Uropeltis macrorhyncha

Uropeltis macrorhyncha is a nonvenomous shield tail snake species endemic to India. No subspecies are currently recognized.[3]

Uropeltis macrorhyncha
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Uropeltidae
Genus: Uropeltis
Species:
U. macrorhyncha
Binomial name
Uropeltis macrorhyncha
(Beddome, 1877)
Synonyms
  • Silybura macrorhyncha Beddome, 1877
  • Silybura macrorhynchus - Boulenger, 1893
  • Uropeltis macrorhynchus - M.A. Smith, 1943
  • Uropeltis (Siluboura) macrorhynchus - Mahendra, 1984
  • Uropeltis macrorhyncha - Das, 1996[2]
Common names: Anaimalai earth snake.

Geographic range

It is found in southern India in the Western Ghats: Anaimalai Hills, Madura District.

The type locality given is "Anamullay Mountains, 4,000 feet elevation."

Also, Beddome, 1886, gives a type locality of "Anamallays, dense forests above Ponachi, at an elevation of 4000 feet.[2]

Description

Dorsum brown. A yellow streak from the mouth along each side of the neck. A yellow streak on each side of the tail, connected by a yellow crossbar across the vent. Ventrum brown mixed with yellow.

The type specimen is 57 cm (22 1⁄2 in) in total length.

Dorsal scales in 19 rows behind the head, in 17 rows at midbody. The type specimen, a female, has 213 ventrals, 6 subcaudals.

Snout acutely pointed, strongly projecting. Rostral strongly laterally compressed, keeled above, ½ the length of the shielded part of the head. Nasals narrowly in contact behind the rostral. Frontal as broad as long. Eye very small, less than ⅓ the length of the ocular shield. Diameter of body 38 times in total length. Ventrals slightly less than two times as large as the contiguous scales. End of tail subtruncate, the keeled dorsal portion small and rather flat, the scales with 3-5 strong keels. Terminal scute with two points.[4]

References
  1. Srinivasulu, C.; Srinivasulu, B.; Ganesan, S.R. & Vijayakumar, S.P. (2013). "Uropeltis macrorhynchus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2013: e.T172667A1363050. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T172667A1363050.en. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  2. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  3. "Uropeltis macrorhyncha". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  4. Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ...Uropeltidæ... Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). London. p. 153, Plate VIII, figure 1.

Further reading
  • Beddome, R.H. 1877. Descriptions of three new Snakes of the Family Uropeltidæ from Southern India. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877: 167-168.
  • Beddome, R.H. 1886. An Account of the Earth-Snakes of the Peninsula of India and Ceylon. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (5) 17: 3-33.
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