48 



SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



are for the most part diminutive in size, some species of the 

 genus Typhlops never attaining a length of more than 200 miUi- 

 meters. They are burrowing reptiles and are to be found about 

 rotting logs and stumps, and burrowing in the earth or in the 

 root masses of aerial plants. 



They feed on small insects, the larvte and eggs of insects, 

 earthworms, scorpions, and centipedes. The eye is covered by 

 a scale and is frequently dim or invisible in certain species ; while 

 in others the eye covering is transparent, and a distinct pupil 

 is visible. 



Genus TYPHLOPS Oppel 



Ttjphlops Oppel, Ord. Rept. (1811) 54; Gray, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus. 

 (1845) 132; Jan, Icon. Gen. (1864) 7; Gunther, Rept. Brit. India 

 (1864) 172; Peters, Sitz. Ges. Nat. Freunde (1881) 70; Boulenger, 

 Fauna Brit. India, Rept. (1890) 235; Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 1, 

 (1893) 7; Cope, Ann. Rept. Nat. Mus. (1898) 715; Stejnbgee, 

 Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 58 (1907) 260. 



Typhlops, part., Schneider, Hist. Amph. 2 (1801) 339. 



Anilios Gray, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus. (1845) 135. 



Onychophis GRAY, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus. (1845) 32. 



Onychocephalus DuMERn. and Bibron, Erp. Gen. (1844) 272; Boett- 

 GER, Ber. Sen*. Nat. Ges. (1886) 104. 



Head with enlarged regular plates ; nasal shield single, double, 

 or partially divided ; prefrontal single ; prefrontal, supraoculars, 

 frontal, and parietals rather small, sometimes scarcely larger 

 than body scales; upper labials differentiated, lower labials not 

 or scarcely differentiated from chin scales ; mouth narrow, eye 

 usually dim; tail very short. Small burrowing snakes, non- 

 poisonous. 



\}A/ 



Fig. 1. Head shields ot typical Typhlopidffi, Tiii'hlops siduensis T.iylor : f, eye,; /, frontal; 

 ip, interparietal; ins, internaaal suture; lab, labials; »!, nasal; tios, nostril; o, ocular; par, 

 parietal ; pf, prefrontal ; po, postocular ; pvco. preocular ; r, rostral. 



