Indian Egg-eater
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| Indian Egg-eating Snake | ||||||||||||||||
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| Elachistodon westermanni (Reinhardt, 1863) |
Indian Egg-eating Snake (Elachistodon westermanni) is a rare species of egg-eating snake found in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Also called the Westermann's snake, reflecting its scientific name. The snake belongs to the monotypic genus Elachistodon. Recent discoveries of the species from Maharashtra and Gujarat suggests that the species may be more widespread.
The snake has special adaptations with vertebral hypapophysis, a projection of the backbone, jutting into the oesophagus and helping in cracking eggs.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Gans, Carl, Oshima, Masamitsu, 1952. Adaptations for egg eating in the snake Elaphe climacophora (Boie). American Museum novitates ; no. 1571 [1]
