| Munoa worm lizard | |
|---|---|
| |
| Amphisbaena munoai | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Clade: | Amphisbaenia |
| Family: | Amphisbaenidae |
| Genus: | Amphisbaena |
| Species: | A. munoai
|
| Binomial name | |
| Amphisbaena munoai Klappenbach, 1960
| |
The Munoa worm lizard (Amphisbaena munoai) is a small species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae of the reptilian order Squamata.[2][3] The species is native to southern South America.
Etymology
The specific name, munoai, is in honor of Uruguayan zoologist Juan Ignacio Muñoa (1925–1960).[4]
Description
Amphisbaena munoai has a rounded head. The body annuli number 202–218, and the caudal annuli number 18–25. There are 10–14 segments in an annulus at midbody. There are four precloacal pores.[2]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of Amphisbaena munoai is grassland, at elevations of 100–500 m (330–1,640 ft).[1]
Behavior
Amphisbaena munoai is terrestrial and fossorial.[1] It can be found hiding under stones or decomposing bark.[3] Hiding under stones allows the amphisbaenian to raise its body temperature without exposing itself to predators.[3]
Diet
The main component of the diet of Amphisbaena munoai consists of termites, but it also consumes various types of small insect larvae.[3]
Reproduction
Amphisbaena munoai has a seasonal reproductive cycle. Females are able to be fertilized between June and October while males display a high testicle volume during this period.[3] Females carry eggs from November to December and thus it is believed that copulation occurs from September to November.[3] The eggs of A. munoai are frequently found in ant nests.[3] Sexually mature males have a significantly smaller snout-vent length than sexually mature females.[3]
Geographic distribution
Amphisbaena munoai can be found in the pampas biome of southern Brazil, a temperate climate, and in Uruguay.[2][3]
References
- ^ a b c Cacciali, P.; Carreira, S.; Scott, N. (2019). "Amphisbaena munoai ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T63488534A63488537.en. Accessed on 07 December 2025.
- ^ a b c Amphisbaena munoai at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 28 September 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Andrade, Denis; Nascimento, Luciana; Abe, Augusto (2006). "Habits hidden underground: a review on the reproduction of the Amphisbaenia with notes on four neotropical species". Amphibia-Reptilia. 27 (2): 207–217. doi:10.1163/156853806777239995.
- ^ 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. (Amphisbaena munoai, p. 185).
Further reading
- Bernardo-Silva, Jorge S.; Von-Mühlen, Eduardo M.; Di-Bernardo, Marcos; Ketterl, Jochen (2006). "Feeding ecology in the small neotropical amphisbaenid Amphisbaena munoai (Amphisbaenidae) in southern Brazil". Iheringia, Série Zoologia. 96 (4): 487–489. (in English, with an abstract in Portuguese).
- Gans, C. (2005). "Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphisbaenia of the World". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (189): 1–130. (Amphisbaena munoai, p. 17).
- Klappenbach, Miguel A. (1960). "Notas herpetológicas, I. Amphisbaena munoai n. sp. (Amphisbaenidae)". Comunicaciones Zoológicas del Museo de Historia Natural de Montevideo 4 (84): 3. (Amphisbaena munoai, new species). (in Spanish).
- Perez, R; Alvares, D.J. (2020). "First record of piebaldism in the Munoa worm lizard (Amphisbaena munoai)". Herpetological Bulletin. 154: 35–36.
