Catalog of the Famly Dibamidae

Harold F De Lisle

Cover: Dibamus kondaoensis

Kondao Island, Vietnam

Photo: Augustus Fink-Nottle

Family Dimamidae

A CATALOG OF RECENT SPECIES

Harold F De Lisle

© Harold F. De Lisle, 2016

Email: gambelia@hughes.net

Family Dibamidae

Dibamidae is a family of legless lizards, sometimes called blind lixards or wormlizards, found in tropical forests. Relatively little is known about the dibamid lizards, which are native to Mexico, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Philippine Islands, and western New Guinea.

Dibamidae are small to medium-sized lizards with a slim, snakelike form. They are fewer than 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) long. Their body colors range from pale pink to light brown, with the under area, or belly, sometimes a bit paler. Their bodies are covered with shiny, smooth, and squarish overlapping scales. The scales on the head are large and platelike, especially on the snout, or nose area, and lower jaws., and no external ears. Their eyes are greatly reduced, and covered by a scale.

The heads of these reptiles are blunt, not pointed. The bones of the skull are fused, or firmly joined together. This makes the head area very solid, which helps in burrowing, or digging holes. Their tiny eyes look like dark specks and have no lids. The eyes are hidden under a head scale that does not move. The nostrils, or nose openings, are small and placed at the tip of the snout. These lizards have no ear openings that can be seen. Their ears are covered with scales. There are only a few lower teeth, set in sockets, or hollow openings, no pterygoid teeth . The teeth are small and pointed, curving backward. The tongue is short and wide and is not divided at the tip. The tip of the tongue does not retract, or pull back, completely.

The tails of dibamids are very short and blunt. They are able to break off at various places to deter predators. Dibamids do not have any working limbs, or legs. Males have small, flaplike hind limbs, or back legs. These limbs may be used in mating. Females have no limbs or flaps. Pectoral (PECK-ter-uhl), or chest, bones are absent. The hip-bone area is very small. These features give the blindskink its slim shape.

They lay eggs with hard, calcified shells, rather than the leathery shells typical of many other reptile groups.

All dibamids are fossorial, burrowing in soil or under rocks or felled logs on the forest floor

According to newer genetic research, Dibamidae is the most basal squamate group. No members of the genus Dibamus have been issued a conservation status by the IUCN. Anelytropsis papillosus is listed as Least Concern (LC).

Two genera are recognized, and 25 species (2019)

This Catalog is an attempt to summarize the genus and species taxonomic names of extant and recently extinct cordylid lizards. Several species concepts have been applied to these lizards, and changes in the species level taxonomy have been proposed and many more are to be expected for that reason alone. The systematic arrangement of the catalog is intuitive once a few principles are stated. Subspecific entries for each species are indented. Dates in

brackets indicate that these have been subsequently determined from sources external to the original document. Misspellings are generally excluded except where they have been widely used or misinterpreted. Junior subjective synonyms are listed under each valid name. In order to enhance the usefulness of the present list, the type species of each genus has been added keeping in mind the famous quote of Harold Cogger, "Taxonomy is a matter of opinion" (Golay et al., 1993) based, of course, on the evaluation of the best evidence. The taxonomy used herein is my evaluation and we accept full responsibility for its use. We have deliberately omitted most lapsus calami, nomina nuda, nomina dubia, nomina oblita, nomina substituta, etc., from the synonymy because these names are not available for use. The synonymy herein is limited to new descriptions. Entries for species consist of species or This Catalog is an attempt to summarize the genus and species taxonomic names of extant and recently extinct lizards. Several species concepts have been applied to these lizards, and changes in the species level taxonomy have been proposed and many more are to beexpected for that reason alone. The systematic arrangement of the catalog is intuitive once a few principles are stated. Subspecific entries for each species are indented. Dates in brackets indicate that these have been subsequently determined from sources external to the original document. The synonymy herein is limited to new descriptions. Entries for species consist of species or subspecies name, genus, author, year of description, publication page, type locality, location of primary (name-bearing) type specimen(s), if known, and known distribution. Type localities are those in the original description, except those in obvious error or those amended subsequently byauthoritative sources. Acronyms of type collections employed in the catalogue follow those used by American Museum of Natural History.

Abbreviations of museums holding the types are as follows

ANSP - Academy of Natural Sciences, Department of Herpetology, 19th and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, USA. BSP - Bureau Science Philippines (destroyed in WWII). FMNH - Field Museum, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605, USA LSUHC - La Sierra University Herpetological Collection, La Sierra University, Riverside, California, USA MCZ - Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. MNHNP - Museum National dHistoire Naturelle, Laboratoire des Amphibiens et Reptiles, 25 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France. MZB - Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Jl. Raya Juanda 3, Bogor, Java, Indonesia NHMB - Naturhistorisches Museum, Augustinergasse 2, 4001 Basel, Switzerland NHMW - Naturhistorisches Museum, Zoologische Abtheilung, Postfach 417, Burgring 7, 1014 Wien, Austria RMNH - Naturalis (Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum; formerly Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie), Postbus 9517, 2300RA Leiden, The Netherlands THNHM - National Science Museum, Thailand Natural History Museum, Technopolois, Klong 5, Klong Luang, Patumthani 12120, Thailand. ZISP - Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia ZMA - Universiteit van Amsterdam, Zoologisch Museum, Plantage Middenlaan 53, Amsterdam: C, Netherlands (now incorporated into NCB Naturalis, Leiden). ZRC - Zoological Reference Collection, Department of Zoology, University of Singapore, Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 10, Singapore.

Dibamidae Boulenger, 1884 Boulenger, G. 1884. Synopsis of the families of existing Lacertilia. Annals And Magazine of Natural History series 5 1884 14:117-122. Type genus: Dibamus Duméril & Bibron, 1839

Anelytropsis Cope 1885 Cope, E.D. 1885. A contribution to the herpetology of Mexico. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 22: 379-404. Type species: Anelytropsis papillosus Cope, 1885

Anelytropsis papillosus Cope, 1885 Anelytropsis papillosus Cope, 1885: 380

Type locality: near Jalapa, Veracruz, Mexico Holotype: ANSP 11458 Distribution: Mexico: southeastern San Luis Potosi, northwestern Veracruz, northeastern Quéretaro, northern Hidalgo, southwestern Tamaulipas States Anelytropsis papillosus T Townsend

Dibamus Duméril & Bibron, 1839. Duméril, A.M.C. & G. Bibron. 1839. Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome cinquième [Volume 5]. Paris: Roret. viii + 854 pp

Dibamus alfredi Taylor, 1962 Dibamus alfredi Taylor, 1962: 246

Type locality: Na Pradoo, Pattani, southern Thailand Holotype: FMNH 178336 Distribution: West Malaysia: Terengganu State; Thailand: Pattani, Yala Provinces Last seen 1961

Dibamus bogadeki Darevsky, 1992 Dibamus bogadeki Darevsky, 1992: 8

Type locality: Hong Kong: Hei Ling Chau Holotype: MCZ R-172041

Distribution: China: Hong Kong: Hei Ling Chau and Shek Kwu Chau Islands

Dibamus bogadeki M Williams

Dibamus booliati Das & Yaakob, 2003 Dibamus booliati Das & Yaakob, 2003: 144

Type locality: Batu Gua Madu, Kelantan State, northern Peninsular Malaysia Holotype: ZRC 2.5368 Distribution: West Malaysia: Kelantan State

Dibamus bourreti Angel, 1935 Dibamus bourreti Angel, 1935: 354

Type locality: Tam Dao, Vinh Yen Province, Vietnam

Holotype: MNHNP 1935.0417 Distribution: northern Vietnam; China: Guangxi, eastern Guizhou, southern Hunan Provinces , Hong Kong

Dibamus bourreti China

Dibamus celebensis Schlegel, 1858 Dibamus celebensis Schlegel, 1858: 32

Type locality: Sulawesi, Indonesia Lectotype: RMNH 3638

Distribution: Indonesia: central Sulawesi Island

Dibamus dalaiensis Neang, Holden, Eastoe, Seng, Ith & Grismer, 2011 Dibamus dalaiensis Neang, Holden, Eastoe, Seng, Ith & Grismer, 2011: 59

Type locality: primary hill evergreen forest of Phnom Dalai in Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary (12° 26' 26.091" N, 103° 4' 39.708" E), southwestern Cardamom Mountains, Pursat Province, Cambodia Holotype: LSUHC 09777 Distribution: Cambodia: Cardamom Mountains

Dibamus dalaiensis Neang Thy

Dibamus deharvengi Ineich, 1999 Dibamus deharvengi Ineich, 1999: 282 Type locality: dans la forêt de Binh Châu (107°34’ E, 10°32’25” N), Province de Ba Ria-Vung Tau, environ 100 km à l’est de Ho Chi Minh (Saïgon), Vietnam Holotype: MNHNP 1997.6515 Distribution: Vietnam: Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province Last seen 1995

Dibamus deharvengi E Golyan

Dibamus dezwaani Das & Lim, 2005 Dibamus dezwaani Das & Lim, 2005: 114

Type locality: Lelewua (1°13'N 97°34'E), Pulau Nias (Nias Island), Sumatera Utara Propinsi, Indonesia

Holotype: ZMA 15498 Distribution: Indonesia: Mentawai Archipelago: Nias Island Last seen 1910

Dibamus floweri Quah, Anuar, Grismer & Grassby-Lewis, 2017 Dibamus floweri Quah, Anuar, Grismer & Grassby-Lewis, 2017: 682 Type locality: Fraser’s Hill (3°42′53.0″N, 101°44′58.6″E), Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia Holotype: LSUHC 12481 Distribution: West Malaysia, Pahang State: Fraser’s Hill

Dibamus lower iEvan Quah

Dibamus greeri Darevsky, 1992 Dibamus greeri Darevsky, 1992: 5

Type locality: Kontarang, Gilai- Contum Province (Kon Charang, Gia Lai Province), Vietnam Holotype: ZISP 20011 Distribution: Vietnam: Gia Lai, Thua Thien-Hue Provinces: Pleicu Plateau

Dibamus greeri R Bain

Dibamus ingeri Das & Lim, 2003 Dibamus ingeri Das & Lim, 2003: 138

Type locality: highlands of Mendolong, Sipitang District, Sabah, East Malaysia Holotype: FMNH 239756 Distribution: Borneo Island: East Malaysia: Sabah State: Mendolong highlands Last seen 1989 Dibamus kondaoensis Honda, Ota, Hikida & Darevsky, 2001 Dibamus kondaoensis Honda, Ota, Hikida & Darevsky, 2001:121

Type locality: tropical forest on Kondao Island, southern Vietnam Holotype: ZISP 20013a Distribution: Vietnam: Kondao Island Last seen 1987

Dibamus kondaoensis A Fink-Nottle

Dibamus leucurus (Bleeker, 1860) Typhlina leucurus Bleeker, 1860: 328

Type locality: Agam, Sumatra, Sumatera Barat Province, Indonesia Holotype: BMNH 1863.12.4.29 Synonyms: Typhlina ludekingi Bleeker, 1860 Type locality: Fort de Kock (Bukittinggi), West Sumatra, Indonesia Holotype: BMNH

1863.12.4.168 Dibamus argenteus Taylor, 1915 Type locality: Butuan, Agusan Province, Mindanao, Philippines Holotype: PBS 1691, destroyed in WWII Distribution: Indonesia: Pulau Weh, Sumatra, Kalimantan; East Malaysia: Sarawak State; Philippines: Camiguin, Siquijor, and eastern Mindanao Islands Dibamus leucurus R Brown

Dibamus manadotuaensis Koppetsch, Böhme, Koch, 2019 Dibamus manadotuaensis Koppetsch, Böhme, Koch, 2019: 334

Type locality: Pulau Manado Tua off the northern tip of the Minahassa Peninsula of Sulawesi, Indonesia, Holotype: MZB Lace. 14728 Distribution: Indonesia: Northern Sulawesi: islands off the coast of Manado

Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921 Dibamus montanus Smith, 1921: 431

Type locality: Le Bosquet, Langbian Plateau, S. Annam, Vietnam Lectotype: BMNH 1946.8.3.3 Distribution: Vietnam: Lam Dong Province Last seen 1910

Dibamus nicobaricum (Steindachner, 1867) Typhloscincus nicobaricum Steindachner, 1867: 94

Type locality: Nicobar Islands, India Holotype: NHMW 23461 Distribution: India: Nicobar Islands: Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar, Teressa, Camorta Islands

Dibamus nicobaricum S Harikrishnan

Dibamus novaeguineae Duméril & Bibron, 1839 Dibamus novaeguineae Duméril & Bibron, 1839: 834

Type locality: New Guinea Lectotype: MNHNP 7156A Synonym: Thyphloscincus martensii Peters, 1864 Type locality: Ternate, Indonesia Syntypes: ZMB 5026, 5027 Distribution: Indonesia: Ternate, Komodo, Flores, Halmahera, Lembeh, southeastern Sulawesi, Semeulue, western New Guinea (Papua),Waigeo Islands; West Malaysia: Kelantan State; Philippines: Cebu, Papahang, Palawan, Basilan, western Mindano, Negros, Pacijan Islands

Dibamus novaeguineae KP Harmon

Dibamus seramensis Greer, 1985 Dibamus seramensis Greer, 1985: 150

Type locality: Wahaai, Seram, Indonesia Holotype: MCZ 7623 Distribution: Indonesia: Seram Island

Dibamus smithi Greer, 1985 Dibamus smithi Greer, 1985: 151

Type locality: Daban, Langbian Plateau, Vietnam Holotype: BMNH 1946.8.21.27 Distribution: Vietnam: Langbian Plateau

Dibamus somsaki Honda, Nabhitabhata, Ota & Hikida, 1997 Dibamus somsaki Honda, Nabhitabhata, Ota & Hikida, 1997: 276

Type locality: Khao Soi Dao National Park (13° 1' N, 102° 2' E), Canthaburi, Thailand Holotype: THNHM 52-001 Distribution: Thailand: Canthaburi Province: western Cardomom Mountains Last seen 1995

Dibamus taylori Greer, 1985

Dibamus taylori Greer, 1985: 151

Type locality: Waimangura, western Sumba, Indonesia Holotype: NHMB 14777

Distribution: Indonesia: Lesser Sunda Islands: Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Komodo, Flores, Wetar Islands

Dibamus tebal Das & Lim, 2009 Dibamus tebal Das & Lim, 2009: 16

Type locality: Sinabang (02º28’60"N, 96º22’60"E), Pulau Simeuleu, Daerah Istimewah Aceh Propinsi, Republic of Indonesia Holotype: ZMA 15500 Distribution: Indonesia: Mentawai Archipelago: Simeuleu Island Last seen 1913

Dibamus tiomanensis Diaz, Leong, Grismer & Yaakob, 2004 Dibamus tiomanensis Diaz, Leong, Grismer & Yaakob, 2004: 1

Type locality: Kampung Paya, Pulau Tioman, Pahang, West Malaysia Holotype: ZRC 2.3410 Distribution: West Malaysia: Pahang State: Tioman & Tulai Islands

Dibamus tiomanensis LL Grismer Dibamus vorisi Das & Lim, 2003

Dibamus vorisi Das & Lim, 2003:139

Type locality: lowland rainforests of Danum Valley, Lahad Datu District, Sabah, East Malaysia

Holotype: FMNH 230187

Distribution: East Malaysia: Sabah State: Danum Valley Last seen 1990

REFERENCES

Angel, F. 1935. Un lézard nouveau de la famille des dibamidés. Bulletin du Muséum national d'histoire naturelle,

Paris (sér.2) 7: 354-356

Bleeker, P. 1860. Reptilien van Agam. Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indie, Batavia, 20: 325-329

Bleeker, P. 1860. Over de Reptiën Fauna van Sumatra. Natuurkundig tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indië, Batavia,

21: 284-298

Boulenger, G. 1884. Synopsis of the families of existing Lacertilia. Annals And Magazine of Natural History series

5 1884 14:117-122

Cope, E.D. 1885. A contribution to the herpetology of Mexico. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society

22: 379-404

Darevsky, I. S. 1992. Two new species of the worm-like lizard Dibamus (Sauria: Dibamidae) with remarks on the

distribution and ecology of Dibamus in Vietnam. Asiatic Herpetological Research 4: 1-12

Das, I. & N. Yaakob. 2003. A new species of Dibamus (Squamata: Dibamidae) from Peninsular Malaysia. Raffles

Bulletin of Zoology 51(1):143-147

Das, I. & K.K.P. Lim. 2005. A new species of Dibamus (Squamata,: Dibamidae) from Pulau Nias, Indonesia.

Journal of Herpetology 39 (1): 113-117

Das, I. & K.K.P. Lim.. 2009. A new species of Dibamus (Squamata: Dibamidae) from Pulau Simeuleu, Mentawai

Archipelago, Indonesia. Zootaxa 2088: 15-23

Diaz, R.E., M.T. Leong, L.L. Grismer & N.S. Yaakob. 2004. A new species of Dibamus (Squamata: Dibamidae)

from West Malaysia. Asiatic Herpetological Research 10: 1-7

Duméril, A.M.C. and G. Bibron. 1839. Erpétologie Générale on Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Vol.5.

Roret/Fain et Thunot, Paris, 871 pp.

Greer, A. E. 1985. The relationships of the lizard genera Anelytropsis and Dibamus. Journal of Herpetology 19 (1):

116-156

Honda, M., J. Nabhitabhata, H. Ota, T. Hikida 1997. A new species of Dibamus (Squamata: Dibamidae) from

Thailand. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 45 (2): 275-279.

Honda, M., H. Ota, T. Hikida & I.S. Darevsky. 2001. A new species of the worm-like lizard, Dibamus Duméril &

Bibron 1839 (Squamata Dibamidae), from Vietnam. Tropical Zoology 14: 119-125

Ineich, I. 1999. Une nouvelle espèce de Dibamus (Reptilia, Squamata, Dibamidae) du Vietnam. Bulletin de la

Société Zoologique de France124 (3): 279

Koppetsch, T., W. Böhme & A. Koch. 2019. A new species of Dibamus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 (Squamata:

Dibamidae) from Pulau Manado Tua, Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Zootaxa 4555 (3): 331–345

Neang, T., J. Holden,T. Eastoe, R. Seng, S. Ith & L.L. Grimser. 2011. A new species of Dibamus (Squamata:

Dibamidae) from Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, southwestern Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia. Zootaxa

2828: 58–6

Peters, W. 1864. Über neue Amphibien (Typhloscincus, Typhlops, Asthenodipsas, Ogmodon). Bekanntmachung

geeigneten Verhandlungen der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1864: 271-276

Schlegel, H. 1858. Handleiding Tot de Beoefening der Dierkunde 2. Natuurkundige Leercursus, Koninlijke Militarie

Akademie, 628 pp

Shahrul, E.S.H., M.S. Anuar, L.L. Grismer and R. Grassby-Lewis. 2017. A New Species of Dibamus Duméril

& Bibron 1839 (Squamata: Dibamidae) from A Hill Station in Peninsular Malaysia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 65:

681–690

Smith, M.A. 1921. New or little-known Reptiles and Batrachians from Southern Annam (Indochina). Proceedings

of The Zoological Society of London 1921: 423-440

Steindachner, F. 1867. In: Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858,1859

unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair (Zoologie), Vol. 1, part 3 (Reptilien p.1-98). K.

Gerold's Sohn/Kaiserlich-Königl. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Wien

Taylor, E.H. 1915. New species of Philippine lizards. The Philippine Journal of Science 10: 89-109

Taylor, E.H. 1962. New oriental reptiles. The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 43: 209-263

TAXON INDEX

A

alfredi (see Dibamus)

argenteus (see Dibamus leucurus)

B

bogadeki (see Dibamus)

booliati (see Dibamus)

bourreti (see Dibamus)

C

celebensis (see Dibamus)

D

dalaiensis (see Dibamus)

deharvengi (see Dibamus)

dezwaani (see Dibamus)

E

F

floweri (see Dibamus)

G

greeri (see Dibamus)

H

I

ingeri (see Dibamus)

J

K

kondaoensis (see Dibamus)

L

leucurus (see Dibamus)

ludekingi (see Dibamus leucurus)

M

manadotuaensis (see Dibamus)

martensii (see Dibamus novaeguineae)

montanus (see Dibamus)

N

nicobaricum (see Dibamus)

novaeguineae (see Dibamus)

O

P

papillosus (see Anelytropsis)

Q

R

S

seramensis (see Dibamus)

smithi (see Dibamus)

somsaki (see Dibamus)

T

taylori (see Dibamus)

tebal (see Dibamus)

tiomanensis (see Dibamus)

U

V

vorisi (see Dibamus)

W

X

Y

Z