About Leptotyphlops nigricans (Schlegel, 1839)
Leptotyphlops nigricans is black or dark brown on both its dorsal (upper) and ventral (lower) surfaces. Some individuals have scales with lighter edges. It is a small, thin species of snake. Adult Leptotyphlops nigricans can reach a snout-vent length (SVL) of 196 millimetres, which is 7.7 inches. Its body scales are arranged in 14 rows around the midsection of the body. The snout is rounded, and the supraocular scale is small. The rostral scale is as broad as, or slightly broader than, the nasal scale, and extends back to the anterior edge of the eye. The nasal scale is completely divided. The ocular scale borders the lip between two upper labial scales, and the anterior of these two upper labials is very small. There are five lower labial scales. The body diameter is 40 to 53 times smaller than the snake's total length, and the tail length is 8 to 13 times smaller than the total length. This species is endemic to the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa.
