The Uropeltidae, also commonly known as shield-tail snakes, shield-tailed snakes or earth snakes, are a family of primitive, nonvenomous, burrowing snakes native to Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. The name is derived from the Greek words ('tail') and ('shield'), indicating the presence of the large keratinous shield at the tip of the tail. Seven or eight genera are recognized, depending on whether Teretrurus rhodogaster is treated in its own genus or as part of Brachyophidium. The family comprises over 50 species.
The tail is characteristic, ending in either an enlarged rigid scale with two points, or more often an upper surface with a subcircular area covered with thickened spiny scales, or a much enlarged spiny plate. The ventral scales are much reduced in size.
Geographic range
Shield-tail snakes are found in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. This is the only family of snakes endemic to South Asia. Genetic studies on this group have brought forth largely similar results as regards common ancestry and phenotypic diversification patterns.
Molecular dating analysis has suggested that uropeltids originated around the Paleocene-Eocene boundary, splitting from its sister clade Cylindrophiidae + Anomochilidae around 56 MYA.
Genera
{|cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;"
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Genus
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|Melanophidium
|Günther, 1864
|align="center"|4
|
|the Western Ghats, India
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|Platyplectrurus
|Günther, 1868
|align="center"|2
|
|the southern Western Ghats, India
|-
|Pseudoplectrurus
|G.A. Boulenger, 1890
|align="center"|1
|
|the Western Ghats, India
|-
|Plectrurus
|A.H.A. Duméril, 1851
|align="center"|3
|
|the Western Ghats, India
|-
|Rhinophis
|Hemprich, 1820
|align="center"|24
|
|Sri Lanka and South India
|-
|Teretrurus
|Beddome, 1886
|align="center"|8
|
|the Western Ghats, India
|-
|Uropeltis<span style="font-size:100%;"><sup>T</sup></span>
|Cuvier, 1829
|align="center"|26
|
|peninsular India
|-
|}
<span style="font-size:100%;"><sup>T</sup></span> Type genus.