The Ceylonese cylinder snake (''Cylindrophis maculatus'') is a species of snake in the family Cylindrophiidae endemic to

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. It is known from plains up to 1000m, localities include Gampola,

Peradeniya Peradeniya ( si, පේරාදෙණිය, translit=Pēradeniya; ta, பேராதனை, translit=Pērātaṉai) is a suburb of the city of Kandy, about 30,000 inhabitants in Sri Lanka. It is situated on the A1 main road, just a few kilom ...

, Kandy, Pallekele, and Elahera in the central hills and

Nikaweratiya Nikaweratiya is a town in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka. It consists of 42 Grama Niladari divisions. The division of Nikaweratiya is the second largest electoral division in Sri Lanka and its extent only second to the Monaragala Mona ...

in the north-western part of the island. Known as දෙපත් නයා () and වටඋල්ලා () in Sinhala, it is the first reptile discovered and documented by Sri Lanka. Its defense response consists of flattening posterior half of the body and curling posterior quarter of the body and tail forwards, with head usually concealed under body during this display.

Description

''C. maculatus'' has two series of large reddish-brown spots along the back, which are enclosed by a black network. The belly is white, variegated with black. The dorsal scales are smooth, arranged in 19 or 21 rows. Ventrals number 189-212, and are almost twice as large as the contiguous dorsal scales; the anal scale is divided; the subcaudals number 4-6. Adults may reach 35 cm (14 in) in total length. Boulenger, G.A. 1893. ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume I''. London. pp. 136-137.

Ecology

A sub-fossorial, nocturnal snake, it rests under stones, decaying logs, amongst rocks and in leaf litter by day, emerging at night to feed on other snakes such as Dumeril's kukri snake, Boie's rough-sided snake, Trevelyan's earth snake, Gunther's rough-sided snake. Earthworms and insects have also been recorded in the diet.

Reproduction

Ovoviviparous. Producing 1-15 live young at a time, measuring 105-191mm.

Reference

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2499803 Cylindrophiidae Endemic fauna of Sri Lanka Reptiles described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus