Leptotyphlops telloi
Tello's Thread Snake
Alternative Names:
Tello se Wurmslang (Afrikaans)
Umsundu (Xhosa)
Umsundu (Zulu)
Species: Leptotyphlops telloi Broadley & Watson, 1976
Distribution: Eswatini; Mozambique; South Africa
Distribution continued: Only recently located within South Africa ( two specimens were located in the Lebombo mountains, KwaZulu-Natal).
Type Locality: Estatuane, Mozambique.
Notes:
Habitat: Savanna
Habitat extended: Rocky areas of the Lebombo mountains.
Natural History: Poorly known species. Fossorial species that spends most of their time in the soil, emerging after rainfall. An adult male and female have been found underneath the same rock. Likely feeds predominantly on termite and ant larvae.
Biology: Oviparous. Very little is known about the species, however, likely similar to other Leptotyphlops within the region.
Conservation Status: According to the IUCN Red List, this species is classified as "Near Threatened".
Additional information
The Reptile Database (See here)
IUCN Red List (See here)
iNaturalist (See here)
LITERATURE
Branch, W. R. (2014). Conservation status, diversity, endemism, hotspots and threats. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata, 1, 22-50.
Borquin, O. (2004). Reptiles (Reptilia) in KwaZulu-Natal: 1-diversity and distribution. Durban Museum Novitates, 29(1), 57-103.
Boycott, R.C. (1992). An Annotated Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Swaziland. The Conservation Trust of Swaziland, Mbabane, Swaziland.
Broadley, D.G. and Broadley, S. (1999). A review of the African worm snakes from south of the latitude 12°S (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae). Syntarsus 5: 1-36.
Broadley D G. Wallach V. (1997). A review of the worm snakes of Mozambique (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae) with the description of a new species. Arnoldia Zimbabwe 10(11): 111-119
Broadley, D.G. & Watson,G. (1976). A revision of the Worm Snakes of South-eastern Africa (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae). Occ. Pap. nation. Mus. Rhodesia Bulawayo, (8): 465-510