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Synonymy: Originally christened Anguis maculatus by Linne Characteristics: A small and stout snake with a cylindrical body well adapted for a subterranean lifestyle. Its snout is blunt and has small nostrils and eyes. It has a thick and short neck and rounded belly. Its tail is stocky and closely resembles a head.

Behaviour: Subterranean and docile. When frightened it deploys an elaborate bluff by hiding its head amidst its coils and raising its tail. It then uses its tail to imitate the movements of a cobra. If this fails to deter its enemy it will then emit a foul odour from its anal glands. Often can be easily captured when above ground and makes no attempt to escape even when kept on a table.

Food: Uncertain possibly feeds on earthworms and other subterranean fauna. Other species of genus Cylindrophis are known to feed on eels and snakes often much larger than itself. However C.maculatus is not known to inhabit wetlands or aquatic habitats.

Breeding: Very little known. Viviparous and brood size is probably around 3

Growth: Neonates measure around 120mm at birth. Maturity is attained at around 250mm most possibly during the first or second year of life. Maximum length is around 60cm.

Venom: Non-Venomous

Identification: The eye is in contact with five shields, the Prefrontal, the Supraocular, on Postocular and the 3rd and 4th Supralabials. This snake has no preocular or loreal shields.

Lepidosis:

• Rostral: Touches four shields, the two Nasals and the two first Supralabials.
• Prefrontals: Nearly twice the size of the Frontal and in direct contact with the eye.
• Frontal: Small and in contact with six shields, the Prefrontals, Supraoculars and Parietals.
• Nasal: Undivided and houses the nostril, in contact behind the rostral.
• Supraocular: Larger but nearly the same length of the Frontal. The contact length between it and the Frontal is nearly two thirds the total length of the Frontal
• Postocular: One and small appears to be a divided extension of the Temporal.
• Parietals: Larger and longer than the Frontal and in contact behind it.
• Temporal: One
• Infralabials: Three, the 3rd is the largest.
• Supralabials: Six, the 3rd and 4th are in contact with the eye.
• Mental: Elongated and sandwiched between the first pair of Infralabials
• Anterior Sublinguals: Nearly as large as the Prefrontal and very prominent.
• Posterior Sublinguals: Absent
• Preocular and Loreal shields absent

Head Dorsal View	Head Lateral View	Head Ventral View
Cylindorphis maculatus (Head)		Abbreviations

• Ventrals: 185 to 212 over a third of the total breadth of the underbelly
• Subcaudals: 4 to 6 divided or entire
• Anal: Divided and nearly half the breadth of the underbelly
• Costals: Broad, rounded at the end forming a near right angled curve. First dorsal row the smallest, next four rows are broader and the last five are the broadest.
• Vertebrals: Nearly as broad as the Costals.
• Ultimate Costals: Nearly four fifths the breadth of the Ventrals

Dentition:

• Maxillary: 9
• Palatine: 7
• Pterygoid: 5 to 7
• Mandibular: 11

Habitat: Subterranean living up to 30cm below ground. Frequently found in soft, moist soil, very sluggish above ground.

Distribution: Endemic to Sri Lanka

Fairly common in the wetzone of the island up to altitudes of over 600m.

References:

WALL, Frank: Snakes of Ceylon (1921)

UETZ, Peter: EMBL Reptile Database (2000)

Acknowledgements:

Picture from a herpetology website

Anatomical Diagrams from Snakes of Ceylon