Trachischium fuscum, also known as the blackbelly worm-eating snake or the Darjeeling slender snake,Das, Indraneil. 2002. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of India. Ralph Curtis Books. Sanibel Island, Florida. 144 pp. (Trachischium fuscum, p. 46.) is a species of colubrid snake, which is endemic to Asia. The specific name, fuscum, is Latin for "dusky" or "dark brown".Mish, F.C., Editor in Chief. 2004. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. Merriam-Webster. Springfield, Massachusetts. p. 388.
Geographic range It is found in Nepal and India (Jammu & Kashmir, northern West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, eastern Arunachal Pradesh), possibly also in Bhutan.
Description As the common name implies, the venter is black or dark brown. The dorsum is also black or dark brown, and may have lighter longitudinal streaks. The dorsal scales are in 13 rows. Males have keeled scales on their sides in the anal region. Adults may attain 51 cm (20 inches) in total length, with a tail 6 cm (2¼ inches) long.Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume I. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). London. xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I.-XXVIII. (Trachischium fuscum, pp. 297-299.)
References
Further reading Blyth, Edward. 1855. Notices and descriptions of various reptiles, new or little known [part 2]. Jour. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, Calcutta, 23 (3): 287-302 .