Scolecophidia
Encyclopedia
Common names: blind snakes, thread snakes.

The Scolecophidia are an infraorder of snakes. They range in size from 10-100 cm in length, but may only be as small as 2 mm. All are fossorial
Fossorial
A fossorial organism is one that is adapted to digging and life underground such as the badger, the naked mole rat, and the mole salamanders Ambystomatidae...

. Currently, 3 families and 12 genera are recognized.

Families

Family Authority Genera Common name Geographic range
Anomalepididae
Anomalepididae
The Anomalepididae are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Central and South America. They are similar to Typhlopidae, except that some species possess a single tooth in the lower jaw. Currently, 4 genera and 15 species are recognized.-Description:...

Taylor
Edward Harrison Taylor
Edward Harrison Taylor was an American herpetologist from Kansas.He was born in Maysville, Missouri and studied at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, graduating with a B.A. in 1912. Subsequently, he went to the Philippines, where at first he held a teacher's post in a village in central...

, 1939
4 Primitive blind snakes Southern Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

 and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

.
Leptotyphlopidae
Leptotyphlopidae
The Leptotyphlopidae are a family of snakes found in North and South America, Africa, and Asia. All are fossorial and adapted to burrowing, feeding on ants and termites...

Stejneger
Leonhard Hess Stejneger
Leonhard Hess Stejneger was a Norwegian-born American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputation with reptiles and amphibians....

, 1892
2 Slender blind snakes Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, western Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

 and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

.
Typhlopidae
Typhlopidae
The Typhlopidae are a family of blind snakes. They are found mostly in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and all mainland Australia and various islands. The rostral scale overhangs the mouth to form a shovel like burrowing structure. They live underground in burrows, and since...

Merrem
Blasius Merrem
Blasius Merrem was a German naturalist.Merrem was born at Bremen, and studied at the university of Göttingen under Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. He developed an interest in zoology, particularly ornithology...

, 1820
6 Long-tailed blind snakes Most tropical and many subtropical regions all over the world.

See also

  • Alethinophidia
    Alethinophidia
    The Alethinophidia are an infraorder of snakes that includes all snakes other than blind snakes and thread snakes. Currently, 15 families are recognized, including 9 subfamilies and 316 genera.* Family: Acrochordidae Bonaparte, 1831 -- wart snakes...

    , all other snakes.
  • List of snakes, overview of all snake genera.
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