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Reptiles Database
Order Squamata
Suborder Serpentes (Ophidia) - snakes
Infraorder Henophidia (Boidea)
Family Uropeltidae (Shield-tail Snakes)
Appearance: Uropeltids have no hindlimb vestiges and no eye-covering spectacles. Their name "shield-tailed snakes" is derived from the greek words ura = tail and pelte = shield, indicating the presence of a large keratinous shield at the tip of their tail.
Distribution: Southern India and Sri Lanka.
Habitat: Soil. Uropeltids are burrowing snakes and their anatomy is highly adapted to that lifestyle.
Relationships: Previously, the mainly Indonesian genera Anomochilus and Cylindrophis have been assigned to the subfamily Cylindrophiinae of the family Uropeltidae. Recently they have been assigned family status (Cundall et al. 1993).
List of genera:
- Brachyophidium
- Melanophidium
- Platyplectrurus
- Plectrurus
- Pseudotyphlops
- Rhinophis
- Teretrurus
- Uropeltis
References:
Cadle-J-E; Dessauer-H-C; Gans-C; Gartside-D-F (1990)
Phylogenetic relationships and molecular evolution in uropeltid
snakes (Serpentes: Uropeltidae): allozymes and albumin
immunology.
Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 40 (3): 293-320
Cundall, D., Wallach, V. & Rossman, D. A., (1993)
The systematic relationships of the snake genus Anomochilus
Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 109: 275-299.
Rajendran-M-V (1977)
A survey of uropeltid snakes.
J. Madurai Kamaraj Univ. Ser. B Sciences 6 (1): 68-73
Welch,K.R.G. (1994)
Snakes
of the World - A Checklist. 2. Boas, Pythons, Shield-tails and
Worm Snakes.
R & A Research and Information Ltd and KCM Books.