Osteology of the skull of the blind snake Helminthophis flavoterminatus (Peters, 1857) (Serpentes, Anomalepididae)

By

Santos, Fidélis

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

Zoosystematics and evolution

Volume

100

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

597--602

Subjects

Helminthophis sp , HRXCT , Reptiles , Snakes , systematics , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.118068

 

Abstract

The blind snake Helminthophis flavoterminatus (Peters, 1857) is a species of Anomalepididae with distribution throughout northwestern Venezuela and western Colombia. Its osteology is poorly known, and thus this study presents information on its skull structure based on High-Resolution X-Ray Computed Tomography. The absence of the supraoccipital bone can be used for the determination of H. flavoterminatus in relation to its congeners, Helminthophis frontalis (Peters, 1860) and Helminthophis praeocularis Amaral, 1924.