Uropeltidae

Plectrurus perottetti

The shield tails ( Uropeltidae ) are a family snake which is found in Sri Lanka, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

Features

Sign tails are small underground live animals which are only about half a meter long. Many species are very colorful and shimmering metallic. The unusually movable by special head joints head is wedge- shaped tapered to conform to the grave lifestyle, the mouth is inferior. The skull is unusually stable. The eyes are in all types, with the exception of the two types of Platyplectrurus reduced and covered with scales. The body is covered round in cross section and with relatively large scales. The belly bars are small. The tail is short and blunt ends. He often appears as cut obliquely from above. The tail end is amplified by a large smooth, or with one or three peaks marked scale, or of several spiny or keeled scales. The tail is used when digging in the ground apparently as an abutment. As a primitive snake family shield tails possess rudiments of the pelvic girdle, but no after spurs. The left lung is missing.

Sign tails feed mainly on earthworms, but also prey on small, ground-dwelling lizards ( skinks ). They are ovoviviparous, so bring birth to live young, which are already quite large at birth. Two to ten young snakes are born per litter.

Inside systematics

• Genus Brachyophidium Wall, 1921 Brachyophidium rhodogaster Wall, 1921

• Melanophidium bilineatum Beddome, 1870
• Melanophidium punctatum Beddome, 1871
• Melanophidium wynaudense ( Beddome, 1863)

• Platyplectrurus madurensis Beddome, 1877
• Platyplectrurus trilineatus ( Beddome, 1867)

• Plectrurus aureus Beddome, 1880
• Plectrurus canaricus ( Beddome, 1870)
• Plectrurus guentheri Beddome, 1863
• Plectrurus perroteti Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854

• Pseudotyphlops philippinus (Müller, 1832)

• Rhinophis blythii Kelaart, 1853
• Rhinophis dorsimaculatus Deraniyagala, 1941
• Rhinophis drummondhayi Wall, 1921
• Rhinophis erangaviraji Wickramasinghe, Vidanapathirana, Wickramasinghe & Ranwella, 2009
• Rhinophis fergusonianus Boulenger, 1896
• Rhinophis homolepis Hemprich, 1820
• Rhinophis lineatus Gower & Maduwage, 2011
• Rhinophis oxyrhyncus (Schneider, 1801)
• Rhinophis philippinus ( Cuvier, 1829)
• Rhinophis porrectus Wall, 1921
• Rhinophis punctatus Müller, 1832
• Rhinophis sanguineus Beddome, 1863
• Rhinophis travancoricus Boulenger, 1892
• Rhinophis tricolorata Deraniyagala, 1975
• Rhinophis zigzag Gower & Maduwage, 2011

• Teretrurus sanguineus ( Beddome, 1867)

• Uropeltis arcticeps ( Günther, 1875)
• Uropeltis beddomii ( Günther, 1862)
• Uropeltis bicatenata ( Günther, 1864)
• Uropeltis broughami ( Beddome, 1878)
• Uropeltis ceylanicus Cocteau, 1833
• Uropeltis dindigalensis ( Beddome, 1877)
• Uropeltis ellioti (Gray, 1858)
• Uropeltis liura ( Günther, 1875)
• Uropeltis macrolepis (Peters, 1862)
• Uropeltis macrorhynchus ( Beddome, 1877)
• Uropeltis maculatus ( Beddome, 1878)
• Uropeltis melanogaster (Gray, 1858)
• Uropeltis myhendrae ( Beddome, 1886)
• Uropeltis nitidus ( Beddome, 1878)
• Uropeltis ocellatus ( Beddome, 1863)
• Uropeltis petersi ( Beddome, 1878)
• Uropeltis phillipsi ( Nicholls, 1929)
• Uropeltis phipsonii ( Mason, 1888)
• Uropeltis pulneyensis ( Beddome, 1863)
• Uropeltis rubrolineatus ( Günther, 1875)
• Uropeltis rubromaculatus ( Beddome, 1867)
• Uropeltis ruhunae Deraniyagala, 1954
• Uropeltis smithi ( Gans, 1966)
• Uropeltis woodmasoni ( Theobald, 1876)