Typhlosaurus

Typhlosaurus is a genus of African lizards, one of a number of genera of limbless lizards in the skink family (Scincidae). In 2010 this group was revised, and most species formerly attributed to Typhlosaurus were placed in the genus Acontias.^[1] As of 2025 the definition of Typhlosaurus includes five attenuate body legless lizards from southwestern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Angola). This is the sister genus to Acontias, which together form the well supported Afrotropical subfamily Acontinae.^[1]

Typhlosaurus
Typhlosaurus caecus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Scinciformata
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Acontidae
Genus:	Typhlosaurus Wiegmann, 1834

Species

Five species are recognized as being valid.^[2]

• Typhlosaurus braini Haacke, 1964 – Haacke's legless skink, Brain's legless skink, Brain's blind legless skink
• Typhlosaurus caecus (Cuvier, 1817) – southern blind legless skink, Cuvier's legless skink
• Typhlosaurus lomiae Haacke, 1986 – Lomi's blind legless skink
• Typhlosaurus meyeri Boettger, 1894 – Meyer's blind legless skink, variable blind legless skink
• Typhlosaurus vermis Boulenger, 1887 – Boulenger's legless skink, pink blind legless skink

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