Plectrurus
| Plectrurus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Perrotet's shieldtail, Plectrurus perrotetii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Subphylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | Plectrurus A.H.A. Duméril, 1851
|
| Synonyms | |
| |
- Common names: burrowing snakes.[2]
Plectrurus is a genus of nonvenomous shield tail snakes endemic to India. Currently, 4 species are recognized.[3]
Geographic range
Description
Small snakes, not exceeding 43 cm (16⅞ inches).
Ocular shield covering the eye. Eye small, its diameter not more than ½ the length of the ocular shield. Tail laterally compressed. Terminal scute laterally compressed, with two superposed points. Points 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
- List of uropeltid species and subspecies
- Uropeltidae by common name
- Uropeltidae by taxonomic synonyms
References
- ^ a b c d 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).
- ^ a b The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ a b c "Plectrurus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
- ^ 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
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Plectrurus.
- Plectrurus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 1 September 2007.