CLASSIFICATION OF TYPHLOPS : BLIND SNAKE
PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )
Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )
Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )
Super class :- TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin)
Class :- REPTILIA ( Scaly vertebrates with right and left aortic arches. Single condyle, pulmonary respiration. Embryo with amnion and allantois ).
Sub-class :- DIAPSIDA ( Skull with two temporal openings separated by postorbital and squamosal ).
Order :- SQUAMATA ( Lizards and snakes with horny epidermal scales or shields. Quadrate bone movable. Vertebrae procoelous. Anal opening transverse).
Sub-order :- OPHIDIA ( Snakes. Limbs, feet, ear openings sternum and urinary bladder absent. Mandibles jointed anteriorly by ligament. Tongue slender, bifid and protrusible. Left lung reduced).
Family :-TYPHLOPIDAE ( Eyes vestigial under opaque scales ).
Genus :- Typhlops : BLIND SNAKE
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Typhlops is widely distributed in India, tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres. In Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia.
HABIT AND HABITAT
It is a burrowing snake feeding on small insects, earthworms and soft larval insects.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF TYPHLOPS : BLIND SNAKE
- Typhlops is Commonly called blind snake. Body divided into head, neck, trunk and tail.
- Animal looks like earthworm and is of dark chocolate colour.
- Body is elongated, cylindrical, measuring about 175 to 180 mm and covered by thin overlapping cycloid scales in multiple rows over whole body.
- Lower jaw without teeth, maxilla toothed and transversely placed, ectopterygoid and squamosal absent and pterygoid separate from quadrate.
- There is no distinct head and also there is no differentiation between dorsal and ventral scales. Head contains mouth nostril and paired eyes.
- Eyes without movable eyelids.
- Rostral, nasal, ocular and pre-ocular shields are larger.
- Limbs, feet, ear openings, sternum, urinary bladder absent. Mandibles join anteriorly by ligament. Tongue slender, bifid, protrusible. Left lung reduced.
Special features
Since this snake contains indistinct head and paired eyes without movable eyelids and above features, hence it is Typhlops.
Identification
Since the animal is without limbs and has above features, hence it is Ophiosaurus or Glass Snake.
