Anomochilus weberi

Anomochilus weberi
Black-and-white sketch of Anomochilus weberi
Sketch of A. weberi from 1890
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Anomochilidae
Genus: Anomochilus
Species:
A. weberi
Binomial name
Anomochilus weberi
Synonyms[2]
  • Anomalochilus weberi
    Lidth de Jeude in Weber, 1890

Anomochilus weberi, commonly known as Weber's dwarf pipesnake[3] or the Sumatran giant blind snake,[4] is a species of snake in the dwarf pipesnake family Anomochilidae. It is endemic to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, where it inhabits montane and lowland dipterocarp forest at altitudes of 300–1,000 m (980–3,280 ft). Described by the herpetologist Theodorus Willem van Lidth de Jeude in 1890, the species is a stout, cylindrical snake with a small head and short, conical tail. It is the smallest species in its genus, with a total length of 230 mm (9.1 in). It is mostly black in color, with pale stripes along its sides and pale blotches bordering the vertebral scales, as well as a variety of other pale spots and markings on the tail and head. It can be told apart from the other species in its genus by its small size, the presence of a pale stripe along its sides, and the presence of pale blotches along its back.

The species is nocturnal and fossorial (adapted to living underground). It most likely feeds on earthworms, snakes, and legless lizards. The species lays eggs in clutches of four, unusually for its superfamily, where most species give birth to live young. The IUCN Red List currently classifies A. weberi as being data deficient due to a lack of information about its range and threats to the species; however, it may be threatened by habitat loss caused by logging and urbanisation.

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  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Das2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).