Argyrogena fasciolata(Shaw, 1802) Banded Racer	Diagnostic characters:
	Body slender, fairly robust, elongated and cylindrical; snout protruding beyond lower jaw; head moderately depressed; broadest between eye and neck; Scales smooth; neck slightly distinct. Light/dark brown above, beautifully ornamented with cross-bars on the anterior half of the body; belly white or yellowish white.
	Habit and Habitat:
	Diurnal and found in rodent burrows, rock piles and heavy bushes.
	Diet:
	Feeds on insects, frogs, field mice and meted rats.
	Legal Protection:
	WL (P) A, 1972-Schedule IV
	Conservation status and Threats:
	Not accessed. Uncommon.  No serious threat observed.
	Distribution: Madhya Pradesh: Throughout. Elsewhere in India: Peninsular India, except the northwest; Specific records: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. Elsewhere outside Bangladesh,Pakistan and Nepal