Megatyphlops, Broadley & Wallach, 2009

Broadley, Donald G. & Wallach, Van, 2009, 2255, Zootaxa 2255, pp. 1-100 : 77

Key to the species of Megatyphlops in eastern and southern Africa

1a. Rostral circular in dorsal view and not strongly projecting; short nasal suture arising from the rostral; dorsum light red-brown, pigment confined to posterior half of each scale M. anomalus

1b. Rostral unguiform, oval or cuneiform in dorsal view, strongly projecting; long nasal suture arising from first or second supralabial; dorsum lineolate, blotched, mottled or uniform black or grey-brown ............................................ 2

2a. Rostral unguiform in dorsal view; midbody scale rows usually 34–44; dorsum mottled with black or entirely black ................................................................................................................................................................. M. schlegelii

2b. Rostral oval or cuneiform in dorsal view; midbody scale rows usually 30–36; dorsum lineolate, blotched with black or uniform grey-brown ...................................................................................................................................... 3

3a. Rostral oval in dorsal view, convex in profile; rostral length/width ratio usually less than 1.25; lineolate or blotched, some large adults uniform grey-brown ..................................................................................... M. mucruso

3b. Rostral cuneiform in dorsal view, depressed in profile; rostral length/width ratio usually more than 1.25; juveniles lineolate, adults uniform grey-brown ............................................................................................................ M. brevis