Uropeltis shorttii

Uropeltis shorttii, also known as the Shevaroy Hills earth snake[1] or Shortt's shieldtail snake,[2] is a species of non-venomous snake endemic to the Southern Eastern Ghats of India.[1] This species was first described as Silybura shorttii by Richard Henry Beddome, in 1863.[3] It is found only in the Shevaroy Hills of Salem district in Tamil Nadu state in South India.[2]This species was misclassified into Uropeltis ceylanica, a snake endemic to the Western Ghats, for a long time, till a recent taxonomic study[4] proved it to be a distinct species with a very narrow geographic range. It is a burrowing snake, presumed to be nocturnal; feeding on soft-bodied worms. Becomes active during the rains. This is a "data deficient" species, as it is yet to assessed for its conservation status.[5]