Rhinophis homolepis

Rhinophis homolepis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Uropeltidae
Genus: Rhinophis
Species: R. homolepis
Binomial name
Rhinophis homolepis
Hemprich, 1820
Synonyms
  • Rhinophis homolepis Hemprich, 1820
  • Depatnaya trevelyanii Kelaart, 1853
  • Mytilia gerrardi Gray, 1858
  • Rhinophis homolepis
    - Peters, 1861
  • Rhinophis trevelyanus
    - Boulenger, 1893
  • Rhinophis homolepis
    - M.A. Smith, 1943
  • Rhinchophis trevelyana
    - Gans, 1966
  • Rhinophis homolepis
    - Wickramasinghe et al., 2009[1]

Rhinophis homolepis, commonly known as Trevelyan's earth snake,[2] is a species of snake in the Uropeltidae family. It is endemic to the rain forests and grasslands of Sri Lanka.[3]

Description

Dorsum brown. A series of yellow triangular spots along each side of the body. Ventrum yellow, with a black spot on each scale.

Total length 27.5 cm (10 34 in).

Dorsal scales arranged in 17 rows at midbody (in 19 rows behind the head). Ventrals 190-204; subcaudals 3-6.

Snout acutely pointed. Rostral obtusely keeled above, about 2/5 the length of the shielded part of the head. Nasals separated by the rostral. Eye in the ocular shield. No supraoculars. Frontal usually longer than broad. No temporals. No mental groove. Diameter of body 26 to 30 times in the total length. Ventrals only slightly larger than the contiguous scales. Tail ending in a large rugose shield, which is neither truncated nor spinose at the end. Caudal disc as long as the shielded part of the head.[4]

References

  1. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  2. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. Bamaradeniya, Channa N.B. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. Colombo, Sri Lanka: IUCN, 2006. 163.
  4. Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families...Uropeltidæ... Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). London. pp. 140, 142.

Further reading


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