Ceylonese Cylinder Snake

The Ceylonese cylinder snake is endemic to Sri Lanka, known from the plains up to 1,000 m, with localities including Gampola, Peradeniya, Kandy, Elahera and Nikaweratiya. Its Sinhala names include depath naya and wataulla, and it was the first reptile discovered and documented from Sri Lanka. It has two series of large reddish-brown spots along the back enclosed by a black network, and a white belly variegated with black. Adults may reach 35 cm (Wikipedia, general species account).

When alarmed it flattens the rear half of the body and curls the tail forward while hiding its head beneath the body. It is sub-fossorial and nocturnal, resting by day under stones, decaying logs and leaf litter and emerging at night to feed on other snakes, including Duméril's kukri snake, Boie's rough-sided snake and Günther's rough-sided snake, with earthworms and insects also recorded. It is ovoviviparous, bearing 1 to 15 young of 105 to 191 mm. No status is given for it in the Sri Lanka National Red List 2012 list checked.