Melanophidium

<i>Melanophidium</i>

Melanophidium

Genus of snakes

Melanophidium is a genus of nonvenomous shield-tail snakes endemic to the Western Ghats of India. These species are identifiable by having a mental groove in their chin shields. Currently, four species are recognized, including one newly described species.[2]

Quick Facts Melanophidium, Scientific classification ...
Common name: Black shield-tail snakes

Natural history

Their very smooth and glossy skin is said to be highly iridescent and is functional in warding off debris during burrowing. They are typically fossorial and nocturnal, becoming active during rainy nights.[3]

Geographic range

Found in India in the Western Ghats: from Tirunelveli Hills in Tamil Nadu, at the southern tip of the country, northwards up to the Amboli Hills in Maharashtra.[4]

Species

More information Species, Taxon author ...

T) Type species[1]

References

  1. [1]
    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).
  2. [2]
    "Melanophidium". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  3. [3]
    Rajendran M. V. ( 1985) Studies in Uropeltid Snakes. Madurai university Press, Madurai.
  4. [4]
    GOWER, DAVID J.; VARAD GIRI, ASHOK CAPTAIN, MARK WILKINSON 2016. A reassessment of Melanophidium Günther, 1864 (Squamata: Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India, with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 4085 (4): 481–503.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melanophidium.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Melanophidium, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.