Belongs within: Toxicofera.
Contains: Palaeophiidae, Leptotyphlopidae, Typhlopidae, Madtsoiidae, Alethinophidia.
The Serpentes are the crown group of the snakes, a distinctive group of legless squamates (though remnant spurs are present in some species). Within the Serpentes, there is general agreement that the blind snakes or worm snakes of the Scolecophidia are basal to the remainder (the Alethinophidia), though some studies have indicated that they are paraphyletic. The ‘Scolecophidia’ have a limited gape and feed mostly on ants and termites whereas the Alethinophidia possess independent mandibles allowing a much larger gape (Vidal & Hedges 2002a). Members of Typhlopidae and Anomalopedidae share a transverse, movable, toothed maxilla whereas in Leptotyphlopidae the maxilla is immobile, longitudunal and toothless. Gerrhopilus is an Indo-Malayan genus of blind snakes, recently separated into its own family from the Typhlopidae, with gland-like structures scattered on the scales of the head.
Anomalopedidae differ from the other scolecophidian families in possessing teeth in the lower jaw. They are restricted to the Neotropical region. Species of Helminthophis have the prefrontal scales in contact behind the rostral, separating the latter from the frontal. Liotyphlops species have the rostral scale contacting the frontal scale and dividing the prefrontals. Typhlophis squamosus has the head covered with small scales that are indistinguishable from those of the body.
Synapomorphies (Rieppel 1988): Intracranial course of ophthalmic division of trigeminal nerve; exoccipitals meeting dorsal to foramen magnum; opening of Jacobson’s organ enclosed between septomaxilla and vomer; crista circumfenestralis enclosing juxtastapedial recess and perilymphatic sinus; epiphyses absent.
<==Serpentes [Scolecophidia]
|--+--LeptotyphlopidaeBG20
| `--TyphlopoideaBG20
| |--TyphlopidaeBG20
| `--Gerrhopilus [Gerrhopilidae]BG20
| |--G. hadesBG20
| `--G. inornatusBG20
`--+--AnomalopedidaeBG20
| |--LiotyphlopsBG20
| | |--L. albirostrisBG20
| | `--+--L. beuiBG20
| | `--Typhlophis squamosusBG20
| `--Helminthophis petersiHB09
`--+--MadtsoiidaeLBG12
`--AlethinophidiaBG20
Serpentes incertae sedis:
Opisthotropis kikuzatoi (Okada & Takara 1958)I92
OpheodrysI92
|--O. aestivusF15
|--O. herminae (Boettger 1895)I92
`--O. vernalisW-CL06
Cemophora lineriRM05
HomalocraniumC07
|--H. marcapatae [=Oxyrhopus marcapatae]C07
`--H. virgatumF15
Anoplodipsas viridisR13
Dipsadoboa unicolorR13
DiemeniaH98
|--D. superciliosaM90
`--D. textilisH98
Haldea valeriaeR56
PalaeophiidaeB93
Dendrelapsis ahaetullaS72
MasticophisL75
|--M. flagellumB71
| |--M. f. flagellumB71
| `--M. f. piceusB71
`--M. lateralisL75
Salvadora hexalepisL75
|--S. h. hexalepisB71
`--S. h. klauberiB71
Eophis underwoodiSC18
Gloydius brevicaudusHS14
Ovophis okinavensisHS14
Protobothrops flavoviridisHS14
Chilomeriscus cinctusB71
Arizona elegansB71
Sonora mosaueriB71
Crotaphopeltis hippocrepisFV09
Hemachatus haemachatusFV09
Aspidelaps scutatusFV09
TelescopusFV09
|--T. dharaFV09
`--T. fallaxK08
Coelognathus radiatusFV09
Thrasops jacksoniiFV09
TropidonotusM59
|--T. chrysargosM89
|--T. infernalisW06
|--T. leptocephalusW06
|--T. piscatorM59
|--T. quincunciatusP89
|--T. radix [=Eutaenia radix]W06
|--T. sirtalisW06
| |--T. s. sirtalisW06
| `--T. s. parietalisW06
|--T. trianguligerusM89
|--T. vagransW06
`--T. vibakariW06
LeptognathusB13
|--L. latifasciatus Boulenger 1913B13
|--L. peruanaB13
|--L. pratti Boulenger 1897B13
`--L. variegataB13
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
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