11 



GROUP I.— Snakes with no ventrals. 

 The blind snakes. 



There are two families, two or three genera and many 

 species of blind snakes, but there is little interest in exactly 

 identifying them. 



Therefore a general description of a hlmd snake is 

 given : — 



Length— SnvdW ; from 4 inches or 5 inches to 18 inches. 



Shape — Head : very similar to tail from which it is 



difficult to distinguish it. The mouth is 



inferior with no mental groove. 

 Body : worm-like and slender, cylindrical and 



thicker behind. 

 Tail : very short and often ends in a minute 



spine. 

 Eye : rudimentary and often invisible, being 



under the shields. 

 Head shields- The head is irregularly and imperfectly 



shielded. Rostral prolonged backwards ; and 



on either side of it are four labials and four 



largish shields with several small ones behind. 

 The details are very difficult to make out in the 



small blind snakes. 

 /Scales— About 22 ; they are cycloid and cover the whole 



body and are all the same size. 

 Ventrals— None. The belly is covered with scales. 

 Colo^iring— Bark. As a rule, olive- green, brown or 



black. Belly perhaps a little paler. 

 Habitat — Found in various parts of India, but not often 



seen, as they are burrowing snakes, rarely 



appearing above ground. 



