Uraeotyphlus oommeni Gower & Wilkinson, 2007

A new species of Uraeotyphlus, described on the basis of a single, distinctive specimen from the Western Ghats of southern Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. This species is most similar to U. malabaricus

Uraeotyphlus malabaricus

The Uraeotyphlus malabaricus or Malabar caecilian is a caecilian with a short and stout body that is violet coloured dorsally and lighter ventrally. The eyes are distinct and surrounded by a light ring. The tentacle is placed ventrally, close to the lip. Light coloured areas are present around the...

 (Beddome) in that it lacks a clear differentiation between primary annuli and their higher-order (secondary or tertiary) subdivision. The pattern of annulation among species of Uraeotyphlus falls into two clear types based on the differentiation of primary and higher-order annuli, and the number of annular divisions per vertebra and whether this varies along the body. This difference is reflected in the recognition of oxyurus-group (U. interruptus

Uraeotyphlus interruptus

Uraeotyphlus interruptus is a species of caecilian found in India....

, U. menoni

Uraeotyphlus menoni

Uraeotyphlus menoni is a species of caecilian found in the Western Ghats of India.-Description:It is a greyish species with a white belly that is blotched with grey. The head is light violet in colour with light mottling and the distinct eyes are surrounded by a light ring. The tip of snout and...

, U. narayani

Uraeotyphlus narayani

Uraeotyphlus narayani is a species of caecilian endemic to the Western Ghats of India.-Description:This species is grey with a pale flesh coloured belly. A median greenish line runs between the chin and tail. Eyes are distinct with a white patch around it. Nostril are placed dorsally on the snout...

, U. oxyurus

Uraeotyphlus oxyurus

Uraeotyphlus oxyurus is a species of caecilian endemic to the Western Ghats of India.-Description:This species has a thick body and a narrow head and short tail. Its body is dark brown in colour with a whitish tail tip. The chin and throat are light brown. Its eyes are distinct and surrounded by a...

) and malabaricus-group (U. malabaricus and U. oommeni) species within Uraeotyphlus.