Indian egg-eating snake
The Indian egg-eating snake or Indian egg-eater (Elachistodon westermanni) is a rare species of egg-eating snake found in the Indian subcontinent. It is also called Westermann's snake, reflecting its scientific name. The snake belongs to the monotypic genus Elachistodon.
Geographic range
The Indian egg-eating snake is found in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Recent discoveries of the species come from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. It was thought that the species was extinct in 1969, as listed in Red Data List. However, the species was rediscovered at Wardha in Maharashtra state in 2005.
Description
This species is glossy brown to black, with bluish white flecks posteriorly and a middorsal creamy stripe from neck to tail tip. The head is brown with a black arrow mark. The ventrals are white with brown dots. Adults may attain a total length of 78 cm (31 inches), with a tail 11 cm (4¼ inches) long.
Behaviour
A nocturnal, terrestrial species that shows remarkable dexterity in scaling vegetation. When provoked, it raises the anterior portion of the body, forming ‘S’ shaped coils as a defensive strategy.
Egg-eating snake
Egg-eating snake can refer to six different species of snake, found within two genera:
Dasypeltis scabra
Dasypeltis scabra, known as the common egg eater, egg-eating snake or rhombic egg eater, is a species of nonvenomous snake endemic to Africa.
Geographic range
Dasypeltis scabra is found in sub-Saharan Africa. It can also be found in Saudi Arabia and in other countries of the Middle East.
Description
It grows to a length of 20–35 inches (51–89 cm), and has almost toothless jaws. Dorsally, it has a series of rhomboidal dark brown spots on a lighter background. There is an alternating series of brown spots on each side. Ventrally it is yellowish, either uniform or with dark dots.
Mimicry
It has been suggested that nonvenomous Dasypeltis scabra is a mimic of venomous Echis carinatus, the saw-scaled viper, which it strongly resembles.
D. scabra also closely resembles Causus rhombeatus, the rhombic night adder. These two species may be distinguished by the shape of the pupil of the eye. Snakes of the genus Dasypeltis have vertical pupils, whereas snakes of the genus Causus have round pupils.
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