''Grypotyphlops acutus'', also known as the beaked worm snake, beaked blind snake, or beak-nosed worm snake, is a harmless

blind snake The Scolecophidia, commonly known as blind snakes or thread snakes, are an infraorder of snakes. They range in length from . All are fossorial (adapted for burrowing). Five families and 39 genera are recognized. The Scolecophidia infraorder is mos ...

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 ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to peninsular

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is the only species in the genus ''Grypotyphlops''. No

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 ...

are currently recognized.

Taxonomy

''Grypotyphlops'' is thought to group with the

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

typhlopids in the genera ''

Afrotyphlops ''Afrotyphlops'' is a genus of snakes in the family Typhlopidae. Distribution The 28 species of this genus are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Species The following species are recognized as being valid.. www.reptile-database.org. * Angola blind s ...

'', ''

Letheobia ''Letheobia'' is a genus of Scolecophidia, blind snakes in the Family (biology), family Typhlopidae.Van Wallach, Wallach, Van (2005) "''Letheobia pauwelsi'', a new species of blindsnake from Gabon (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)." ''African Journal of H ...

'', and ''

Rhinotyphlops ''Rhinotyphlops'' is a genus of blind snakes in the family Typhlopidae. The genus is found in Africa, the Middle East, and India. Some species formerly assigned to the genus ''Rhinotyphlops'' have been moved to the genera ''Afrotyphlops'' and '' ...

'', being the

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and t ...

to the latter two and having dispersed from Africa to the Indian subcontinent during the

Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...

. This contrasts with the other blind snakes in the Indian subcontinent, which are thought to have either mainland Asian ancestry (''

Indotyphlops ''Indotyphlops'' is a genus of snakes of the family Typhlopidae. The genus is endemic to Asia. Species The genus ''Indotyphlops'' contains the following 23 species which are recognized as being valid. *''Indotyphlops ahsanai'' *''Indotyphlops a ...

'' and ''

Argyrophis ''Argyrophis'' is a genus of snakes in the family Typhlopidae. Distribution The 12 species of the genus ''Argyrophis'' are found throughout Asia. Species The following species are recognized as being valid. *'' Argyrophis bothriorhynchus'' *'' ...

'') or be descended from ancient Gondwanan endemics of Insular India ('' Gerrhopilus'').

Geographic range

This species is found throughout peninsular India south of the Ganges and

Rajputana Rājputana, meaning "Land of the Rajputs", was a region in the Indian subcontinent that included mainly the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, as well as parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and some adjoining areas of Sindh in modern-day ...

basins. The type locality given is "''inconnue''" (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

for unknown).

Taxonomy

Geographic range

References

Further reading