title: Carved worm lizard
text: # Carved worm lizard
  
  The carved worm lizard (Monopeltis scalper) is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are two recognized subspecies.
  
  ## Description
  
  M. scalper is brownish dorsally, and it is whitish ventrally. It may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 29 cm (11 in), with a tail 2.9 cm (1.1 in) long.
  
  ## Reproduction
  
  The mode of reproduction of M. scalper is unknown.
  
  ## Subspecies
  
  Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.
  
  * Monopeltis scalper gerardi Boulenger, 1913
  * Monopeltis scalper scalper (Günther, 1876)
  
  Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Monopeltis.
  
  