Indian egg-eating snake
| Indian egg-eater snake | |
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| File:Indian egg eater snake Elachistodon westermanni by Krishna Khan Amravati.jpg | |
| Indian egg-eater at Amravati | |
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| Elachistodon westermanni |
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The Indian egg-eating snake or Indian egg-eater (Elachistodon westermanni) is a rare species of egg-eating snake found in the Indian subcontinent. It is also called Westermann's snake, reflecting its scientific name. The snake belongs to the monotypic genus Elachistodon.
Geographic range
The Indian egg-eating snake is found in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Recent discoveries of the species come from Maharashtra and Gujarat.[1][2] It was thought that the species was extinct in 1969, as listed in Red Data List. However, the species was rediscovered at Wardha in Maharashtra state in 2005.
Description
This species is glossy brown to black, with bluish white flecks posteriorly and a middorsal creamy stripe from neck to tail tip. The head is brown with a black arrow mark. The ventrals are white with brown dots. Adults may attain a total length of 78 cm (31 inches), with a tail 11 cm (4¼ inches) long.[3]
Behaviour
It is nocturnal.[4]
Diet
Elachistodon westermanni has special adaptations such as a vertebral hypapophysis, a projection of the backbone, that juts into the oesophagus and helps in cracking eggs.[5] The only other snakes that share these egg-eating adaptations are in the genus Dasypeltis found in Africa.
References
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- ↑ Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III. London.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Gans, Carl, Oshima, Masamitsu, 1952. Adaptations for egg eating in the snake Elaphe climacophora (Boie). American Museum novitates ; no. 1571 [1]
External links
- Genus information
- Elachistodon westermanni at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 5 November 2010.
- Animal Diversity Web
- [3]
