Uropeltis arcticeps, commonly known as the Madurai earth snake or the Tinevelly Uropeltis, is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of snake

Snake

Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...

 in the family Uropeltidae. It is endemic to 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...

.

Geographic distribution

South 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...

(Western Ghats south of Palghat; from sea level (Alleppey) to about 5,000 feet in the Travancore Hills; Tinnevelly Hills).

Type locality of Silybura arcticeps = "Tinevelly, S India".

Type locality of Silybura madurensis = "High Wavy mountain, Madura district, elevation 5500 feet, S India".

Type locality of Silybura nilgherriensis var. picta = "North Travancore near Peermede, on coffee estate at an elevation between 3000 and 4000 feet", S India".