De Coster's worm lizard

De Coster's worm lizard (Monopeltis decosteri), also known commonly as De Coster's spade-snouted worm lizard and De Coster's worm-lizard, is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is indigenous to southern Africa.

De Coster's worm lizard
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Amphisbaenidae
Genus:	Monopeltis
Species:	M. decosteri
Binomial name
Monopeltis decosteri Boulenger, 1910

Etymology

The specific name, decosteri, is in honor of Belgian Consul Juste De Coster, who was stationed at Delagoa Bay, Mozambique.^[1]

Geographic range

M. decosteri is found in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of M. decosteri is moist savanna with sandy soil.^[3]

Description

In life M. decosteri is pinkish white dorsally and ventrally.^[3] Preserved specimens in alcohol are yellowish white.^[4] Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in), but the maximum recorded SVL is 29 cm (11 in).^[3]

Reproduction

M. decosteri is viviparous.^[3]

References

1. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Monopeltis decosteri, p. 67).
2. Monopeltis decosteri at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 24 February 2019.
3. Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Monopeltis decosteri, p. 126).
4. Boulenger (1910).

Further reading

• Bates MF, Branch WR, Bauer AM, Burger M, Marais J, Alexander GJ, de Villiers MS (editors) (2014). Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata 1. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). xvii + 485 pp. ISBN 978-1-919976-84-6. (Monopeltis decoster, p. 153).
• Boulenger GA (1910). "A Revised List of the South African Reptiles and Batrachians, with Synoptic Tables, special reference to the specimens in the South African Museum, and Descriptions of New Species". Annals of the South African Museum 5: 455–538. (Monopeltis decosteri, new species, p. 495).
• Gans C (2005). "Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphisbaenia of the World". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (289): 1–130. (Monopeltis decosteri, p. 35).