Added 6 November 2024.
Beddome gives the characteristics of the genus as follows: head obtusely conical, not so flat as in Platyplectrurus; snout obtuse, but not so rounded as in Platyplectrurus; eye rather large, occupying more than half of the ocular shield; a small supraorbital; a small temporal shield in conjunction with the ocular and between the fourth labial and the occipital; first pair of lower labials form a suture behind the median followed by a pair of chin-shields; scales round the middle of the body in 15 rows; tail very short in both sexes, and terminating in both in a single point; the caudal scales smooth or more or less keeled; no median groove along the chin; teeth small.
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QUICK INDEX |
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T. hewstoni, Travancore Hills Thorntail Snake |
T. rhodogaster, Palni Mountain Burrowing Snake |
T. sanguineus, Purple-Red Earth Snake |
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T. travancoricus, Travancore Earth Snake |
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Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
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Teretrurus |
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S India |
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Palni Mountain Burrowing Snake |
India |
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Formerly placed in its own genus, Brachyophidium. Head details: Snout narrowly rounded. Nostril in the anterior part of the nasal. Rostral deeper than broad, porion visible above equal to the suture between the nasals. Nasals large, in contact behind the rostral. Prefrontals long, nearly as long as the frontal, in contact with the nasal, 2nd and 3rd_ supralabials, and ocular. Frontal as long as the snout, much longer than broad, equal to the parietals; the ocular sutures about one third the parietal sutures. Single temporal, shorter than the ocular, about half the parietals. 4 Supralabials, of which 4th longest. 3 Infralabials, the first in contact behind the mental. Costals.—Two head-lengths behind the head 13, midbody 15, two head-lengths before the vent 15. The 4th row divides about four and a half head-lengths behind the head. Ventrals.—143. Anal. Divided. Subcaudals. 7 pairs. Eye: more than half the length of the ocular. |
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Purple-Red Earth Snake |
S India |
TL 22 cm |
Head details: snout obtuse; rostral small, visible from above; frontal longer than broad; supraocular not or scarcely larger than the eye, as long as or shorter than the praefrentals; temporal about half the length of the parietals. Diameter of the body: 22-28 times in the total length. Scalation details: 15 scales round the middle of the body, 17 behind the head. Ventrals: nearly twice as broad as the contiguous scales, 120-150. Subcaudals: 5-10. Caudal scales: smooth or faintly keeled in the females; all the caudals and the last ventrals more or less distinctly pluricariuate in the males; tail ending in a simple compressed point. Coloration: brown or purplish red above ; belly red, uniform or more or less blotched with black. [SOURCE: Boulenger] |
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Travancore Earth Snake |
S India |
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Beddome appeared to intimate that this species was readily found in mountain areas, in forests under large large stones or decaying logs. Head as in T. sanguineus, which this species much resembles, but with the following differences :—Tail in the male with 7 to 9 subcaudals, the caudal scales being prominently keeled, as are also some of the last ventrals and adjoining scales; in the female, with 5 or 6 subcaudals, the caudal scales are smooth, or with very faint keels only on a few of the terminal ones ; ventrals 130 to 135 without reference to sex. Length 7-84 inches; the girth of adult males ¢ inch, of females 1,3; inch, being a larger and stouter snake than 7. sangudéneus, and the females of much greater girth than the males. Colour brickred or reddish brown above; belly red, very much blotched with black, or sometimes the belly is all black, with only a few small red markings. Hab. ‘The mountains between Travancore and Tinnevelly, above Paupanassum, 3000 to 5000 feet elevation ; common, and easily found under large stones or decaying logs in these forests. |
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