- Indian Egg-eater
Taxobox | name = Indian Egg-eating Snake
status = DD
status_system = iucn2.3
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Chordata
classis =Reptilia
ordo =Squamata
subordo =Serpentes
familia =Colubridae
genus = "Elachistodon"
species = "E. westermanni"
binomial = "Elachistodon westermanni"
binomial_authority = (Reinhardt, 1863)Indian Egg-eating Snake ("Elachistodon westermanni") is a rare
species ofegg-eating snake found inBangladesh ,India , andNepal . 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. [Gans, Carl, Oshima, Masamitsu, 1952. Adaptations for egg eating in the snake "Elaphe climacophora" (Boie). American Museum novitates ; no. 1571 [http://hdl.handle.net/2246/3997] ]
References
External links
*EMBL species|genus=Elachistodon|species=westermanni
* [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Elachistodon.html Animal Diversity Web]
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