Uropeltis nitida

Uropeltis nitida is a species of nonvenomous shieldtail snake (family Uropeltidae). The species is endemic to southern India. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.[3]

Uropeltis nitida
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Uropeltidae
Genus: Uropeltis
Species:
U. nitida
Binomial name
Uropeltis nitida
(Beddome, 1878)
Synonyms[2]
  • Silybura nitida
    Beddome, 1878
  • Silybura nitida
    — Boulenger, 1893
  • Uropeltis nitidus
    — M.A. Smith, 1943
  • Uropeltis nitida
    — Das, 1996
Common names: southern earth snake, Cochin shieldtail.

Geographic range

U. nitida 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" (1,200–1,500 m).

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

Description

The dorsum of U. nitida is black. The venter is 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 (including tail).

The dorsal scales are smooth, and are arranged in 17 rows at midbody, in 19 rows behind the head. The ventrals number 184-195, and the subcaudals number 5-11.

The snout is obtusely pointed. The rostral is about ⅓ the length of the shielded part of the head. The portion of the rostral visible from above is longer than its distance from the frontal. The nasals are in contact with each other behind the rostral. The frontal is as long as broad or slightly longer than broad. The eye is small, its diameter less than ½ the length of the ocular shield. The diameter of body goes 30 to 35 times into the total length. The ventrals are two times as broad as the contiguous scales. The tail is round or slightly flattened dorsally, with the terminal dorsal scales strongly pluricarinate. The terminal scute has a transverse ridge and two points.[4]

Reproduction

U. nitida is ovoviviparous.[5]

References
  1. Srinivasulu, B.; Srinivasulu, C.; Ganesan, S.R.; Vijayakumar, S.P. (2018). "Uropeltis nitida (amended version of 2013 assessment)". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2013: e.T172711A127978855. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T172711A127978855.en. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  2. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series), ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume). (Uropeltis nitida, p. 147).
  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 .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I–XXVIII. (Silybura nitida, pp. 151-152 + Plate VI, figures 3 [two views], 3a, 3b).
  5. "Uropeltis nitida". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.

Further reading
  • Beddome, R.H. (1878). "Descriptions of new Uropeltidæ from Southern India, with Remarks on some previously-described Species". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1878: 154-155. (Silybura nitida, new species, p. 154).
  • Beddome, R.H. (1886). "An Account of the Earth-Snakes of the Peninsula of India and Ceylon". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Fifth Series 17: 3-33. (Silybura nitida, p. 19).
  • Boulenger, G.A. (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Silybura nitida, p. 263).
  • Sharma, R.C. (2003). Handbook: Indian Snakes. Kolkata: Zoological Survey of India. 292 pp. ISBN 978-8181711694.
  • Smith, M.A. (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 583 pp. (Uropeltis nitidus, new combination, p. 76).


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