You are here » home › advanced search › Leposternon microcephalum

Leposternon microcephalum WAGLER, 1824

iNaturalist logo

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Leposternon microcephalum?

Add your own observation of
Leposternon microcephalum »

Find more photos by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaAmphisbaenidae, Amphisbaenia, Lacertoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Smallhead Worm Lizard
Portuguese: Cobra-de-Duas-Cabeças, Cobra-Cega 
SynonymLeposternon microcephalus WAGLER 1824: 70
Amphisbaena punctata WIED 1825: 500
Leposternon microcephalum FITZINGER 1826
Lepidosternon maximiliani WIEGMANN 1834: 21
Amphisbaena punctata — GERVAIS 1837
Lepidosternon microcephalum — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 505
Lepidosternon macrocephalum — SMITH 1848: 67 (in errore)
Lepidosternon phocaena DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 507
Lepidosternon microcephalum — GRAY 1865: 374
Lepidosternon phocaena — GRAY 1865: 375
Lepidosternon petersi STRAUCH 1881
Lepidosternon pfefferi WERNER 1910: 35
Lepidosternum phocaena — WERNER 1910: 36
Lepidosternon crassum STRAUCH 1881
Lepidosternon güntheri STRAUCH 1881
Leposternon guntheri — GANS 1967
Lepidosternum boulengeri BOETTGER 1885: 220
Lepidosternum strauchi BOETTGER 1885: 221
Lepidosternum affine BOETTGER 1885: 223
Lepidosternon boettgeri BOULENGER 1885
Lepidosternum onychocephalum BOETTGER 1885: 224
Lepidosternum latifrontale BOULENGER 1894: 345
Lepidosternum affine — GÜNTHER 1897: 365
Lepidosternum borelli PERACCA 1895
Lepidosternum camerani PERACCA 1895
Lepidosternon phocaena — KOSLOWSKY 1898
Lepidosternon laticeps PERACCA 1904
Lepidosternon carcani PERACCA 1904
Lepidosternon phocoena — BRYGOO 1990: 13 (as synonym)
Leposternon microcephalum — DIRKSEN & DE LA RIVA 2000
Amphisbaena microcephalum — MOTT & VIEITES 2009
Amphisbaena microcephala — OLIVEIRA et al. 2010
Amphisbaena microcephala — ARAUJO et al. 2011
Leposternon microcephalum — AVILA et al. 2010
Leposternon microcephalum — AVILA et al. 2013
Leposternon microcephalum — CACCIALI et al. 2016 
DistributionBrazil (Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Espírito Santo),
Bolivia (Cochabamba, Santa Cruz), Paraguay, Uruguay,
N Argentina (Formosa, Chaco, Corrientes, Misiones, Entre Rios)

Type locality: ‘‘Dans les environs du village Mandiocca,. . . près de la montagne dos Orgaôs, sur un grand chemin bordé d’arbres,’’ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: ZSM 3150/0.
Type: MSNTO R240 [Lepidosternum borelli PERACCA 1895]
Type: MSNTO R237 [Lepidosternum camerani PERACCA 1895]
Type: MSNTO R244 [Lepidosternon laticeps PERACCA 1904]
Type: MSNTO R238 [Lepidosternon carcani PERACCA 1904]
Lectotype: MZUSP 28386 [Lepidosternum latifrontale Boulenger, 1885]
Holotype: ZMB-R 1395 [Lepidosternon maximiliani Wiegmann, 1834]
Holotype: ZMB-R 1396 [Lepidosternon petersi Strauch, 1881] Holotype: MNHN 488 (= MHNP) [Lepidosternon phocaena Duméril & Bibron, 1839]
Holotype: ZISP (also as ZIL) 6654 [Lepidosternum affine Boettger, 1885]
Holotype: ZISP (also as ZIL) 6656 [Lepidosternum boulengeri Boettger, 1885]
Holotype: ZISP (also as ZIL) 316 [Lepidosternon crassum Strauch, 1881]
Holotype: ZISP (also as ZIL) 313 [Lepidosternon güntherii Strauch, 1881]
Holotype: ZISP (also as ZIL) 6653 [Lepidosternum onycocephalum Boettger, 1885]
Holotype: ZISP (also as ZIL) 6655 [Lepidosternum strauchi Boettger, 1885] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus): relatively large and robust body, head dorsoventrally compressed, nostrils opening on the ventral surface of snout, suture connecting each nostril to the edge of mouth, nasal shield absent, rostronasal shield followed by a sequence of one to five enlarged shields along the dorsal surface of head, gular portion without segmental cover, more than two dermal annuli per vertebrae, tail very short with rounded tip, autotomic site absent on tail, and none to four preocloacal pores (Ribeiro et al., 2008, Ribeiro et al. 2011). 
CommentSynonymy: In a radical move, Gans (1971) synonymized most species of Leposternon with Leposternon microcephalum. See his discussion for detailed explanations.

Type species: Leposternon microcephalus WAGLER 1824 is the type species of the genus Leposternon WAGLER 1824, which was synonymized with Amphisbaena by MOTT & VIEITES 2009 (but considered as valid by most authors, see synonymy). Leposternon is of neutral gender (Schlegel 1826). 
References
  • Abegg, Arthur Diesel; Weverton dos Santos Azevedo, Marcelo Ribeiro-Duarte 2019. Noteworthy insular records of burrowing reptiles in Southeastern Brazil. Herpetology Notes 12: 221-224 - get paper here
  • ARAUJO, C.O. & ALMEIDA-SANTOS, S.M. 2011. Herpetofauna de um remanescente de Cerrado no estado de São Paulo, sudeste do Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 11(3): 47-62 - get paper here
  • Avila, L. J.; Martinez, L. E.; Morando, M. 2010. Lista de las lagartijas y anfisbaenas de Argentina: una actualización [en línea]. Ver.1.0. 1 Diciembre 2010 [Checklist of lizards and amphisbaenians of Argentina: An update]. Centro Nacional Patagónico CENPAT-CONICET. Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. - get paper here
  • AVILA, LUCIANO JAVIER; LORENA ELIZABETH MARTINEZ & MARIANA MORANDO 2013. Checklist of lizards and amphisbaenians of Argentina: an update. Zootaxa 3616 (3): 201–238 - get paper here
  • Bérnils, R.S.; Batista, M.A. & Bertelli, P.W. 2001. Cobras e lagartos do Vale: levantamento das espécies de Squamata (Reptilia, Lepidosauria) da Bacia do Rio Itajai, Santa Catarina, Brasil. Rev. Est. Ambientais (Blumenau) 3 (1): 69-79
  • Boettger, O. 1885. Liste von Reptilien und Batrachiern aus Paraguay. Zeitschr. Naturw. 58 (3): 213-248 - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1894. List of reptiles and batachians collected by Dr. T. Bohls near Asuncion, Paraguay. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 13: 342-348 - get paper here
  • Brygoo, E. R. 1990. Les types d'Amphisbaenidés, Pygopodidés, Xantusiidés (Reptiles, Sauriens) du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle - Catalogue critique. Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat. 12 (ser. 4) A (3-4), suppl.: 3-18
  • Cacciali, Pier; Norman J. Scott, Aida Luz Aquino Ortíz, Lee A. Fitzgerald, and Paul Smith 2016. The Reptiles of Paraguay: Literature, Distribution, and an Annotated Taxonomic Checklist. SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MUSEUM OF SOUTHWESTERN BIOLOGY, NUMBER 11: 1–373 - get paper here
  • Caldeira Costa, H.; Dias Fernandes, V.; Castro Rodrigues, A. & Neves Feio, R. 2009. Lizards and Amphisbaenians, municipality of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Check List 5 (3): 732–745 - get paper here
  • Castro, T.M. & Teixeira, R.L. 2007. Straßenverkehr als Bedrohung für die Amphibien und Reptilien des Atlantischen Regenwalds in Südost-Brasilien. Eine Fallstudie. Sauria 29 (2): 35-42 - get paper here
  • Castro-Mello, C. 2000. A new species of Amphisbaena from Central Brazil (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae). Pap. Avul. Zool., Sao Paulo 41 (916): 243-246 - get paper here
  • Dirksen, L. & De la Riva, I. 1999. The lizards and amphisbaenians of Bolivia (Reptilia, Squamata): checklist, localities, and bibliography. Graellsia 55: 199-215 - get paper here
  • Duméril, A. M. C. and G. Bibron. 1839. Erpétologie Générale on Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Vol. 5. Roret/Fain et Thunot, Paris, 871 pp. - get paper here
  • Falcione, Camila and Alejandra Hernando 2010. A new karyotypic formula for the genus Amphisbaena (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae). Phyllomedusa 9 (1): 75-80 - get paper here
  • Filogonio, Renato; Conrado A. B. Galdino, Daniel P. R. Cabral, Alexandre F. Righi, Marcelo F. Lopes, and Luciana B. Nascimento 2009. SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN LEPOSTERNON MICROCEPHALUM AND L. WUCHERERI (SQUAMATA: AMPHISBAENIDAE) FROM MINAS GERAIS, SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL. Herpetologica 65 (4): 353-362 - get paper here
  • Gans, C. 1971. Studies on Amphisbaenians. (4). A review of the amphisbaenid genus Leposternon. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 144 (6): 379-464 - get paper here
  • Gans, C., G.C. Huang & H.F. Clark 1967. The Diphyletism of the Amphisbaenia (Reptilia): A Re-Evaluation Based upon Chromosome Counts Copeia 1967 (2): 485-487. - get paper here
  • Gervais, M. P. 1837. Amphisbène. Amphisboena. Lin. Notice sur deux espèces africaines de ce genre. Magasin Zool. Vol. 7 Classe III Pl. 10 et 11, pp. 1-6 - get paper here
  • Gonzalez R. C. et al. 2020. Lista dos Nomes Populares dos Répteis no Brasil – Primeira Versão. Herpetologia Brasileira 9 (2): 121 – 214 - get paper here
  • Gray,J.E. 1865. A revision of the genera and species of amphisbaenians with the descriptions of some new species now in the collection of the British Museum. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) 16: 365-377 - get paper here
  • Günther, A. 1897. Notes on some reptiles and a frog from Argentina. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (6) 20: 365-366 - get paper here
  • HOHL, L. D. S. L., A. S. MACHADO, R. T. LOPES, C. AZORIT, AND O. ROCHA-BARBOSA 2020. Effective Contribution of the Ribs in the Underground Locomotion of Leposternon microcephalum (Reptilia: Amphisbaenia). Herpetological Review 51: 226 - 232.
  • Kacoliris F.P.; Berkunsky I. & Williams J. 2006. Herpetofauna of Impenetrable, Argentinean Great Chaco. Phyllomedusa 5 (2): 149-158 - get paper here
  • Koski, Aline P. V. and Koski, Diogo A. 2017. Leposternon microcephalum (Small-headed Worm Lizard) Predation. Herpetological Review 48 (1): 192-193 - get paper here
  • Koslowsky,J. 1898. Enumeración sistemática y distribución geográfica de los reptiles argentinos. Rev. Mus. La Plata 8: 161-200 - get paper here
  • MARQUES, O. A. V.; PEREIRA, D. N.; BARBO, F.E.; GERMANO, V.J. & SAWAYA, R. J. 2009. Os Répteis do Município de São Paulo: diversidade e ecologia da fauna pretérita e atual. Biota Neotropica 9: 1-12 - get paper here
  • Mott, Tamí; David R. Vieites 2009. Molecular phylogenetics reveals extreme morphological homoplasy in Brazilian worm lizards challenging current taxonomy. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 51 (2): 190-200 - get paper here
  • Navas, C.A. 2004. Morphological and physiological specialization for digging in amphisbaenians, an ancient lineage of fossorial vertebrates. The Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 2433-2441 - get paper here
  • Oliveira Lula Salles, R. de & Silva-Soares, T. 2010. Répteis do município de Duque de Caxias, Baixada Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Sudeste do Brasil. Biotemas, 23 (2): 135-144
  • Oliveira Lula Salles, R. de; Weber, L.N. & Silva-Soares, T. 2010. Reptiles, Squamata, Parque Natural Municipal da Taquara, municipality of Duque de Caxias, state of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil. Check List 6 (2): 280-286 - get paper here
  • Oliveira, Jane C.F.; Rodrigo Castellari Gonzalez; Paulo Passos; Davor Vrcibradic & Carlos Frederico Duarte Rocha 2020. Non-Avian Reptiles of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: status of knowledge and commented list. Pap. Avulsos Zool. 60: e20206024 - get paper here
  • Peracca, M.G. 1895. Viaggio del dott. Alfredo Borelli nella Repubblica Argentina e nel Paraguay. X. Rettili ed anfibi. Boll. Mus. Zool. Univ. Torino 10 (195): 1-32
  • Peracca, M.G. 1904. Viaggio del Dr. A. Borelli nel Matto Grosso brasiliano e nel Paraguay, 1899. IX. Rettili ed amfibii. Boll. Mus. Zool. Univ. Torino 19 (460): 1-15
  • Pesci, Giuliano; Sanchez, José Manuel; Muniz Leão, Suelem; Pelegrin, Nicolás 2018. Reptiles y anfibios de una localidad del Chaco Húmedo en Formosa, Argentina. Cuad. herpetol. 32 (1): 47-54 - get paper here
  • REICHE, H.; L.S.L. HOHL & O. ROCHA-BARBOSA. 2021. Food capture and escape behavior of Leposternon microcephalum Wagler, 1824 (Squamata: Amphisbaenia). Brazilian Journal of Biology 84. - get paper here
  • RIBEIRO, SIRIA; ALFREDO P. SANTOS-JR, HUSSAM ZAHER 2015. A new species of Leposternon Wagler, 1824 (Squamata, Amphisbaenia) from northeastern Argentina. Zootaxa 4034 (2): 309–324 - get paper here
  • ROCHA, CARLOS FREDERICO D.; HELENA G.BERGALLO, JOSÉ P. POMBAL JR., LENA GEISE, MONIQUE VAN SLUYS, RONALDO FERNANDES, ULISSES CARAMASCHI 2004. FAUNA DE ANFÍBIOS, RÉPTEIS E MAMÍFEROS DO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO, SUDESTE DO BRASIL. Publ. Avul. Mus. Nac., Rio de Janeiro (104): 3-23 - get paper here
  • Rosenberg, Herbert I. 1967. Hemipenial morphology of some Amphisbaenids (Amphisbaenia: Reptilia). Copeia 1967 (2): 349-361 - get paper here
  • Schlegel, H. 1826. Erpetologische Nachrichten. Isis von Oken 22 (3): 281-294 [published 1826, not 1827 as sometimes cited, see Savage et al. 2007 BZN 64: 255, case 3345 and case 3357, BZN 63: 267] - get paper here
  • Silva-Soares, T.; R.B. Ferreira; R.O.L. Salles; C.F.D. Rocha. 2011. Continental, insular and coastal marine reptiles from the municipality of Vitória, state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. Check List 7 (3): 290-298 - get paper here
  • Smith, A. 1848. Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa, Reptilia. Smith, Elder, and Co., London - get paper here
  • SOUSA, B.M., NASCIMENTO, A.E.R., GOMIDES, S.C., VARELA RIOS, C.H., HUDSON, A.H. & NOVELLI, I.A. 2010. Reptiles in fragments of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest at the Campo das Vertentes, Minas Gerais State, Southeastern Brazil. Biota Neotropica 10 (2): 129-138 - get paper here
  • Strauch,A. 1881. Bemerkungen über die Eidechsenfamilie der Amphisbaeniden. Mel. Biol. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersbourg 11: 355-479 (reprinted: Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersbourg 28: 45-131) - get paper here
  • Strussmann, Christine & Tami Mott 2009. Sympatric amphisbaenids from Manso Dam region, Mato Grosso State, Western Brazil, with the description of a new two-pored species of Amphisbaena (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae). Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 44 (1): 37 – 46 - get paper here
  • Vrcibradic, D.; C.F.D. Rocha; M.C. Kiefer; F.H. Hatano; A.F. Fontes; M. Almeida-Gomes; C.C. Siqueira; J.A.L. Pontes; V.N.T. Borges-Junior; L.O. Gil; T. Klaion; E.C.N. Rubião; M. Sluys. 2011. Herpetofauna, Estação Ecológica Estadual do Paraíso, state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. Check List 7 (6): 745-749 - get paper here
  • Wagler, J. 1824. Serpentum Brasiliensium species novae, ou histoire naturelle des espèces nouvelles de serpens. In: Jean de Spix, Animalia nova sive species novae. [NAtrix bahiensis: 27,. Monaco, Typis Franc. Seraph. Hübschmanni, vii + 75 pp. - get paper here
  • Werner,F. 1910. Über neue oder seltene Reptilien des Naturhistorischen Museums in Hamburg. ii. Eidechsen. Jahrb. Hamburg. Wiss. Anst., vol. 27 (1909), suppl. no. 2, 1910, pp. 1-46; reprinted: 1910, Mitteil. Naturhist. Mus. Hamburg, vol. 27: 205-) - get paper here
  • Wied-Neuwied, M. Prinz zu 1825. Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte von Brasilien. Weimar, no. 1, xxii + 612 pp. - get paper here
  • Wiegmann,A.F.A. 1834. Herpetologia Mexicana, seu descriptio amphibiorum novae hispaniae , quae itineribus comitis de Sack, Ferdinandi Deppe et Chr. Guil. Schiede im Museum Zoologicum Berolinense Pervenerunt. Pars prima, saurorum species. Berlin, Lüderitz, iv + 54 pp. - get paper here
  • Zaher, Hussam; Fausto Erritto BarboI; Paola Sanchez Martínez; Cristiano Nogueira; Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues; Ricardo Jannini Sawaya 2011. Répteis do Estado de São Paulo: conhecimento atual e perspectivas. Biota Neotropica, 11 (1): 1–15. - get paper here
  • Zaracho, Víctor Hugo; Ingaramo, María del Rosario; Semhan, Romina Valeria; Etchepare, Eduardo; Acosta, José Luis; Falcione, Ana Camila; Álvarez, Blanca 2014. Herpetofauna de la Reserva Natural Provincial Isla Apipé Grande (Corrientes, Argentina). Cuad. herpetol. 28 (2): 153-160 - get paper here
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:


Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator