Blanus
| Blanus | |
|---|---|
| File:Amphisbaenia.JPG | |
| Iberian worm lizard (Blanus cinereus) | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Clade: | Amphisbaenia |
| Family: | Blanidae Kearney, 2003 |
| Genus: | Blanus Wagler, 1830[1] |
Blanus, also known as worm lizards, are a genus of amphisbaenians found in the Mediterranean region of Europe and North Africa.[2] Like other amphisbaenians, Blanus species are specialized for a subterranean existence, with long, slender bodies, reduced limbs, and rudimentary eyes. Their skulls are powerfully constructed, allowing them to push through soil to create a burrow. Their jaws are well-developed, with large, recurved teeth and a pair of canine-like teeth in the upper jaw.
Four to seven extant species are currently known. The relationships of Blanus to other worm-lizards are not clear. The genus was formerly included in the Amphisbaenidae. More recent analyses suggest that blanids are more primitive, and are either related to Bipes[3] or represent an even more ancient lineage.[4]
A number of fossils from Europe have been referred either to Blanus or to the Blanidae.[5]
Species
[edit | edit source]
The genus contains the following species:[6][7]
- Blanus alexandri Sindaco, Kornilios, Sacchi & Lymberakis, 2014
- Blanus aporus Werner, 1898
- Blanus cinereus (Vandelli, 1797) – Iberian worm lizard
- Blanus mendezi † Bolet et al., 2014
- Blanus mettetali Bons, 1963 – Moroccan worm lizard
- Blanus strauchi (Bedriaga, 1884) – Turkish worm lizard
- Blanus tingitanus Busack, 1988
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Blanus.
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Wagler, J. (1830). Natürliches System der AMPHIBIEN, mit vorangehender Classification der SÄUGTHIERE und VÖGEL. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie. Munich, Stuttgart, and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta. vi + 354 pp. + one plate. (Blanus, new genus, p. 197). (in German and Latin).
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- ^ Blanus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 18 January 2014.
- ^ Blanus at Wikispecies.
Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (Blanidae, new family).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
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