Reptile · GBIF taxon 2448745
Elliot's Earth Snake
Uropeltis elliotiAlso known as Elliot's Shieldtail
Elliot's earth snakes spend nearly their entire lives beneath damp leaf litter and loose forest soil, surfacing primarily during monsoon downpours. Their conical heads and modified rough tail shields act as compact digging implements, allowing them to tunnel through compact humus in search of prey. Unlike many oviparous snakes, females give live birth to tiny, fully formed young that disperse immediately into the subterranean leaf layer.
FossorialEndemicNocturnal
Licensed referenceDavidvraju / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Earthworms
- Beetle grubs
- Soil invertebrates
Predators
- Malabar pit viper
- Asian palm civet
- Indian peafowl
ThreatsAgricultural expansion, pesticide accumulation in soil, and habitat fragmentation
HabitatsMontane wet evergreen forests, moist deciduous woodlands, and shaded plantation soils
Life span5–10 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyUropeltidae
- GenusUropeltis
- SpeciesUropeltis ellioti
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Rainy season spotting: Look along forest trails at dusk or after heavy rains when they emerge from saturated soil.
- Preserve leaf litter: Avoid turning over soil or logs aggressively, as exposed individuals quickly dehydrate.
- Gentle handling: Never constrain the blunt tail shield, which is essential for underground locomotion.
Image unavailableSame Genus 
Predator (c) Dinesh Valke, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Prey (c) Steve Kerr, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Kerr · cc-byClose Relative
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