{"id":3113,"date":"2020-01-18T14:59:54","date_gmt":"2020-01-18T14:59:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moroccoherps.com\/?page_id=3113"},"modified":"2020-02-02T16:41:56","modified_gmt":"2020-02-02T16:41:56","slug":"myriopholis_algeriensis","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.moroccoherps.com\/en\/ficha\/myriopholis_algeriensis\/","title":{"rendered":"Species page of Myriopholis algeriensis"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Beaked Thread-snake
\nMyriopholis algeriensis<\/span>\u00a0(Jacquet, 1895)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

By\u00a0Gabriel Mart\u00ednez del M\u00e1rmol Mar\u00edn<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Updated:\u00a023\/09\/2012<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Taxonomy:\u00a0Serpentes\u00a0|\u00a0Leptotyphlopidae\u00a0|\u00a0Myriopholis\u00a0|\u00a0Myriopholis algeriensis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"Myriopholis
Myriopholis algeriensis. Tazenakht. Photo: \u00a9 Ra\u00fal Le\u00f3n.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\"Range<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u00a0Myriopholis algeriensis<\/span><\/p>\n

Distribution map of
\nMyriopholis algeriensis<\/span>
\nin Morocco.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Gallery: 15 photos.\u00a0[ENTER]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Phylogenetic frame<\/h2>\n

In the past was known as\u00a0Leptotyphlops macrorhynchus<\/span>\u00a0subspecies (Hahn & Wallach, 1998), was elevated to species rank in 2002 (Trap\u00e9, 2002) and it has been including in\u00a0Myriopholis<\/span>\u00a0genus in 2009 (Adalsteinsson\u00a0et al.<\/em>, 2009).<\/p>\n

Description<\/h2>\n

It\u00b4s the smallest snake in Morocco and Western Sahara with a maximum size of 28,5\u00a0cm (Bons & Geniez, 1996; Trape & Man\u00e9, 2006). It has a pinkish body, thin and large. Head not differs from the rest of the body. Eyes are black and relatively big, covered by two transparent scales. It has a big rostral scale very prominent and in peak form. Its mouth is small. Ventral scales are similar to dorsal scales. It has between 490-569 longitudinal scales, between 41-47 subcaudal scales, it has 14 scales at midbody and 10 at the middle of the tail (Trape & Man\u00e9, 2006).<\/p>\n

\n
\"Myriopholis
Myriopholis algeriensis. Errachidia. Photo: \u00a9 Gabri Mtnez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Ecology and habits<\/h2>\n

Species predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal (Schleich\u00a0et al.<\/em>, 1996; Trape & Man\u00e9, 2006). Its fossorial habits make it pass unnoticed and very little is known about this species. He spends most of his life underground, usually under big stones, where it feeds on ant larvae that are their main prey (Bons & Geniez, 1996; Trape & Man\u00e9, 2006).<\/p>\n

In the outskirts of Tazenakht (Morocco) were recently found 4 adult individuals of this species under the same stone (B. Rebollo Fernandez & G. Martinez del Marmol Marin, unpublished) and because it was in may, the mating season of most snakes species in Morocco, it could be a meeting with reproduction ends, as this is common in other species of the genus\u00a0Myriopholis<\/span>\u00a0(M.\u00a0macrorhynchus<\/span>; B. G\u00f6\u00e7men, pers. comm.)<\/p>\n

Distribution, habitat and abundance<\/h2>\n

It occurs in deserts, semi-arid and arid areas in the pre-Saharan margins in Morocco and has been located in the Western Sahara just few times (Bons & Geniez, 1996; Geniez\u00a0et al<\/em>., 2004).<\/p>\n

Like other snakes of pre-Saharan areas must have higher densities in the oases and oueds where the food is more abundant.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Habitat<\/p>\n

\"Habitat
Typical habitat of Myriopholis algeriensis. Top: General landscape. Below. Detail. Errachidia. Photo: \u00a9 Gabri Mtnez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

There are just a few records of this snake, although it can be due to its fossorial habits and the difficulty of finding this species, and the real distribution and abundance could be higher of the actually known.<\/p>\n

References<\/h3>\n