Monopeltis

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Cladus: Unidentata Episquamata

Subordo: Lacertoidea
Infraordo: Lacertibaenia
Cladus: Amphisbaenia

Familia: Amphisbaenidae
Genus: Monopeltis
Species (19): M. adercae – M. anchietae – M. capensis – M. decosteri – M. galeata – M. guentheri – M. infuscata – M. jugularis – M. kabindae – M. leonhardi – M. luandae – M. perplexus – M. remaclei – M. rhodesiana – M. scalper – M. schoutedeni – M. sphenorhynchus – M. vanderysti – M. zambezensis
Name

Monopeltis Smith, 1848: pl. 67 + unpaginated

Type species: Monopeltis capensis Smith, 1848, by monotypy.
References
Primary references

Smith, A. 1838–1849. Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa; Consisting Chiefly of Figures and Descriptions of the Objects of Natural History Collected During an Expedition Into the Interior of South Africa, in the Years 1834, 1835, and 1836; Fitted Out by “The Cape of Good Hope Association for Exploring Central Africa.” Published Under the Authority of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury. Reptilia. Vol. 2. Smith, Elder and Co.: London. [100] + 28 pp., pls. 1–78. BHL Reference page.

Additional references

Broadley, D.G., Gans, C. & Visser, J. 1976. Studies on Amphisbaenians. (6). The Genera Monopeltis and Dalophia in Southern Africa. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 157(5): 311–486. hdl: 2246/559 Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2021. Monopeltis . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 20 October 2018.

Monopeltis is a genus of amphisbaenians in the family Amphisbaenidae. Species in the genus are commonly known as worm lizards, even though they are not lizards. The genus is endemic to southern Africa. 19 species are placed in this genus.
Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.[1]

Monopeltis adercae de Witte, 1953 – Lualaba worm lizard
Monopeltis anchietae (Bocage, 1873) – Angolan spade-snouted worm lizard, Anchieta's worm lizard
Monopeltis capensis A. Smith, 1848 – Cape worm lizard, South African shield-snouted amphisbaenian, Cape wedge-snouted worm lizard
Monopeltis decosteri Boulenger, 1910 – De Coster's worm lizard
Monopeltis galeata (Hallowell, 1852) – helmeted worm lizard
Monopeltis guentheri Boulenger, 1885 – Western Congo worm lizard
Monopeltis infuscata Broadley, 1997 – dusky spade-snouted worm lizard, infuscate wedge-snouted amphisbaenian
Monopeltis jugularis W. Peters, 1880 – Gaboon worm lizard
Monopeltis kabindae de Witte & Laurent, 1942 – Kabinda worm lizard
Monopeltis leonhardi F. Werner, 1910 – Kalahari worm lizard
Monopeltis luandae Gans, 1976
Monopeltis perplexus Gans, 1976
Monopeltis remaclei de Witte, 1933 – Witte's worm lizard
Monopeltis rhodesiana Broadley, Gans & Visser, 1976
Monopeltis scalper (Günther, 1876) – carved worm lizard
Monopeltis schoutedeni de Witte, 1933 – Middle Congo worm lizard
Monopeltis sphenorhynchus (W. Peters, 1879) – slender spade-snouted worm lizard, Maurice's spade-snouted worm lizard
Monopeltis vanderysti de Witte, 1922 – Vanderyst worm lizard
Monopeltis zambezensis Gans & Broadley, 1974

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Monopeltis.
References

Genus Monopeltis at The Reptile Database

Further reading
Wikispecies has information related to Monopeltis.

Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. ... Amphisbænidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I–XXIV. (Genus Monopeltis, pp. 453–454; key to species, p. 454; species accounts, pp. 455–459).
Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Genus Monopeltis, p. 124).
Gans C (2005). "Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphisbaenia of the World". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (289): 1-130.