Wildlifeof India
Uropeltis ocellata
Shieldtails, Blind & Burrowing Snakes
Photo: Srivatsan Ramkumar · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Uropeltis ocellata
Basic stats
Habitat
Dense forest; ground-dwelling and burrowing
Range
Western Ghats south of the Goa Gap: Anaimalai, Cardamom, Munnar, Nilgiri Hills and Trivandrum
Size
Total length about 37cm; longest measured by Boulenger 50cm
The ocellated earth snake, or Nilgiri uropeltis, is a non-venomous shieldtail snake indigenous to southern India, found in the Western Ghats south of the Goa Gap, in the Anaimalai, Cardamom (southern Kerala), Munnar and Nilgiri Hills and near Trivandrum. The sides of the belly have irregular yellow or white blotches. The body of the male is yellowish, becoming gradually brown near the head and tail, that of the female dull brownish and that of the young dark purplish brown, all banded with rows of four or five black-edged white or yellow eye-like spots (Wikipedia, general species account).
Total length is about 14.5 inches (37 cm), and the longest specimen measured by Boulenger was 50 cm. The type locality is Walaghat on the western slopes of the Nilgiris in dense forest at 3,500 feet. It lives on the ground and burrows.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Uropeltis ocellata live in?
- Dense forest; ground-dwelling and burrowing
- Where is the Uropeltis ocellata found?
- Western Ghats south of the Goa Gap: Anaimalai, Cardamom, Munnar, Nilgiri Hills and Trivandrum
- How big is the Uropeltis ocellata?
- Total length about 37cm; longest measured by Boulenger 50cm