| Aspidura ceylonensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Aspidura |
| Species: | A. ceylonensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aspidura ceylonensis (Günther, 1858) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
List
| |
Aspidura ceylonensis, also known as the Ceylon keelback, [2] black-spined snake, or slender mould snake, [3] [4] is a species of colubrid snake endemic to Sri Lanka. [2] [4]
Aspidura ceylonensis is a semi-fossorial snake from submontane forests. Restricted to submontane forests and plantations of the Central Highlands, including Pussellawa, Gampola, Hatton, Knuckles, Balangoda, Pundaluoya, Ramboda, Kotagala, Namunukula, Mousakanda, Gammaduwa, and Kotmale, up to about 1,200 m (3,900 ft) of elevation. [4]
The head is long and the snout is broadly rounded. The neck is indistinct and the body is slender with cylindrical, short tail. The dorsal side is crimson brown with a black vertebral line, hence given the name. The dorsum of fore-body is brown. Laterally there are a series of black spots in a line and the neck region has a dark brown marking. The venter is crimson colored. Adults are 50 cm (20 in) in length. [4]
The midbody has 17 scale rows. There are 162–207 ventral scales and 37–56 subcaudal scales. The scales are smooth and iridescent. [4]
It is a nocturnal and terrestrial snake that lives in damp soil, silted-up drains, beneath heaps of decaying leaves, and in similar places where there are earthworms, its primary prey. [4]
Clutches of two to five eggs are produced in the months of August to November. [4]
Boiga ceylonensis is a species of rear-fanged, mildly venomous, nocturnal, arboreal colubrid snake endemic to Sri Lanka.
Ptyas mucosa, commonly known as the Oriental rat snake, dhaman or Indian rat snake, is a common non-venomous species of colubrid snake found in parts of South and Southeast Asia. Dhamans are large snakes. Typical mature total length is around 1.5 to 1.95 m though some exceed 2 m. The record length for this species was 3.7 m, second only to their cousin Ptyas carinata among living colubrid snakes. Despite their large size, oriental ratsnakes are usually quite slender with even a specimen of 2 m commonly measuring 4 to 6 cm only around in diameter. Furthermore, the average weight of ratsnakes caught in Java was around 877 to 940 g, though larger males of over 2.3 m may easily weigh over 2.5 kg (5.5 lb). Their color varies from pale browns in dry regions to nearly black in moist forest areas. Rat snakes are diurnal, semi-arboreal, non-venomous, and fast-moving. Rat snakes eat a variety of prey and are frequently found in urban areas where rodents thrive.
Hypnale nepa, the Sri Lankan hump-nosed viper, is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Sri Lanka where it is known as මූකලන් තෙලිස්සා in Sinhala. Earlier thought that Hypnale walli and Hypnale nepa were two distinct species, but it is now accepted that it is the same species and Hypnale walli is a synonym name. Relatively small, they are distinguished by a strongly upturned snout. No subspecies are currently recognized.
The rough-nosed horned lizard or Sri Lanka horned agama is an Agamid lizard from Sri Lanka in lowland dipterocarp forests and secondary forests in the wet zone. It is distinguished from all the other Ceratophora species by the presence of a complex rostral appendage, comprising more scales than rostral scale alone. The lateral body scales are small and more or less regular shape.
Kaludiya Pokuna Archeological Forest Site is a forest with archeological remains in Kandalama, in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. The site has been handed over to the Girls' High School, Kandy in accordance with the "Urumaya Thani Nokaramu" program organized by the Department of Archeology. For the first time in Sri Lanka, a school was given custody of an archeological site.
Aspidura is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Natricinae of the Family Colubridae. The genus is endemic to island of Sri Lanka. Member species are commonly known as rough-sided snakes, except for A. ceylonensis, which is commonly known as the black-spined snake and was formerly in the genus Haplocercus. The genus Aspidura comprises nine species, with the latest having been discovered in 2019.
Rhabdophis ceylonensis is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka. The species is commonly known as the Sri Lanka blossom krait, the Sri Lanka keelback, and මල් කරවලා or නිහලුවා (nihaluwa) in Sinhala. It is a moderately venomous snake.
Aspidura brachyorrhos, commonly known as Boie's rough-sided snake and as ලේ මැඩිල්ලා 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.
Aspidura copei, commonly known as Cope's rough-sided snake or කලු මැඩිල්ලා in Sinhalese, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Aspidura deraniyagalae, commonly known as Deraniyagala's rough-sided snake, the Sri Lanka rough-sided snake, and කදු මැඩිල්ලා in Sinhala, is a colubrid species endemic to Sri Lanka.
Aspidura drummondhayi, commonly known as Drummond-Hay's rough-sided snake or කෙටිවල් මැඩිල්ලා in Sinhala, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Aspidura guentheri, commonly known as Günther's rough-sided snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is the smallest member of the genus Aspidura.
Calotes ceylonensis, commonly known as the painted-lipped lizard or the Ceylon bloodsucker, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. It is one of four Calotes species endemic to Sri Lanka.
The whistling lizard or Sri Lanka agama is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. It is one of seven Calotes species endemic to Sri Lanka.
Smith's snake skink, also known as the two-legged nessia, is a species of skink endemic to island of Sri Lanka.
Nessia burtonii, commonly known as Burton's nessia, Gray's snake skink, or the three-toed snakeskink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.
Dendrelaphis oliveri, commonly known as Oliver's bronzeback, is a species of nonvenomous arboreal snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is considered to be the rarest of the Sri Lankan Dendrelaphis species on account of there being only a single recorded specimen.
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