Aspidura brachyorrhos
| Boie's rough-sided snake | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Subclass: | Diapsida |
| Infraclass: | Lepidosauromorpha |
| Superorder: | Lepidosauria |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Aspidura |
| Species: | A. brachyorrhos |
| Binomial name | |
| Aspidura brachyorrhos Boie.,1827 | |
Aspidura brachyorrhos, commonly known as Boie's rough-sided snake and as ලේ මැඩිල්ලා (le medilla) in Sinhala, is a colubird species endemic to Sri Lanka. Bites from this species are known to cause mild local reaction, including a slight burning sensation and swelling.
Destribution
A small burrowing snake from midhills of central Sri Lanka. Localities recorded are Namunukula, Gampola, Weligala, Peradeniya, Gammaduwa, Dambulla and Kandy.
Description
Head indistinct from neck, body is cylindrical. Dorsally rich orange-brown, mottled, discontinuous mid-dorsal stripes distinct. 2 rows of lateral spots. Head dark brown.
Scalation
Midbody scale rows 17. Pre-oculars present. 2 Post-oculars contact with parietal. Ventrals 134-159. Subcaudals 25-39.
Ecology
Little is known. It occurs at elevations between 610-1100m. This species is known from tea plantations and vegetable gardens, and has also been dug up from riverbanks.
Reproduction
Between 2-6 measuring 8 × 28mm are produced.
References
- http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Aspidura&species=brachyorrhos
- http://www.wildreach.com/reptile/Serpentes/Aspidura%20branchyorrhos.php
- http://eol.org/pages/1057089/names
- http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=700770