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Species
Ramphotyphlops braminus Broadley & Wallach 2009
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Introduced. The first report of R. braminus from Egypt and northern Africa is by Baha El Din (1996b), who reported a single specimen found freshly dead on a road in the Cairo suburb of Maadi. Subsequently, the species has been reported in several localities in the vicinity of greater Cairo (Saleh 1997, Wallach 1999), the Suez Canal zone (Ibrahim 2005), Ain Sukhna, and Sharm El Sheikh.
It is apparent that R. braminus has been quite successful in colonizing new territory in Egypt. There are indications that it is well established in the Nile Valley and Delta where there is extensive suitable habitat for the species. At both Ain Sukhna and Sharm El Sheikh the species was found in tourist resorts, where gardens are planted with imported exotic vegetation, among which this tiny snake has probably been transported. The arrival of the species in Egypt seems to be recent. Examination of extensive Egyptian Typhlops and Leptotyphlops material in FMNH and NMNH collected between 1949 and 1960 (n= 217) did not produce a single R. braminus. The earliest material taken from Egypt appears to be a single specimen collected in 1984, but only recently identified as this species (Saleh 1997).
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Rights holder/Author | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, BA Cultnat, Bibliotheca Alexandrina - EOL Ar |
Source | http://lifedesk.bibalex.org/ba/pages/768 |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 3
Specimens with Barcodes: 27
Species With Barcodes: 1
Ramphotyphlops braminus is one of the world's most widespread snakes (Gasperetti 1988). This species (commonly known as Flower-pot Snake) has been introduced to many parts of the world transported with exotic trees and shrubs. Current distribution includes Australia, south Asia, Arabia, sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, parts of the Far East and Central America, and the United States (Florida and Hawaii).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, BA Cultnat, Bibliotheca Alexandrina - EOL Ar |
Source | http://lifedesk.bibalex.org/ba/pages/768 |
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable
Continent: Africa Near-East Middle-America Asia Oceania
Distribution: Africa: Egypt [HR 30: 236; HR 32: 11], Libya, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Somalia, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon, Central African Republic, Madagascar, Comores (Mayotte, Mohéli, Anjouan), Nossi Be = Nosy Bé, Mascarenes, Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion, Rodrigues, Middle East: Saudi Arabia (introduced), Oman (introduced), , United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Iran, Asia: Vietnam, Laos, Thailand [HR 32: 279], Myanmar (= Burma), Cambodia, Malaysia (Pulau Tioman, Johor: Pulau Sibu), Indonesia (Sulawesi, Komodo), Solomon Islands [McCoy 2000], S China (Hainan, Guangdong: Nan Ao Island, Hong Kong), Taiwan (incl. Lanyu), Japan (Ryukyu islands, incl. Senkaku), India (Maharashtra (Pune (=Poona)), Arunachal Pradesh (Miao – Changlang district) [A. Captain, pers. Comm.]), Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Philippines (Palawan: Calamian Islands, Panay, Luzon etc.), New Guinea, Nauru, Australia and Oceania: (Cook Islands, CKI, North Territory), New Caledonia, Toga Island America: Mexico (introduced; Querétaro, Michoacán, Aguascalientes [HR 32: 279]), Guatemala (introduced), Belize ? (P. Stafford, pers. comm.), USA (introduced to Florida and Hawaii), West Indies [HR 28: 210], Grand Cayman Islands [HR 34: 265], St. Martin, St. Barthélmy (BREUIL 2002). Elevation 0-2000 m.
Type locality: Vizagapatam [Visakhapatnam], India.
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
Length: 20 cm
An alien species with no conservation significance for Egypt.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, BA Cultnat, Bibliotheca Alexandrina - EOL Ar |
Source | http://lifedesk.bibalex.org/ba/pages/768 |
Comments: This fossorial snake inhabits loose damp soil of shaded gardens, valleys, sandy plateaus, rocky slopes, and various other habitats, usually at low elevations. It can be found under potted plants, plastic liners, rocks, debris, or fallen trees, or in decaying logs or stumps. Eggs are laid in moist soil and probably also humus and rotted wood.
Least Concern
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, BA Cultnat, Bibliotheca Alexandrina - EOL Ar |
Source | http://lifedesk.bibalex.org/ba/pages/768 |