Kingdom Animalia Subphylum Vertebrata Suborder Serpentes Scientific name Uropeltis woodmasoni Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Order Squamata Family Uropeltidae Higher classification Uropeltis | |
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Uropeltis woodmasoni, commonly known as Wood-Mason's earth snake, is a species of snake in the family Uropeltidae. It is endemic to India. The specific name, woodmasoni, is in honor of Scottish zoologist James Wood-Mason.
Contents
Geographic range
It is found in southern India (Anamalai Hills and Palni Hills, Travancore, Tinnevelly, Nilgiris).
Type locality: "Anamallys and Travancore". [Silybura melanogaster Günther]
Type locality: "Palney hills, S India". [Silybura Wood-Masoni W. Theobald]
Type locality: "Pulney Mountains, 4,000 feet elevation". [Silybura nigra Beddome]
Description
Dorsum blackish or dark violet, with transverse series of small round yellow spots or ocelli. A lateral series of large yellow spots which may be confluent into a stripe. Ventrum blackish or dark violet.
Adults may attain a total length of 28 cm (11 inches).
Smooth dorsal scales arranged in 19 rows at midbody, as well as behind the head. Ventrals 163-178; subcaudals 6-11.
Snout pointed. Portion of rostral visible from above longer than its distance from the frontal, in some specimens separating the nasals. Frontal slightly longer than broad. Eye small, its diameter slightly less than ½ the length of the ocular shield. Diameter of body 23 to 30 times in the total length. Ventrals about twice as large as the contiguous scales. Tail rounded, the dorsal scales of the tail strongly pluricarinate. The terminal scute with two small points.
Taxonomy
Silybura melanogaster Günther is unavailable because it is a homonym of Uropeltis melanogaster Gray. Therefore the specific name, melanogaster, was replaced with the next available specific name, woodmasoni, by Gans in 1966.