Rhinophis punctatus
CR

Rhinophis punctatus

Local name: Müller's Earth Snake

Declining

Photo: (c) Sanjaya Kanishka, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sanjaya Kanishka

Overview

Rhinophis punctatus, or Müller's earth snake, is a species of snake in the Uropeltidae family. It is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.

Rhinophis punctatus faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and agricultural expansion across its limited range in Sri Lanka's wet zone forests. The species' highly specialized burrowing lifestyle and dependence on intact forest floor conditions make it extremely vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and soil disturbance from development activities. Tea plantation expansion and urban development have eliminated much of its historical habitat, while climate change threatens to alter the moisture regimes essential for this fossorial snake's survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This fossorial snake inhabits the leaf litter and upper soil layers of Sri Lanka's tropical wet zone forests, particularly in areas with high humidity and rich organic soil. It requires intact forest floor conditions with minimal disturbance, making it highly dependent on primary and well-established secondary forests.

Artificial - Terrestrial· major

Conservation measures underway

Resource & habitat protectionSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in UROPELTIDAE

EN

Khaire's Black Shieldtail

Melanophidium khairei

Unknown
EN

Madura Earth Snake

Uropeltis madurensis

Unknown
VU

Phipson's Earth Snake

Uropeltis phipsonii

Unknown
Shevaroy HilIs Earth SnakeCR

Shevaroy HilIs Earth Snake

Uropeltis shorttii

Unknown

Threatened in Sri Lanka

Indian Star TortoiseVU

Indian Star Tortoise

Geochelone elegans

Declining
EN

Ceylonosticta nietneri

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EN

Lipstick Goby

Sicyopus jonklaasi

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EN

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Systomus martenstyni

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Müller's Earth Snake classified as Critically Endangered?
Müller's Earth Snake is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Rhinophis punctatus faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and agricultural expansion across its limited range in Sri Lanka's wet zone forests. The species' highly specialized burrowing lifestyle and dependence on intact forest floor conditions make it extremely vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and soil disturbance from development activities. Tea plantation expansion and urban development have eliminated much of its historical habitat, while climate change threatens to alter the moisture regimes essential for this fossorial snake's survival.
Where does Müller's Earth Snake live?
Müller's Earth Snake occurs in Sri Lanka. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Müller's Earth Snake?
The main threats to Müller's Earth Snake are 1.1, 2.1, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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