Wildlifeof India
Uropeltis ellioti
Shieldtails, Blind & Burrowing Snakes
Photo: Davidvraju · CC BY-SA 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Uropeltis ellioti
Basic stats
Diet
Earthworms
Habitat
Forest, 100–1,400m; ground-dwelling and burrowing
Range
Hills of peninsular India: Western Ghats south of the Goa Gap and the Eastern Ghats
Size
Total length up to 24cm
Elliot's earth snake, or Elliot's shieldtail, is a snake of the family Uropeltidae endemic to India, found in the hills of peninsular India: the Western Ghats south of the Goa Gap and parts of the Eastern Ghats (the Shevaroys, Coimbatore district, South Arcot, Jalarpet, Visakhapatnam district and Ganjam). The back is dark brown, uniform or with yellow dots, with a yellow stripe on each side of the neck and of the tail (Wikipedia, general species account).
Its preferred habitat is forest at 100–1,400 m, and adults may reach 24 cm in total length. It lives on the ground and burrows, preying on earthworms.
Quick answers
- What does the Uropeltis ellioti eat?
- Earthworms
- What habitat does the Uropeltis ellioti live in?
- Forest, 100–1,400m; ground-dwelling and burrowing
- Where is the Uropeltis ellioti found?
- Hills of peninsular India: Western Ghats south of the Goa Gap and the Eastern Ghats
- How big is the Uropeltis ellioti?
- Total length up to 24cm