Birisi

Birisi ni nyoka wasio na sumu wa familia Typhlopidae. Kwa lugha nyingine huitwa “nyoka vipofu” mara nyingi, kwa sababu hawana macho au macho yamepunguka mpaka madoa meusi yanayoweza kulinganua nuru na giza tu. Spishi moja, birisi tingatinga, imeainishwa katika familia Xenotyphlopidae.

Nyoka hawa ni wafupi na wembamba, sm 95 kwa kipeo lakini sm 30-50 kwa kawaida. Spishi fupi sana ni birisi-Asia mdogo (sm 5-15) na huyu ni nyoka mfupi kabisa duniani. Rangi yao ni nyeusi, kijivu, kahawia au pinki pengine pamoja na madoa au mabaka.

Birisi huchimba ardhini, huingia vishimo au hujificha chini ya mawe au magogo, mara nyingi magogo yaliyooza. Kwa hivyo hawahitaji macho. Hula mchwa hasa.

Nyoka hawa hawana sumu na kwa kisa chochote mdomo wao ni mdogo sana; kwa hivyo hawawezi kung'ata mtu na wanaweza kukamatwa bila shida.

Spishi za Afrika
 Afrotyphlopinae
 Afrotyphlops angeli, Birisi-Afrika wa Angel (Angel's blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops angolensis, Birisi-Afrika Kahawia (Angola blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops anomalus, Birisi Mkubwa wa Angola (Angolan giant blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops bibronii, Birisi-Afrika wa Bibron (Bibron's blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops blanfordii, Birisi-Afrika wa Blanford (Blanford's blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops brevis, Birisi Mkubwa Somali (Somali giant blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops calabresii, Birisi-Afrika wa Calabresi (Calabresi's blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops congestus, Birisi-Afrika Mabaka (Blotched blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops cuneirostris, Birisi-Afrika Domo-kabari (Wedge-snouted blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops decorosus, Birisi-Afrika wa Kameruni (Cameroon slender blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops elegans, Birisi-Afrika Murua (Elegant blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops fornasinii, Birisi-Afrika wa Fornasini (Fornasini's blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops gierrai, Birisi Madoadoa wa Usambara (Usambara spotted blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops kaimosai, Birisi-Afrika wa Kakamega (Kakamega blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops liberiensis, Birisi-Afrika wa Gini (Guinea blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops lineolatus, Birisi-Afrika Mistari (Lineolate blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops manni, Birisi-Afrika wa Mann (Mann's worm snake)
 Afrotyphlops mucruso, Birisi-Afrika wa Zambezi (Zambezi blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops nanus, Birisi Mdogo wa Kenya (Kenyan dwarf blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops nigrocandidus, Birisi-Afrika wa Udzungwa (Udzungwa blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops obtusus, Birisi-Afrika Mwembamba Kusi (Southern gracile blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops platyrhynchus, Birisi-Afrika wa Tanga (Tanga blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops punctatus, Birisi-Afrika Madoadoa (Spotted blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops rondoensis, Birisi-Afrika wa Rondo (Rondo Plateau blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops schlegelii, Birisi Mkubwa wa Schlegel (Schlegel's giant blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops schmidti, Birisi-Afrika wa Schmidt (Schmidt's blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops steinhausi, Birisi-Afrika wa Steinhaus (Steinhaus's blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops tanganicus, Birisi-Afrika wa Liwale (Liwale blind snake)
 Afrotyphlops usambaricus, Birisi-Afrika wa Usambara (Usambara blind snake)
 Letheobia acutirostrata, Birisi-Afrika Mkia-kali (Irebu worm snake)
 Letheobia akagerae, Birisi Mwembamba wa Rwanda (Akagera gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia caeca, Birisi-Afrika wa Gaboni (Gabon beaked snake)
 Letheobia coecatus, Birisi-Afrika wa Ghana (Ghana beaked snake)
 Letheobia crossii, Birisi-Afrika wa Cross (Cross's beaked snake)
 Letheobia debilis, Birisi Mwembamba wa Bangui (Feeble gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia erythraea, Birisi-Afrika wa Eritrea (Eritrean blind snake)
 Letheobia feae, Birisi-Afrika wa Sao Tome (St. Thomas blind snake)
 Letheobia gracilis, Birisi-Afrika wa Urungu (Urungu blind snake)
 Letheobia graueri, Birisi-Afrika wa Sternfeld (Sternfeld's blind snake)
 Letheobia jubana, Birisi-Afrika wa Juba (Juba blind snake)
 Letheobia kibarae, Birisi-Afrika wa Upemba (Upemba blind snake)
 Letheobia largeni, Birisi Mwembamba wa Largen (Largen's gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia leucosticta, Birisi-Afrika wa Liberia (Liberia blind snake)
 Letheobia lumbriciformis, Birisi Mwembamba wa Zanzibar (Zanzibar gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia mbeerensis, Birisi-Afrika wa Embu (Embu blind snake)
 Letheobia newtoni, Birisi-Afrika wa Newton (Newton's blind snake)
 Letheobia pallida, Birisi-Afrika Mweupe (Zanzibar blind snake)
 Letheobia pauwelsi, Birisi-Afrika wa Pauwels (Pauwels's blind snake)
 Letheobia pembana, Birisi Mwembamba wa Pemba (Pemba gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia praeocularis, Birisi wa Afrika ya Kati (Leopoldville blind snake)
 Letheobia rufescens, Birisi Mwembamba wa Oubangui (Oubangui gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia somalica, Birisi-Afrika wa Galla (Ethiopian blind snake)
 Letheobia stejnegeri, Birisi-Afrika wa Stejneger (Stejneger's beaked snake)
 Letheobia sudanensis, Birisi-Afrika wa Ituri (Ituri gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia swahilica, Birisi-Afrika Swahili (Swahili gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia toritensis, Birisi Mwembamba wa Torit (Torit gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia uluguruensis, Birisi Mwembamba wa Uluguru (Uluguru gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia wittei, Birisi Mwembamba wa De Witte (De Witte's gracile blind snake)
 Letheobia zenkeri, Birisi-Afrika wa Zenker (Zenker's blind snake)
 Rhinotyphlops ataeniatus, Birisi-pua Somali (Somali blind snake)
 Rhinotyphlops boylei, Birisi-pua wa Boyle (Boyle's beaked blind snake)
 Rhinotyphlops lalandei, Birisi-pua wa De Lalande (Delalande's beaked blind snake)
 Rhinotyphlops leucocephalus, Birisi-pua Kichwa-cheupe (White-headed beaked blind snake)
 Rhinotyphlops schinzi, Birisi-pua wa Schinz (Schinz's beaked blind snake)
 Rhinotyphlops scortecci, Birisi-pua wa Scortecci (Scortecci's blind snake)
 Rhinotyphlops unitaeniatus, Birisi-pua Mraba (Yellow-striped blind snake)
 Asiatyphlopinae
 Indotyphlops braminus, Birisi-Asia Mdogo (Flower pot blind snake)
 Xerotyphlops etheridgei, Birisi-Asia wa Etheridge (Etheridge's blind snake)
 Xerotyphlops socotranus, Birisi-Asia wa Sokotra (Socotra blind snake)
 Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Birisi-Asia wa Misri (Eurasian blind snake)
 Madatyphlopinae
 Madatyphlops albanalis, Birisi-Bukini wa Albana (Albana blind snake)
 Madatyphlops andasibensis, Birisi-Bukini wa Andasibe (Andasibe blind snake)
 Madatyphlops arenarius, Birisi-Bukini Mchanga (Sand worm snake)
 Madatyphlops boettgeri, Birisi-Bukini wa Böttger (Böttger's blind snake)
 Madatyphlops comorensis, Birisi-Bukini wa Komori (Comoro worm snake)
 Madatyphlops decorsei, Birisi-Bukini wa Mocquard (Mocquard's blind snake)
 Madatyphlops domerguei, Birisi-Bukini wa Domergue (Domergue's blind snake)
 Madatyphlops madagascariensis, Birisi-Bukini wa Kawaida (Madagascar blind snake)
 Madatyphlops microcephalus, Birisi-Bukini Kichwa-kidogo (Small-headed worm snake)
 Madatyphlops mucronatus, Birisi-Bukini Mkia-kali (Pointed blind snake)
 Madatyphlops ocularis, Birisi-Bukini wa Parker (Parker's blind snake)
 Madatyphlops rajeryi, Birisi-Bukini wa Rajeryiarison (Rajeryiarison's blind snake)
 Madatyphlops reuteri, Birisi-Bukini wa Reuter (Reuter's blind snake)

Picha

Marejeo
 Spawls, S., Howell, K., Drewes, R. & Ashe, J. (2002) A field guide to the Reptiles of East Africa. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA.

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