Uropeltis petersi
Uropeltis petersi, commonly known as Peter's earth snake, Peters' shieldtail, and the shieldtail earth snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is endemic to India.
| Uropeltis petersi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Uropeltidae |
| Genus: | Uropeltis |
| Species: | U. petersi |
| Binomial name | |
| Uropeltis petersi (Beddome, 1878) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Etymology
The specific name, petersi, is in honor of German herpetologist Wilhelm Peters (1815–1883).[2]
Geographic range
U. petersi is found in southern India in the Anaimalai Hills, at elevations of 4,000–5,000 ft (1,200–1,500 m).[2]
Type locality: "Anamallays, 4000 feet".[2]
Description
The dorsum of U. petersi is uniformly brown, or brown with yellowish dots. The venter has irregular yellowish spots.
It may attain a total length (including tail) of 19 cm (7+1⁄2 in).
The smooth dorsals are arranged in 17 rows at midbody, in 19 rows behind the head. The ventrals number 151-180, and the subcaudals number 6-11.
The snout is obtusely pointed. The rostral is slightly less than ¼ the length of the shielded part of the head. The portion of the rostral visible from above is shorter than its distance from the frontal. The nasals are in contact with each other behind the rostral. The frontal is longer than broad. The eye is small, its diameter less than ½ the length of the ocular shield. The diameter of the body goes 25 to 33 times into the total length. The ventrals are about two times as large as the contiguous scales. The tail is round or slightly laterally compressed, the terminal dorsal scales distinctly pluricarinate. The terminal scute has a transverse ridge, but without points.[3]
Behaviour
U. petersi is terrestrial and fossorial.[1]
Reproduction
U. petersi is ovoviviparous.[2]
References
- Srinivasulu, B.; Srinivasulu, C.; Giri, V.; Kulkarni, N.U.; Thakur, S. (2013). "Uropeltis petersi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2013: e.T178298A1530760. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T178298A1530760.en. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- "Uropeltis petersi ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- 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 petersii, pp. 148–149 + Plate VI, figures 1 [two views], 1a, 1b, 1c).
Further reading
- Beddome, R.H. (1878). "Descriptions of new Uropeltidae from Southern India, with Remarks on some previously-described Species". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1878 (1): 154–155. (Silybura petersi, 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 Petersi, p. 22).
- 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 petersii, p. 261).
- 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 petersi, new compination, p. 84).