Uropeltis nitida

Uropeltis nitida is a species of nonvenomous shield tail snake (family Uropeltidae). It is endemic to southern India. No subspecies are currently recognized.[3]

Uropeltis nitida
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Uropeltidae
Genus: Uropeltis
Species:
U. nitida
Binomial name
Uropeltis nitida
(Beddome, 1878)
Synonyms
Common names: southern earth snake, Cochin shieldtail.

Geographic range

It is found in southern India in the Western Ghats on the Cochin side of the Anaimalai Hills.

The type locality given in Beddome (1878) is "Anamallays, 4000 to 5000 ft."

Beddome (1886) gives the type locality as "Anamallays, about the Nelliampady estates on the Cochin side, elevation 4000 to 5000 feet."[2]

Description

Dorsum black. Ventrum black with distant yellow crossbands, which are usually broken at the midline and alternating, but sometimes meet to form complete crossbands.

Adults may attain 35 cm (13 3⁄4 in) in total length.

Dorsal scales smooth, arranged in 17 rows at midbody, in 19 rows behind the head. Ventrals 184-195; subcaudals 5-11.

Snout obtusely pointed. Rostral about ⅓ the length of the shielded part of the head. Portion of rostral visible from above longer than its distance from the frontal. Nasals in contact with each other behind the rostral. Frontal as long as broad or slightly longer than broad. Eye small, its diameter less than ½ the length of the ocular shield. Diameter of body 30 to 35 times in the total length. Ventrals two times as broad as the contiguous scales. Tail round or slightly flattened dorsally, with the terminal dorsal scales strongly pluricarinate. Terminal scute with a transverse ridge and two points.[4]

References
  1. Srinivasulu, B.; Srinivasulu, C.; Ganesan, S.R. & Vijayakumar, S.P. (2013). "Uropeltis nitidus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2013: e.T172711A1372729. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T172711A1372729.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 nitida". 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. pp. 151-152, Plate VI, figures 3, 3a, 3b.

Further reading
  • Beddome R.H. 1878. Descriptions of new Uropeltidæ from Southern India, with Remarks on some previously-described Species. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878 (1): 154-155.
  • 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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