''Chirindia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of amphisbaenians in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Amphisbaenidae. Commonly known as pink round-headed worm lizards,

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in the genus ''Chirindia'' are native to

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

and

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...

, from

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. They are unpigmented worm lizards with rounded heads, and extensive fusion of the head shields.

Description

''Chirindia'' are small and slender. For example, the

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

of ''C. swynnertoni'' is long, with the tail , and the body is in diameter. They are uniformly, unpigmented flesh-coloured, tinged with purplish, and have minute teeth. They usually lack an ocular shield, and each eye is situated under the posterior part of a large fused shield, that combines the nasal, second and sometimes first upper labial, prefrontal and sometimes the ocular shield into one, so as to cover all of one side of the snout. (''Chirindia'', new genus, p. 48; ''C. swynnertoni'', new species, pp. 48-49). The pair of large shields, fused with the ocular to cover each side of the snout, combined with a small azygous rostral shield, are comparable to that of genus '' Placogaster'' of the

Senegambia The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...

, but the paired ventral shields, and absence of pre-anal pores in some species distinguish them.

Behaviour and predators

Species in the genus ''Chirindia'' burrow in loose soil and feed on termites. They are present in clay, sandy or alluvial soils, and sometimes find refuge under stones and rotten logs. They are preyed on by jackals, ratels, kingfishers and snakes, of which some, like the dwarf wolf snake ('' Lycophidion nanum''), are specialized to prey on them.

Species and subspecies

The genus ''Chirindia'' contains five valid species, some of which have recognized

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

. *''

Chirindia ewerbecki The Mbanja worm lizard (''Chirindia ewerbecki)'', also known commonly as Ewerbeck's round-headed worm lizard, is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Tanzania. There are two recognized subspecies. ...

'' – Mbanja worm lizard **''Chirindia ewerbecki ewerbecki'' **''Chirindia ewerbecki nanguruwensis'' *''

Chirindia langi Lang's worm lizard (''Chirindia langi'') is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is native to Southern Africa. There are two recognized subspecies. Etymology The specific name, ''langi'', is in honor of German ta ...

'' – Lang's worm lizardBeolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Chirindia langi'', p. 150; ''C. swynnertoni'', p. 259). **''Chirindia langi langi'' **''Chirindia langi occidentalis'' – Soutpansberg worm lizard *''

Chirindia mpwapwaensis The Mpwapwa worm lizard (''Chirindia mpwapwaensis'') is an amphisbaenian species in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tan ...

'' – Mpwapwa worm lizard *''

Chirindia rondoensis The Nchingidi worm lizard (''Chirindia rondoensis'') is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa T ...

'' – Nchingidi worm lizard * ''

Chirindia swynnertoni Swynnerton's worm lizard (''Chirindia swynnertoni''), also known commonly as Swynnerton's round-headed worm lizard, is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is native to eastern Africa and southern Africa. Etymol ...

'' – Swynnerton's worm lizard ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Chirindia''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q39012 Lizards of Africa Lizard genera Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger