Distributed range & status
They are endemic & relict species to Sri Lanka. Wet zone up to 1200m submontane sides, central highlands are known to find this snake. Sinharaja, Gampola, Pundaluoya, Ginigathchena, Pupurassa, Pussellawa, Hatton, Kotagala, Namunukula, Gammaduwa, Knuckles, Balangoda, Ramboda, Rakwana, Tabbowa, Nachchaduwa, Kotmale, Mousakanda.
Scales
rostral |
1 small & broad |
frontal |
Smaller than the lateral scales. 2 pre frontals |
supraoculars |
|
parietals |
|
prefrontals |
|
nasals |
2 |
internasals |
1 |
loreals |
absent |
preoculars |
1 |
postoculars |
2 |
temporals |
1+2 |
Supralabials |
7 or rarely 8 (3 & 4 connects with eye) |
mental |
|
infralabials |
|
sublinguals |
|
coastals |
|
ventrals |
162-207 |
anal |
1 undivided. Post anal 37-56 divided |
subcaudals |
37-56 |
Mid body is consisting of 17 rows of scales. Body scales are smooth & iridescent.
Characteristics
Slender, small, cylindrical body is present. Head long & dorso-ventrally flattened. Snout is broadly rounded & long. Nostrils are at the tip of the snout. Neck is indistinct. Eye contains of a rounded pupil. Tail is short & 1/7 of the body.
Colour
orsal body is crimson brown with black vertebral line; some may have yellow anterior body. Laterally with series of black spots in a line is present. Neck region with distinct dark brown marking & ventral side is crimson or may vary fore part yellow, hind pard orange or light red. Ventrals have the outer margin of white colour. Juveniles have a black bar with yellow mixed brown patches on the two sides of the neck region.
Venom
These snakes are non poisonous.
Dentition
Data not found.
Behavior
These snakes are nocturnal & crepuscular. It’s also a semi fossorial snake living in damp soil, silted up drains & beneath heaps of decaying leaves. Also similar places where there are earth worms these snakes are known to be common. When exposed to dry conditions they tend to dehydrate & die. Found in Sub montane forests & plantations. They do not attack easily. Mostly found are the females.
Breeding
It’s an ovoviparous snake & Clutches of 2-5 eggs produced in August-November.
Growth
At birth 150mm & adult length of the snake is 500mm.
Food
Mainly earth worms comprise their diet.
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