13 



Body : a thick rounded body. Uudimentary hind 



Hmbs may sometimes be made out in the male. 



Tail : very short and tapering, often less than 



Ij inch long in large specimens. 

 Eye : small, pupil vertical, iris partly yellow, 

 partly black. 



Head sA^e/cZs— Practically absent. The head is scaled 

 except for a rostral, one or two pairs of small 

 prse-frontals and numerous supra- and infra- 

 labials. 



Scales — 41 — 53 : small, keeled. 



Ventrals— 'Narrow, 168 to 186, anal is trifid, i.e., it is 

 divided into a large median and two small 

 external portions ; sub-caudals 17—23 ; single. 



Colour— Grey, with an irregular vertebral chain formed 

 by dorsal coalescing rows of reddish brown 

 blotches. Or, dark chocolate brown dorsally 

 sometimes with irregular grey transverse 

 stripes. Laterally grey with various sized 

 reddish brown blotches and spots. Belly white 

 or yellowish or with reddish tinge, often with 

 numerous small dark spots. 



Habitat —Common in Central and South India. 



JOHN'S EARTH SNAKE {Eryx Johnii)* 



Length— Grows to 4 feet ; tail only about one-twelfth of 

 length. 



Shape — Similar to Russell's earth snahe, but the chin 



has a mental groove. 

 Head shields — Similar to Russell's earth snake. 

 Scales — 50 — 65, much less keeled than those of Russell's 



earth snake. 



* The Black Sand Snake (NichoIso4). 



