Wildlifeof India
Uropeltis phipsonii
Shieldtails, Blind & Burrowing Snakes
Photo: (c) Ramesh Shenai, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY (May be cropped or resized)
Uropeltis phipsonii
Basic stats
Diet
Earthworms
Habitat
Forest, 400–700m; burrowing
Range
Western Ghats: hills around Mumbai and Pune, Maharashtra
Size
Total length up to 28cm
Phipson's earth snake, or Phipson's shieldtail, is a snake of the family Uropeltidae endemic to India, found in the Western Ghats and reported from several localities around Maharashtra, including the hills around Mumbai and Pune. The tail is very short, appearing cut slantwise at the end, with a broad yellow stripe on each side. It is brown above and below, uniform or with yellowish dots (Wikipedia, general species account).
Its preferred habitat is forest at 400–700 m, and adults may reach 28 cm in total length. It lives underground as a burrower and eats earthworms.
Quick answers
- What does the Uropeltis phipsonii eat?
- Earthworms
- What habitat does the Uropeltis phipsonii live in?
- Forest, 400–700m; burrowing
- Where is the Uropeltis phipsonii found?
- Western Ghats: hills around Mumbai and Pune, Maharashtra
- How big is the Uropeltis phipsonii?
- Total length up to 28cm