Typhlops Meszoelyi
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''Indotyphlops meszoelyi'', the Darjeeling worm snake or Meszoely's blind snake, is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Darjeeling, West Bengal Province, India.


Etymology

''Indotyphlops meszoelyi'' was named after American paleontologist Charles A.M. Meszoely (born 1933) of the Center for Vertebrate Studies at
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
in Boston, Massachusetts.


Description

The holotype specimen of ''I. meszoelyi'' measures in total length (including tail), and has a diameter of in the middle of its body. It can be distinguished from other species in the same genus found in that region by the presence of a "deep concavity along the posterior border of the nasal shield". The snake is brown on its back and lighter brown on its belly, with the two colors merging into each other.


Habitat and ecology

The holotype specimen of ''I. meszoelyi'' was collected in a region of rugged hills, in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is thought to inhabit temperate broadleaf forests. The area in which the specimen was collected was historically montane forest, but today has been mostly turned into fruit orchards and paddy fields. ''I. meszoelyi'' is
oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
, or egg-laying.


Geographic range and conservation status

The holotype specimen of ''I. meszoelyi'' was collected in Darjeeling district of the Indian state of West Bengal, at an altitude of above sea level. No other information about its distribution is currently available. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified ''Typhlops meszoelyi'' as Data Deficient in 2010, based on the fact that the species was only known from the location in which the holotype specimen was collected. However, it stated that habitat loss and degradation were known to occur within the range of the species, although the impact of these on the snake was unknown. The area in which the specimen was found is used to graze livestock, which may constitute a threat to the species.


References


Further reading

* (''Indotyphlops meszoelyi'', new combination). {{Taxonbar, from=Q3022885 Indotyphlops Endemic fauna of India Reptiles of India Reptiles described in 1999 Taxa named by Van Wallach