SUNBEAM SNAKE

(Xenopeltis unicolor), primitive, little-known burrowing serpent found in cultivated and other open regions of India and southeast Asia. It is sometimes classified as the sole member of the family Xenopeltidae. Its colour is dark brown or black, but it is highly iridescent (hence the common name). The sunbeam snake reaches a length of 1 m (about 3 feet). It feeds on lizards, other snakes, frogs, and small rodents. A characteristic movement of the alarmed sunbeam snake is the excited twitching of the tail, which resembles the action of the rattlesnake. The sunbeam, however, is harmless to humans. A genus of Central American snake, Loxocemus, is often included in the Xenopeltidae because of its structural similarities. Otherwise, because of its vestigial hindlimbs and primitive skull, it is placed with the pythons and boas in the family Boidae.