''Typhlacontias'' 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 legless, burrowing

skink Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Ski ...

s 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 ...

Scincidae, a genus

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 ...

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

. Its

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 ...

is the

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

consisting of the

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

Feylinia ''Feylinia'' is a genus of skinks (family Scincidae). It is usually placed in the monotypic subfamily Feylininae. However, it appears to be not as distinct as formerly presumed, but rather somewhat closer to such genera as '' Chalcides'' and ...

'' and ''

Melanoseps ''Melanoseps'' is a genus of lizards, known commonly as limbless skinks, in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. Species The following eight species are recognized as being valid. *'' Melanoseps ater'' – black ...

''.

Species

Seven

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 ...

are recognized as being valid: *''

Typhlacontias brevipes ''Typhlacontias brevipes'', also known as FitzSimon's burrowing skink or short blind dart skink, is a species of skink endemic to the Namib Desert (Namibia). It was described by Vivian FitzSimons in 1938. Etymology The species name is derived ...

'' – FitzSimon's burrowing skink, short blind dart skink *''

Typhlacontias gracilis ''Typhlacontias gracilis'', Roux's blind dart skink, is a species of lizard which is found in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, So ...

'' – Roux's blind dart skink *''

Typhlacontias johnsonii ''Typhlacontias johnsonii'', Johnson's western burrowing skink, is a species of lizard which is found in Namibia and Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital ...

'' – Johnson's western burrowing skink *''

Typhlacontias kataviensis ''Typhlacontias kataviensis'', the Katavi blind dart skink, is a species of lizard which is endemic to Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Afric ...

'' – Katavi blind dart skink *''

Typhlacontias punctatissimus ''Typhlacontias punctatissimus'', also known commonly as the dotted blind dart skink, the speckled burrowing skink, and the speckled western burrowing skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to southern Afri ...

'' – dotted blind dart skink, speckled western burrowing skink *''

Typhlacontias rohani ''Typhlacontias rohani'', Rohan's blind dart skink, is a species of lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. ...

'' – Rohan's blind dart skink *''

Typhlacontias rudebecki ''Typhlacontias rudebecki'', Rudebeck's western burrowing skink, is a species of lizard which is endemic to Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital ...

'' – Rudebeck's western burrowing skink

Species

References

Further reading