Wildlifeof India
Uropeltis pulneyensis
Shieldtails, Blind & Burrowing Snakes
Photo: J. Jury · Public domain
Uropeltis pulneyensis
Basic stats
Habitat
Ground-dwelling and burrowing; 5,000–7,000 feet (1,500–2,100m)
Range
Western Ghats: Palni and Travancore hills, Madura district, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Size
Total length up to 38cm
The Palni shieldtail, also called the Indian earth snake, is a snake of the family Uropeltidae endemic to the Western Ghats of India, found in the Palni and Travancore hills at about 5,000–7,000 feet. Boulenger (1893) notes that adults may attain a total length of 38 cm. The scales are in 19 rows round the neck and 17 round the body, the tail is flattened from the sides and ends in a small spiny keel, and the belly scales are about twice as large as the neighbouring ones (Wikipedia, general species account).
It lives on the ground and burrows.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Uropeltis pulneyensis live in?
- Ground-dwelling and burrowing; 5,000–7,000 feet (1,500–2,100m)
- Where is the Uropeltis pulneyensis found?
- Western Ghats: Palni and Travancore hills, Madura district, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
- How big is the Uropeltis pulneyensis?
- Total length up to 38cm