The two-lined blind snake (Tetracheilostoma bilineatum) is a harmless blind snake species endemic to Martinique in the Lesser Antilles.

Two-lined blind snake
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Leptotyphlopidae
Genus: Tetracheilostoma
Species:
T. bilineatum
Binomial name
Tetracheilostoma bilineatum
(Schlegel, 1839)
Synonyms
  • Typhlops bilineatus - Schlegel, 1839
  • Typhlops (Eucephalus) bilineatus - Fitzinger, 1843
  • Stenostoma bilineatum - A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844
  • Epicrata bilineatus - Gray, 1845
  • St[enostoma]. (Tetracheilostoma) bilineatum - Jan & Sordelli, 1861
  • S[tenostoma]. (Tetracheilostoma) bilineatum - Jan, 1863
  • Glauconia bilineata - Boulenger, 1893
  • Leptotyphlops bilineata - Barbour, 1914
  • Leptotyphlops bilineatus - Hahn, 1980 [2]
  • Tetracheilostoma bilineatum - Adalsteinsson et al., 2009

Distribution

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Though previously recorded on St. Lucia and Barbados, specimens identified to those islands were described in 2008 as separate species, L. breuili and L. carlae. A specimen identified as from Guadeloupe was reported by Duméril and Bibron (1844:331), but none are known from that island. The type locality given is "Vaterland Martinique."[2]

Description

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It is dark brown with two yellow stripes along its sides. It was once known as the world's smallest snake, being small enough to slither through a pencil if the lead were removed. Its typical length is 11 cm (4.5 in).[3] However, the newly described L. carlae (Hedges, 2008) is reported to be even smaller.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Dewynter, M. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Tetracheilostoma bilineatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T203635A115351235. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T203635A2769284.en. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  2. ^ a b McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  3. ^ Reptiles: Snake at San Diego Zoo. Accessed 3 June 2008.
  4. ^ Hedges, S. Blair (2008), "At the lower size limit in snakes: two new species of threadsnakes (Squamata: Leptotyphlopidae: Leptotyphlops) from the Lesser Antilles" (PDF), Zootaxa, 1841: 1–30, doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1841.1.1, retrieved March 5, 2010
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