THE BLIND BURROWING SNAKES. 



51 



Those ancestors, in fact, were lizards. The fact that these snakes 

 have blunt tails and the vent situated almost at the end, has given 

 rise to the popular belief in " Two-headed " Snakes. When ex- 

 amined casually they certainly have the appearance of possessing 

 a head at opposite ends of the body. 



They are known to Dutch-speaking people as the Tweekop 

 Slang. (See illustration, page 11.) 



Genus TYPHLOPS. 



A single Genus in South Africa. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



I. Typhlops verticalis. — Snout rounded ; 22 or 24 scales round the body. 

 Preocular much narrower than the ocular, in contact with the 

 second and third labials ; diameter of body 42 to 45 times in 

 total length. 



SKULLS OF TYPHLOPS OR BLIND BURROWING SNAKES. 



Fig. 22. — (i) Side view showing situation of teeth. (2) Skull viewed 



from above. (3) Skull showing roof of the mouth and row of teeth. 



These are the only teeth a Typhlops Snake has. (Brit. Mus. Cat. 



Snakes.) 



2. Typhlops fornasinii. — Snout rounded ; 22 or 24 scales round the 



body. Preocular a little narrower than the ocular, in contact 

 with the second labial only ; diameter of body 23 to 30 times 

 in total length. 



3. Typhlops mossambicus. — Snout with obtusely angular, not trenchant, 



