Diard's blind snake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diard's blind snake
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Argyrophis
Species:	diardii
Synonyms
List Typhlops Diardii Schlegel, 1839 Typhlops Mülleri Schlegel, 1839 Typhlops nigro-albus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844 Argyrophis bicolor Gray, 1845 Argyrophis Horsfieldii Gray, 1845 Typhlops striolatus W. Peters, 1861 T[yphlops]. (Typhlops) nigroalbus — Jan, 1863 T[yphlops]. (Typhlops) Schneideri Jan, 1863 T[yphlops]. (Typhlops) Diardi — Jan, 1863 T[yphlops]. (Typhlops) Mülleri — Jan, 1863 T[yphlops]. Diardi — Jan & Sordelli, 1864 T[yphlops]. bicolor — Jan & Sordelli, 1864 T[yphlops]. Mülleri — Jan & Sordelli, 1864 T[yphlops]. nigroalbus — Jan & Sordelli, 1864 Typhlops horsfieldii — Günther, 1864 T[yphlops]. Schneideri — Jan & Sordelli, 1865 Tychlpos Diardii — Steindachner, 1867 Typhlops barmanus Stoliczka, 1872 Typhlops diardi — Boulenger, 1893 Typhlops muelleri — Boulenger, 1893 Typhlops nigroalbus — Boulenger, 1893 Typhlops schneideri — Boulenger, 1893 Typhlops kapaladua Annandale, 1906 Typhlops tephrosoma Wall, 1908 [Typhlops diardi] var. cinereus Wall, 1909 Typhlops labialis Waite, 1918 Typhlops diardi diardi — M.A. Smith, 1923 Typhlops diardi nigroalbus — M.A. Smith, 1923 Typhlops fusconotus Brongersma, 1934 Typhlops diardi mülleri — Brongersma, 1934 Typhlops diardi — Bourret, 1936 Typhlops d[ardi]. tephrosoma — Bourret, 1936 Typhlops diardi diardi — Hahn, 1980 Typhlops muelleri — Hahn, 1980 Typhlops diardii — McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré, 1999 Asiatyphlops diardii — Hedges et al., 2014 Argyrophis diardii — Pyron & Wallach, 2014

Argyrophis diardii, commonly known as Diard's blind snake, the Indochinese blind snake, the large blind snake, or the large worm snake, is a species of harmless snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to South Asia and Southeast Asia. There are two recognized subspecies.

Taxonomy

A. diardii was first described by Hermann Schlegel in 1839, as Typhlops Diardii. The type locality of Schlegel's specimen was "Cochinchina [southern Vietnam]". Saint Girons (1972: 32) described it as "Cochinchina sans certitude [southern Vietnam without certainty]", and Hahn (1980: 56) as "East Indies".

Etymology

Both the specific name, diardii, and the common name, "Diard's blindsnake", are in honor of French naturalist Pierre-Médard Diard.

Subspecies

Two subspecies of Typhlops diardii are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies:

• Argyrophis diardii diardii Schlegel, 1839
• Argyrophis diardii platyventris Khan, 1998

Description

A. diardii is heavy-bodied for a blindsnake. It has 22–25 scale rows around the body at midbody. The belly is distinctly flat.

Distribution and habitat

A. diardii is found in India (Jalpaiguri-West Bengal, as far west as Dun Valley in Assam), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, Nias Island, Sumatra, Web Island (off northwest Sumatra), Bangka, and Borneo.

The preferred natural habitats of A. diardii are forest, shrubland, and grassland, but it has also been found in agricultural areas.