Uropeltis ceylanica facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Uropeltis ceylanica
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Uropeltis
Species:	ceylanica
Synonyms
Uropeltis ceylanicus Cuvier, 1829 Uropeltis Ceylanicus — Cocteau, 1833 Uropeltis ceylonica — Wagler, 1830 Pseudo-typhlops ceylanicus — Schlegel, 1839 Siluboura Ceylonicus — Gray, 1845 U[ropeltis]. Ceylonicus — Gray, 1845 [Coloburus] Ceylanicus — A.M.C. Duméril & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854 Siluboura ceylonica — Gray, 1858 Silybura ceylanica — W. Peters, 1861 Silybura brevis Günther, 1862 C[oloburus]. Ceylanicus — Jan, 1863 Silybura nilgherriensis Beddome, 1863 Siluboura ceylanica — Günther, 1864 S[ilybura]. ceylonica — Günther, 1875 Silybura nilgherriensis var. annulata Beddome, 1886 Silybura brevis — Boulenger, 1893 Silybura ellioti var. annulata — Boulenger, 1893 Uropeltis ceylanicus — M.A. Smith, 1943 Uropeltis (Siluboura) ceylanicus — Mahendra, 1984 U[ropeltis]. ceylanicus annulata — Murthy, 1990

The Ceylon earth snake (Uropeltis ceylanica) is a special type of snake. People also call it Cuvier's shieldtail or Kerala shieldtail. This snake is not venomous, meaning it's not dangerous. It belongs to a group of snakes called shieldtails.

This snake is found only in one specific area: the Western Ghats in South India. It's a burrowing snake, which means it loves to dig. Its head is pointy, perfect for pushing through soil. It also has a unique, thick tail that looks like it's been cut at an angle. In Kerala, people call it iru thala moori. This means "two-headed organism" because its tail end can look a bit like another head! This snake mainly eats earthworms.

Where This Snake Lives

The Ceylon earth snake (U. ceylanica) lives in the Western Ghats of southern India. You can find it from Goa down to Travancore near Trivandrum. It was once mistakenly thought to live in "Ceylan" (which is Sri Lanka), but this snake has never been found there.

What Does This Snake Look Like?

The top part of the Ceylon earth snake's body is usually brown or blackish-brown. Sometimes it has spots or streaks. The belly side is yellowish. Some snakes have dark brown spots on their belly, or their whole belly might be brown. The underside of its tail is brown or black in the middle, with yellow on the sides.

Adult Ceylon earth snakes can grow up to about 45 centimeters (18 inches) long, including their tail.

Body Features

This snake has a rounded snout. The scale at the very tip of its nose (called the rostral scale) is about one-fourth the length of the shielded part of its head. The scales on its back are arranged in 17 rows around the middle of its body. It has between 120 and 146 belly scales.

The end of its tail is flat on top and looks like it's been cut at an angle. It has strong, ridged scales. The very tip of the tail has a special shield-like scale with a ridge and two points.