Liwale round-snouted worm lizard

The Liwale round-snouted worm lizard (Loveridgea ionidesii) is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Tanzania.[2]

Liwale round-snouted worm lizard
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Amphisbaenidae
Genus: Loveridgea
Species:
L. ionidesii
Binomial name
Loveridgea ionidesii
(Battersby, 1950)
Synonyms[2]
  • Amphisbaena ionidesii
    Battersby, 1950
  • Loveridgea ionedesii
    Broadley & Howell, 1991

Etymology

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The specific name, ionidesii, is in honor of British game warden Constantine John Philip Ionides (1901–1968), who was known as the "Snake Man of British East Africa".[3]

Habitat

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The preferred natural habitat of L. ionidesii is savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft).[1]

Description

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Medium-sized for an amphisbaenian, L. ionidesii is 8–18 cm (3.1–7.1 in) in snout-to-vent length (SVL).[2]

Behavior

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L. ionidesii is diurnal, terrestrial, and fossorial.[1]

Reproduction

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L. ionidesii gives birth to live young, and its mode of reproduction has been called viviparous[1] or ovoviviparous.[2] Litter size is two.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Msuya, C.A.; Ngalason, W.; Howell, K.; Spawls, S.; Menegon, M. (2014). "Loveridgea ionidesii ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T176242A44845761. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T176242A44845761.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Loveridgea ionidesii at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 24 February 2019.
  3. ^ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Loveridgea ionidesii, p. 130).

Further reading

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  • Battersby JC (1950). "A new Amphisbænid Lizard from Tanganyika Territory and notes on the rare snake Chilorhinophis ". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Twelfth Series 3: 413–417. (Amphisbæna ionidesii, new species).
  • Broadley DG, Howell KM (1991). "A check list of the reptiles of Tanzania, with synoptic keys". Syntarsus 1: 1–70. (Loveridgea ionidesii, new combination, p. 19).
  • Gans C (2005). "Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphisbaenia of the World". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (289): 1–130. (Loveridgea ionidesii, p. 34).
  • Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon M (2018). Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition. London: Bloomsbury Natural History. 624 pp. ISBN 978-1472935618. (Loveridgea ionidesii, p. 319).