Rhinotyphlops lalandei, known commonly as Delalande's beaked blind snake, is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa.
Etymology The specific name, lalandei, is in honor of French naturalist Pierre Antoine Delalande.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Rhinotyphlops lalandei, p. 149).
Description R. lalandei is a slender, pinkish-grey, blind snake, which has a pointed nose that it uses for burrowing.
It may attain a maximum snout-to-vent length (SVL) of . The dorsal scales are arranged in 26–30 rows around the body. There are more than 300 dorsal scales in the vertebral row.Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. . (Rhinotyphlops lalandei, p. 53 + Plate 39).
The nostrils are located below the sharp horizontal cutting edge of the snout. The total length (including tail) is 35 to 50 times the diameter of the body. The tail is as broad as long, or broader than long, ending in a spine.Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families Typhlopidæ .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I–XXVIII. (Typhlops delalandii, p. 45).
Geographic range R. lalandei occurs throughout the eastern half of Southern Africa, as far south as Cape Town and with isolated populations in western parts such as Namibia.McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. (series). (volume).
Habitat R. lalandei can be found in a variety of habitats including semidesert, savannah, coastal bush, and fynbos, at altitudes from sea level to .
Reproduction The species R. lalandei is oviparous. The female lays a clutch of 2–4 eggs. The hatchlings are flesh-colored.
References
Further reading Schlegel H (1839). Abbildungen neuer oder unvollständig bekannter Amphibien, nach der Natur oder dem Leben entworfen und mit einem erläuternden Texte begleitet. Düsseldorf: Arne & Co. xiv + 141 pp. (Typhlops lalandei, new species, p. 38). (in German).