Plectrurus aureus

The Kerala burrowing snake, or Kerala shield-tail snake, is a snake of the family Uropeltidae endemic to India, found in the Western Ghats of south-western India. The type locality is Chambra mountain in Wynad, near Kalpetta: one specimen under an old rotten log at 6,000 feet and the other under a large stone at 4,500 feet, both in heavy evergreen forest (Wikipedia, general species account).

The back is gold-coloured with violet-edged scales, and a few narrow violet-black crossbars may be present. The belly is brighter gold with violet-black crossbands or alternating spots. Adults may attain 40 cm in total length.