Redescription and geographic variation of Monopeltis guentheri Boulenger (Amphisbaenia, Reptilia). American Museum novitates ; no. 2464

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Date

1971

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New York, N.Y. : American Museum of Natural History

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DOI

Abstract

"The present paper reviews all available specimens of Monopeltis guentheri Boulenger, a form that occurs at several sites in the Congo River Basin. The study confirms that Monopeltis boulengeri Boettger is a strict synonym. Minor geographical variation is described. Most important is an ontogenetic change that produces keratinization and gradual fusion of the large cephalic shields. Only a very few juvenile specimens show two discrete shields; as individuals grow, the center of the suture fuses and finally most of it is covered by a thick layer of keratin. Specimens with an autotomized and healed tail show a distally pigmented and rounded tip which is most similar to the short (nonautotomizing) tail of some other species of the genus"--P. [1].

Description

21 p. : ill., map ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 20-21).

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http://hdl.handle.net/2246/2672

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American Museum Novitates