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{{Short description|Species of snake}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Speciesbox
|status = NT
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_ref = <ref name=iucn>[[Chelmala Srinivasulu|Srinivasulu C]], [[Bhargavi Srinivasulu|Srinivasulu B]], Ganesan SR, [[Seenapuram Palaniswamy Vijayakumar|Vijayakumar SP]] (2018). "''Uropeltis grandis'' (amended version of 2013 assessment)". The [[IUCN]] Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T178411A127982170.https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T178411A127982170.en. Downloaded on 11 May 2020.</ref>
|genus = Uropeltis
|species = grandis
|authority = ([[Richard Henry Beddome|Beddome]], 1867)
|synonyms = *(''non Uropeltis grandis'' {{small|[[Edward Frederick Kelaart|Kelaart]], 1853}})
*''Rhinophis grandis'' {{small|[[Richard Henry Beddome|Beddome]], 1867}}
*''Silybura grandis'' {{small|— Beddome, 1886}}
*''Silybura grandis'' {{small|— [[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1893}}
*''Uropeltis grandis'' {{small|— [[Malcolm Arthur Smith|M.A. Smith]], 1943}}
*''Uropeltis smithi'' {{small|Gans, 1966}} (''nomen novum'')
*''Uropeltis grandis'' {{small|— [[Robert Alexander Pyron|Pyron]] et al., 2016}}
|synonyms_ref =<ref name=RDB>{{EMBL species|genus=Uropeltis|species=grandis}} www.reptile-database.org.</ref>
}}

'''Smith's earth snake''' (''Uropeltis grandis''), also known [[Common name|commonly]] as the '''violet shieldtail''', is a [[species]] of nonvenomous [[snake]] in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Uropeltidae]]. The species is [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[India]].

==Geographic range==
''U. grandis'' is found in the [[Anaimalai Hills]] of [[Kerala]], southern [[India]].<ref name=RDB/>

==Taxonomy==
''U. grandis'' had been classified in the past as ''Rhinophis grandis'' [[Richard Henry Beddome|Beddome]], ''Silybura grandis'' ([[Richard Henry Beddome|Beddome]]), and ''Uropeltis grandis'' ([[Richard Henry Beddome|Beddome]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=''Uropeltis smithi'' BEDDOME 1867 |url=http://www.catalogueoflife.org/show_species_details.php?record_id=4466440 |date= |publisher=Catalogue of Life |access-date=2009-06-20}}</ref> In 1966 Carl Gans renamed this [[species]] ''Uropeltis smithi'' in honor of [[Americans|American]] [[Herpetology|herpetologist]] [[Hobart Muir Smith|Hobart M. Smith]].<ref>Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (''Uropeltis smithi'', p. 247).</ref>

==Description==
Smith's earth snake, like all [[Uropeltidae|shieldtail snakes]], has a characteristic pointed head and flattened tail.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shieldtail Snakes (Uropeltidae) |url=http://www.answers.com/topic/shieldtail-snakes-uropeltidae-biological-family |date= |publisher=Answers |access-date=2009-06-20}}</ref>

The [[Dorsum (anatomy)|dorsum]] is dark violet. The venter is dark violet with alternating large yellow spots or crossbands.

Adults may attain {{convert|48|cm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} in total length (including tail).

The smooth [[dorsal scales]] are arranged in 19 rows at midbody (in 21 rows behind the head). The [[Ventral scales|ventrals]] number 198-218; and the subcaudals number 6-12.

The snout is pointed. The [[Rostral scale|rostral]] is ⅓ or ¼ the length of the shielded part of the head. The portion of the rostral visible from above is longer than its distance from the frontal. The nasals are either in contact with each other behind the rostral, or separated from each other by the rostral. The [[Frontal scale|frontal]] is longer than broad. The eye is very small, its diameter less than ½ the length of the ocular shield. The diameter of the body goes 30 to 40 times into the total length. The ventrals are about two times as large as the contiguous scales, and are pluricarinate posteriorly in males. The tail is round or slightly laterally compressed, and the dorsal scales of the tail are strongly pluricarinate. The terminal scute has two small spines.<ref>[[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger GA]] (1893). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Uropeltidæ ...'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (''Silybura grandis'', p. 148).</ref>

==Habitat==
The preferred natural [[habitat]] of ''U. grandis'' is moist [[forest]], at altitudes of {{convert|1,200|–|1,400|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=iucn/><ref name=RDB/>

==Reproduction==
''U. grandis'' is [[Viviparity|viviparous]].<ref name=RDB/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
*[[Richard Henry Beddome|Beddome RH]] (1867). "Descriptions and figures of Five New Snakes from the Madras Presidency". ''Madras Quart. J. Med. Sci.'' '''11''': 14-16. (''Rhinophis grandis'', new species). [Reprint: (1940). ''J. Soc. Bibliogr. Nat. Sci., London'' '''1''' (10): 315- 317.]
*Beddome RH (1886). "An Account of the Earth-Snakes of the Peninsula of India and Ceylon". ''Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Fifth Series'' '''17''': 3-33. (''Silybura grandis'', new combination, p. 11).
*[[Carl Gans|Gans, Carl]] (1966). "''Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien. Uropeltidae'' ". ''Das Tierreich'' '''84''': 1-29. (''Uropeltis smithi'', new name). (in German).
*[[Malcolm Arthur Smith|Smith MA]] (1943). ''The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes.'' London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 583 pp. (''Uropeltis grandis'', new combination, pp. 85–86, Figures 25A, 25B, 25C).
{{refend}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q428066|from2=Q60622469}}

[[Category:Uropeltidae]]
[[Category:Reptiles of India]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1867]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Richard Henry Beddome]]

Smith's earth snake - Revision history

imported>Citation bot: Removed parameters. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Abductive | Category:Use Indian English from January 2020 | via #UCB_Category 1322/1871