Uropeltis bhupathyi, commonly known as the Bhupathy’s shieldtail,[4][5] is a species of snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India.[6]
| Uropeltis bhupathyi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Uropeltidae |
| Genus: | Uropeltis |
| Species: | U. bhupathyi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Uropeltis bhupathyi Jins, Sampaio & Gower, 2018[2]
| |
| Synonyms[3] | |
|
Uropeltis ellioti | |
Etymology
editU. bhupathyi is named in honour of Indian herpetologist and biologist Subramanian Bhupathy.[7][8]
Distribution
editThe species, although native to the Western Ghats in India, has so far only been traced in the Anaikatti hills in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu.[9][10][11][12]
Description
editU. bhupathyi, a non-venomous burrowing species, usually feeds on earthworms.[13] It possesses over 200 ventral scales and 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody.[14][15] The tail is short and obliquely truncate. It has keeled scales. It is dark brown in colour, with yellow stripes on either side of neck and tail. It has a metallic appearance. The species has a moderately developed tail shield. The terminal scute is wide and surrounded by 8-10 scales.[16]
It grows to about 40 cm in total length.[17]
The species suffers the risk of habitat loss. It is also affected by road traffic and pesticides.[18] It also possibly suffers from a condition rendering its head deformed, reminiscent of the snake fungal disease prevalent in North America and Europe.[19]
References
edit- ^ "New species of shieldtail snake discovered in Western Ghats".
- ^ "ITIS - Report: Uropeltis bhupathyi".
- ^ "Uropeltis bhupathyi".
- ^ "ZooBank.org". zoobank.org. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ "ITIS - Report: Uropeltis bhupathyi". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ "Uropeltis bhupathyi Jins, Sampaio & Gower, 2018 | Species". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ "New species of shieldtail snake discovered in Western Ghats". www.downtoearth.org.in. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ Perinchery, Aathira (2018-05-03). "New snake found in Western Ghats". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ "Uropeltis bhupathyi". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ "Zootaxa".
- ^ "ResearchGate".
- ^ "Uropeltis bhupathyi Jins, Sampaio & Gower, 2018 | Species". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ Perinchery, Aathira (2018-05-03). "New snake found in Western Ghats". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ Pskhun (2018-05-01). "Species New to Science: [Herpetology • 2018] Uropeltis bhupathyi • A New Species of Uropeltis Cuvier, 1829 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from the Anaikatty Hills of the Western Ghats of India". Species New to Science. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ "Uropeltis bhupathyi". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ "Uropeltis bhupathyi Jins, Sampaio & Gower, 2018 | Species". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ Perinchery, Aathira (2018-05-03). "New snake found in Western Ghats". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ "Scientists describe new species of shieldtail snakes found in Anaikatti hills". Mongabay-India. 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ^ "New species of shieldtail snake discovered in Western Ghats". www.downtoearth.org.in. Retrieved 2022-12-25.