Uropeltis pulneyensis
Encyclopedia
Palni Shieldtail Uropeltis pulneyensis is a species
of uripeltid snake
found in the Western Ghats
of India
.
(1864: 180): "Rostral rather obtuse, produced back between the nasals, and touching the frontals, nasals not meeting; eye small, in front of the ocular shield; no supraorbitals; vertical 6-sided; occipitals rounded behind; 4 upper labials. Scales round the neck 19, round the body 17; subcaudals, male, about 12, female 6-8. Tail compressed, ending in a small spinose keel, more or less bicuspid. Scales of the tail all smooth. Colour uniform earthy brown; a lateral bright yellow streak from the labials continued on each side of the trunk, about 1 inch or 1_ inch in length; a few minute yellow specks on the back; belly with broad bright yellow transverse bands, very irregular as to number and shape; yellow markings about the vent and tail."
After Beddome (1864: 180), pulneyensis and wynandensis "..differ from the typical form of this genus in their much smaller size and in the absence of a supraorbital shield. As, however, they have the same compressed tail, I prefer keeping them in this genus to making a new genus for them."
(Palni
and Travancore hills, 5,000-7,000 feet).
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 uripeltid 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...
found in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
of 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...
.
Description
Description after BeddomeRichard Henry Beddome
Colonel Richard Henry Beddome was a British military officer in India, chief conservator of the Madras Forest Department and a naturalist...
(1864: 180): "Rostral rather obtuse, produced back between the nasals, and touching the frontals, nasals not meeting; eye small, in front of the ocular shield; no supraorbitals; vertical 6-sided; occipitals rounded behind; 4 upper labials. Scales round the neck 19, round the body 17; subcaudals, male, about 12, female 6-8. Tail compressed, ending in a small spinose keel, more or less bicuspid. Scales of the tail all smooth. Colour uniform earthy brown; a lateral bright yellow streak from the labials continued on each side of the trunk, about 1 inch or 1_ inch in length; a few minute yellow specks on the back; belly with broad bright yellow transverse bands, very irregular as to number and shape; yellow markings about the vent and tail."
After Beddome (1864: 180), pulneyensis and wynandensis "..differ from the typical form of this genus in their much smaller size and in the absence of a supraorbital shield. As, however, they have the same compressed tail, I prefer keeping them in this genus to making a new genus for them."
Distribution
South 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...
(Palni
Palni Hills
The Palni Hills are a mountain range in Tamil Nadu state of South India. The Palni Hills are an eastward extension of the Western Ghats ranges, which run parallel to the west coast of India. The Palni Hills adjoin the high Anamalai range on the west, and extend east into the plains of Tamil Nadu,...
and Travancore hills, 5,000-7,000 feet).
- Type locality: "Pulneys at an elevation of 7,000 to 8,000 feet". [Plectrurus pulneyensis Beddome]
- Type locality: "High Wavy mountain, Madurai district, 5000 feet elevation". [Silybura guentheri Beddome]