A NEW SPECIES OF BLINDSNAKE, GENUS RAMPHOTYPHLOPS (TYPHLOPIDAE, SQUAMATA), FROM NORTHWESTERN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, WITH A REDESCRIPTION OF R. HAMATUS, STORR 1981

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Abstract - Ramphotyphlops pilbarensis sp. novo is described from scattered localities in arid northwestern Western Australia. The species is morphologically most similar to R. hamatus, with which it was previously confused, and to R. endoterus, but differs from these taxa in various meristic and qualitative scalation features. Genetic data suggest a distant relationship amongst the three species. The importance of accounting for sexual dimorphism in typhlopid systematics is emphasized.