Aspidura ceylonensis
| Black-spined Snake | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Subclass: | Diapsida |
| Infraclass: | Lepidosauromorpha |
| Superorder: | Lepidosauria |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Natricinae |
| Genus: | Aspidura |
| Species: | A. ceylonensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aspidura ceylonensis Pyron et al. 2013 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Haplocercus ceylonensis - Gunther, 1858 ; Aspidura carinata - Jan, 1862 (fide Smith, 1943) ; Haplocercus ceylonensis — Boulenger, 1893 ; Haplocercus ceylonensis — Wall, 1908 ; Haplocercus ceylonensis — Wall, 1921 ; Haplocercus ceylonensis — Smith 1943 ; Haplocercus ceylonensis — Das, 1996. | |
Aspidura ceylonensis, commonly Black-spined snake and as කුරුන් කරවලා (kurun karawala) or රත් කරවලා (rath karawala) in Sinhala, is a colubird species endemic to Sri Lanka. Until recently, the snake was known as Haplocercus ceylonensis.
Destribution
A sub-fossorial snake from submontane forests. Restricted to submontane forests and plantations of the Central Highlands, including Pussellawa, Gampola, Hatton, Knuckles Mountain Range, Hopewell Estate, Balangoda, Pundaluoya, Ramboda, Kotagala, Namunukula, Mousakanda, Gammaduwa, and Kotmale, up to abput 1300m of elevation.
Description
Head is long, snout is broadly rounded. Neck indistinct. Slender body with cylindrical short tail. Dorsal side is crimson brown with a black vertebral line, hence given the name. Dorsum of fore body is brown. Laterally with a series of black spots in a line. Neck region is with dark brown marking. Venter is crimson colored. Maximum length recorded is 522mm.
Scalation
Midbody scale rows 17. Ventrals 162-207. Subcaudals 37-56. Scales are smooth and iridescent.
Ecology
Nocturnal and terrestrial, it lives in damp soil, silted-up drains, beneath heaps of decaying leaves and similar places where there are earthworms, its primary prey.
Reproduction
Clutches of two to five eggs produced at a time in the months of August to November.