Suborder Serpentes Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Subphylum Vertebrata Scientific name Uropeltis ceylanica Higher classification Uropeltis Order Scaled reptiles | |
Similar Uropeltis, Uropeltis pulneyensis, Teretrurus, Plectrurus guentheri, Plectrurus | ||
Uropeltis ceylanica is a nonvenomous shield tail snake species found in southern India. No subspecies are currently recognized; but the presence of several synonyms, many recently resurrected, calls for further taxonomic studies of this species complex.
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Geographic range
Found in the Western Ghats of southern India in (Kerala)Castle Rock to Travancore (Anaimalai Hills), and in the southern ranges from Kunjithanni (Idikki District) to Trivandrum, the type locality given is "Ceylan"—a mistake, since this species has never been found in Sri Lanka.
Description
The dorsum is brown or blackish brown; sometimes patterned with spots or streaks. The ventrum is yellowish; some specimens have dark brown spots or are entirely brown. The ventral side of the tail is brown or black in the middle, and yellow on the sides.
Adults may attain a total length of 45 cm (18 in).
Dorsal scales are arranged in 17 rows at midbody (in 19 rows behind the head). Ventrals number 120-146; subcaudals number 8-12.
The snout is rounded. The rostral is one-fourth the length of the shielded part of the head. Portions of the rostral are visible from above and shorter than its distance from the frontal. Nasals are in contact with each other behind the rostral. The frontal is slightly longer than it is broad. The diameter of the eyes is more than half the length of the ocular shield. The total length of the snake is 21 to 29 times the diameter of the body. The ventrals are twice as large as the contiguous scales. The end of tail is flat dorsally, obliquely truncated, with strongly keeled scales which are bi-, tri-, or quadricarinate. It has a terminal scute with a transverse ridge and two points.