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Characteristics: A miniature snake with a uniform brown dorsal colouration and yellowish underbelly. It is a slender reptile with its maximum girth being over a fortieth of its total length. Its eyes are concealed among its head shields. It has a conical tail and does not possess the characteristic tail spine of its family.

Behaviour: A subterranean snake that prefers loose and damp soil. It may occasionally be found under dead wood or stones and wiggle violently if disturbed in order to escape.

Food: Uncertain most possibly feeds on insect larvae and subterranean insects like its closest relatives.

Breeding: Nothing known about its reproductive habits.

Growth: Little known, the maximum length for this species is 140mm.

Venom: Non venomous

Identification: This snake has a horizontally divided Nasal shield, a Subocular shield and 18 rows of Costals.

Lepidosis:

• Rostral: Shaped like a half oval with an abrupt tip.
• Oculars: Elongated
• Suboculars: Present
• Parietals: Divided
• Nasals: Well developed and divided horizontally by a curve that passes through the nostril. The nostril is situated at the very bottom of the shield.
• Supraoculars, Frontal, Prefrontal: Shaped more like the Costals with little difference to comment on.
• Supralabials: Four pairs of which the fourth pair is significantly larger and touches the Ocular shield.
• Costals: Aligned into 18 rows.

Dentition: (Data Pending)

Distribution: Endemic to Sri Lanka

A rare but apparently widely distributed snake, has been recorded from Colombo and three specimens have been captured from Peradeniya. However it is quite possible that this snake is often mistaken for an earthworm.

References:

WALL, Frank: Snakes of Ceylon (1921)