Uropeltis ellioti
Encyclopedia
Uropeltis ellioti, commonly known as Elliot's earth snake, is a species
of snake
in the family Uropeltidae. It is endemic to India
.
naturalist
Walter Elliot.
(Hills of Peninsular India. Western Ghats south of the Goa Gap
to Tinnevelly. Eastern Ghats: Shevaroys, Coimbatore district, South Arcot, Jalarpet, Vizagapatam district, Ganjam).
Type locality of Siloboura ellioti = "Madras".
Type locality of Silybura punctata = "Pulney hills, Golcondah hills".
Adults may attain a total length of 24 cm (9⅜ inches).
Dorsal scales in 19 rows behind the head, in 17 rows at midbody. Ventrals 144-172; subcaudals 6-10.
Snout pointed. Rostral about ⅓ the length of the shielded part of the head, the portion visible from above longer than its distance from the frontal. Nasals in contact with each other behind the rostral. Eye very small, less than half the length of the ocular shield. Diameter of the body 25 to 32 times in the total length. Ventrals nearly twice as large as the contiguous scales. End of tail convex or somewhat flattened dorsally. Dorsal scales of tail with 3 to 6 strong keels. Terminal scute with a transverse ridge and two points.
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...
.
Etymology
The specific name or epithet, ellioti, is in honor of ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
Walter Elliot.
Geographic range
It is found in southern IndiaIndia
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...
(Hills of Peninsular India. Western Ghats south of the Goa Gap
Goa Gap
The Goa Gap is one of the major passes in the Western Ghats, between the Maharashtra and Karnataka sections....
to Tinnevelly. Eastern Ghats: Shevaroys, Coimbatore district, South Arcot, Jalarpet, Vizagapatam district, Ganjam).
Type locality of Siloboura ellioti = "Madras".
Type locality of Silybura punctata = "Pulney hills, Golcondah hills".
Description
Dorsum dark brown, either uniform or with yellow dots. A yellow stripe on each side of the neck, and a yellow stripe on each side of the tail. Ventrum dark brown with small yellow dots, and a yellow transverse bar across the vent, which connects the stripes on the sides of the tail.Adults may attain a total length of 24 cm (9⅜ inches).
Dorsal scales in 19 rows behind the head, in 17 rows at midbody. Ventrals 144-172; subcaudals 6-10.
Snout pointed. Rostral about ⅓ the length of the shielded part of the head, the portion visible from above longer than its distance from the frontal. Nasals in contact with each other behind the rostral. Eye very small, less than half the length of the ocular shield. Diameter of the body 25 to 32 times in the total length. Ventrals nearly twice as large as the contiguous scales. End of tail convex or somewhat flattened dorsally. Dorsal scales of tail with 3 to 6 strong keels. Terminal scute with a transverse ridge and two points.