NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Eurasian Blind Snake
Xerotyphlops vermicularis (Merrem, 1820)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Xerotyphlops vermicularis, the European blind snake, European worm snake, Eurasian blind snake, or Eurasian worm snake, is a non-venomous species of snake in the genus Xerotyphlops. The common name results from the fact that is the only blindsnake naturally found in Europe (the brahminy blindsnake, Indotyphlops braminus, has been introduced to Kew Gardens and in Italy and Spain).
Wikipedia contributors, Xerotyphlops vermicularis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:56:15.029772+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Xerotyphlops vermicularis (Merrem, 1820)
- Name authority
- (Merrem, 1820)
- Common name
- Eurasian Blind Snake
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Typhlopidae
- Genus
- Xerotyphlops
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderScolecophidia Cope, 1864
- familyTyphlopidae
- genusXerotyphlops
- speciesXerotyphlops vermicularis (Merrem, 1820)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Xerotyphlops. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Xerotyphlops etheridgei (Wallach, 2002) | TyphlopidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Socotra Worm SnakeXerotyphlops socotranus (Boulenger, 1889) | TyphlopidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Iranian Worm SnakeXerotyphlops wilsoni (Wall, 1908) | TyphlopidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Levantine BlindsnakeXerotyphlops syriacus (Jan, 1864) | TyphlopidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Typhlops persicus Blanford, 1874 Blanford, 1874 | synonym |
| Anguis lumbricalis Daudin, 1803 Daudin, 1803 | ambiguous synonym |
| Typhlops vermicularis Merrem, 1820 Merrem, 1820 | synonym |
| Typhlops flavescens Bibron & Bory ex Bory, 1833 Bibron & Bory ex Bory, 1833 | synonym |
| Xerotyphlops luristanicus Torki, 2017 Torki, 2017 | synonym |
| Typhlops vermicalis Brehm, 1869 Brehm, 1869 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Xerotyphlops&species=vermicularis Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:5CDM2. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.