC 11949; Laurent 1962: 43. Rhinotyphlops rufescens – Roux-Estève 1974 : 230, Fig. 167, 1975: 445; Hahn 1980 : 33; Joger 1990 : 93, Fig. 5 ; Meirte 1992 : 20; McDiarmid et al. 1999: 83. Letheobia rufescens – Chirio & Ineich, 2006 : 42 . Description. Snout with an angular horizontal edge. Rostral very broad, truncated posteriorly; frontal crescentic, just contacting nasals; supraocular transverse, its lateral apex wedged between nasal and ocular, which is separated from the subocular by a small temporal; eye not visible; nasal suture arising from first or second labial; SIP II (N1, P, S, S); scale rows 22-20-20, 20-20-20 or 22-20-22; MD 585-656; vertebrae 442-448; MD/ V ratio 1.32–1.38; L/D ratio 69–90. Colourless. Size. Largest specimen (MHNN 1895.324 — Haut-Oubangui) 490 mm in total length. Habitat. Lowland rain forest. Distribution. Central African Republic and northern Democratic Republic of Congo in the catchments of the Oubangui and Uélé Rivers, 450–650 m ( Figs. 10 & 11 ). Localities. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC . Abiras ( Joger 1990 ); Bangui ( Joger 1990 ) MNHN 1991.379; ZFMK 40349; Haut-Oubangui MNHN 1895.324, 1916.262 ( holotype ); Kouki MNHN 1997.3194; Ouazoua MNHN 1997.3197; Sangba MNHN 1995.9606. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO . Bembesa-Takpwo MRAC 11949 ( holotype of T. vrydaghi ) .