Plectrurus perrotetii

Plectrurus perrotetii, commonly known as the Nilgiri burrowing snake or Perrotet's shield-tail snake,^[1] is a species of harmless snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is endemic to India.

Plectrurus perottetii
Nilgiri burrowing snake or Perrotet's shield-tail snake
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Uropeltidae
Genus:	Plectrurus
Species:	P. perrotetii
Binomial name
Plectrurus perrotetii A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854
Synonyms[1]
Plectrurus perroteti [sic] A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854 Plectrurus perrotetii [sic] — McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré, 1999 Plectrurus perrotetii [sic] — Wallach et al., 2014

Etymology

The specific name, perrotetii or perroteti, is in honour of French naturalist George Samuel Perrottet (1793–1867).^[2]

Geographic range

P. perrotetii is found in the Western Ghats and hills of southern India.

Description

P. perrotetii is a small snake, growing to a maximum of 44 cm (17+1⁄4 in) in total length (including tail). The head is pointed, and the tail is blunt. It has smooth, glossy scales and is brown in colour.

Biology

Like the common worm snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus), Plectrurus perrotetii is also often mistaken for earthworms, upon which it feeds. It is considered an endangered species, and little else is known about this snake.