Uropeltis bhupathyi
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
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 Kannan & Bhupathy, 1997

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]

Etymology

U. bhupathyi is named in honour of Indian herpetologist and biologist Subramanian Bhupathy.^[7][8]

Distribution

The 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

U. 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