REDESCRIPTION OF A RARE MALAGASY BLIND SNAKE, TYPHLOPS GRANDIDIERI MOCQUARD, WITH PLACEMENT IN A NEW GENUS (SERPENTES, TYPHLOPIDAE)

Typhlops grandidieri, a Malagasy blind snake known only from two synty pes collected in 1905, is redescribed on the basis of external and int ernal morphology. A lectotype is designated and a description of the s oft anatomy is given for the paralectotype. Certain features indicate a relationship to the Leptotyphlopidae, particularly Rhinoleptus konia gui (single anal shield, absence of tracheal lung, cranially located h eart, highly vascularized right lung with type G bronchial foramina). On the basis of total evidence these characters are considered converg ent; presence of maxillary teeth and a costal/vertebral ratio of 1.8 c onfirm membership in the Typhlopidae while other anatomical features s uggest a relationship to Rhinotyphlops simoni (reduced head shields, T -O supralabial imbrication pattern, horizontal cutting edge on rostral , attenuated body, long tail, absence of apical spine). Because of the mosaic of conflicting systematic characters, in conjunction with the unique cephalic papilla-like projections, Xenotyphlops gen. nov. is pr oposed to accomodate the species T. grandidieri.