Observations on Morphometry, Egg Size and Juveniles of the Endemic Caenophidian Snake Xylophis perroteti (Dumeril, Bibron and Dumeril, 1854) in the Nilgiris, Western Ghats, India

Abstract

The caenophidian snake genus Xylophis Beddome, 1878, is endemic to the southern Western Ghats region of peninsular India. Within the genus Xylophis , three species are currently recognized - Xylophis perroteti (Dumeril, Bibron and Dumeril, 1854), Xylophis stenorhynchus (Gunther, 1875) and a new species Xylophis captaini (Gower and Winkler, 2007). Among these snakes, X. perroteti has restricted distribution in the Nilgiris and Wayanaad in North Kerala. This snake found in high ranges of the Western Ghats over 1500 m altitude in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.