Aspidura ceylonensis
# Aspidura ceylonensis

Aspidura ceylonensis, also known as the Ceylon keelback, black-spined snake, or slender mould snake, is a colubrid snake endemic to Sri Lanka. It is locally known as කුරුන් කරවලා (kurun karawala) or රත් කරවලා (rath karawala) in Sinhala.

## Distribution

Aspidura ceylonensis is a semi-fossorial snake from submontane forests. Restricted to submontane forests and plantations of the Central Highlands, including Pussellawa, Gampola, Hatton, Knuckles, Balangoda, Pundaluoya, Ramboda, Kotagala, Namunukula, Mousakanda, Gammaduwa, and Kotmale, up to about 1,200 m (3,900 ft) of elevation.

## Description

Head is long and snout is broadly rounded. Neck is indistinct. The body is slender with cylindrical, short tail. Dorsal side is crimson brown with a black vertebral line, hence given the name. Dorsum of fore body is brown. Laterally there are a series of black spots in a line. Neck region has a dark brown marking. Venter is crimson colored. Adults are 50 cm (20 in) in length.

## Scalation

Midbody has 17 scale rows. There are 162–207 ventral scales and 37–56 subcaudal scales. The scales are smooth and iridescent.

## Ecology

It is a nocturnal and terrestrial snake that lives in damp soil, silted-up drains, beneath heaps of decaying leaves, and in similar places where there are earthworms, its primary prey.

## Reproduction

Clutches of two to five eggs are produced in the months of August to November.

