Rough-scaled Sand Boa

The rough-scaled sand boa, also called Russell's or the common sand boa, is a non-venomous boa native to southern Asia, with no valid subspecies. Adults can reach 99cm in total length including a short tail of about 7.6cm. The head is covered with small scales, the eye is small with a vertical pupil, and the tail is pointed and only slightly, if at all, prehensile (Wikipedia, general species account).

The dorsal scales are small and tubercularly keeled, and the keels become so heavy towards the rear that a squirming specimen can be painful to handle. The colour pattern is a broad zigzag band or series of dark brown blotches on a yellowish or brownish grey ground, with a uniform white belly. It is found in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and northern Sri Lanka.