A further case of foetal development of oviducal eggs in a South African Blind Snake, Afrotyphlops bibronii (A. Smith) (Serpentes: Typhlopidae)

The development of full-term embryos within unlaid eggs retained in utero in the Typhlopid species Afrotyphlops bibronii (A. Smith, 1846) (formerly Typhlops bibronii) has previously been reported by Erasmus and Branch (1983) and subsequently in popular books. A further observation of fully developed embryos in the unlaid eggs of Afrotyphlops bibronii is reported. Some of the literature relating to Typhlopid reproduction is briefly reviewed. While some Typhlopid snakes are known to have short incubation times indicating foetal development in the unlaid eggs, the presence of full term juveniles in oviducal eggs of Typhlopids has only been reported in A. bibronii as mentioned above and in T. diardi Schlegel, 1839 (now Argyrophis diardii) as was first reported by Wall (1918).