Plectrurus

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Plectrurus
Plectrurus perottetti sal.jpg
Perrotet's shieldtail, Plectrurus perrotetii
Scientific classification
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Plectrurus

Synonyms

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Common names: burrowing snakes[2]

Plectrurus is a genus of nonvenomous shield tail snakes endemic to southern India.[1] Currently, four species are recognized.[3]

Description

Small snakes, they do not exceed 43 cm (17 in).

An ocular shield covers the eye. The eyes are small, diameter not more than half the length of the ocular shield. The tail is laterally compressed. The terminal scute also is laterally compressed, with two superposed points. The points are simple, bifid, or trifid.[4]

Species

Species[3] Taxon author[3] Common name[2] Geographic range[1]
P. aureus Beddome, 1880 Kerala burrowing snake Southern India in the Western Ghats: Chambra Hill, Malabar
P. canaricus (Beddome, 1870) Karnataka burrowing snake Southern India in the Western Ghats: South Canara, Mysore (Kundramukh, Karnataka)
P. guentheri Beddome, 1863 Günther's burrowing snake Southern India in the Western Ghats: Sispara Ghat on the west side of the Nilgiri Hills
P. perrotetiiT A.H.A. Duméril, 1851 Nilgiri burrowing snake, Perrotet's shieldtail Southern India in the Western Ghats: Nilgiri and Anamalai Hills.

*) Not including the nominate subspecies
T) Type species[1]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. 2.0 2.1 The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  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. 160-161.

External links