Mountain slug snake

Spotted slug snake
	Pareas margaritophorus
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Pareidae
Genus:	Pareas
Species:	P. margaritophorus
Binomial name
	Pareas margaritophorus; (Jan, 1866)
Synonyms
	Leptognathus margaritophorus Jan, 1866 ; Pares Moellendorffi Boettger, 1885 ; Amblycephalus tamdaoensis Bourret, 1935 ; Pareas margaritophorus — Smith, 1943 ; Dipsas margaritophorus — Nguyen and Ho, 1996 ;

The mountain slug snake (Pareas margaritophorus), also known as the white-spotted slug snake, is a small, harmless species of snake that is rather common in South, South-East, and East Asia, and feeds on small invertebrates.

Characteristics

Mountain slug snakes are forest-dwellers that are about small to medium-sized. They have fangs that are located on their lower jaw in which they can use to remove the snail from their shells to eat. They have blunt heads that are wider than their actual body width. It averages about 47 cm in length and can be spotted by its collar that can be yellow or orange with a grey or brown body. It also has black scales with a pale underside with dark spots.^[4]

Habits

The mountain slug snake is a nocturnal species that is active on the forest floor or on shallow vegetation that are usually found in lowland or lower mountain forests that are at the elevation of 1500 meters.^[4]

Diet

Mountain slug snakes feed on the following invertebrates:^[4]

snails
slugs
earthworms

Distribution

It is found in NE India, Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and China.^[3]

References

^ Stuart, B.; Wogan, G.; Grismer, L.; Thy, N.; Nguyen, T.Q. (2012). "Pareas margaritophorus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T192017A2028502. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T192017A2028502.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
^ Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III. London. p. 445.
^ ^a ^b Pareas margaritophorus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 13 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c "White-spotted Slug Snake". Ecology Asia. Retrieved 23 December 2012.

Jan, Giorgio. 1866. in: Bocourt, F. Notes sur les reptiles, les batraciens et les poissons recueilles pendant un voyage dans le Royaume de Siam. Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris. 2(2):4-20.
Theobald, William. 1868. Catalogue of the reptiles of British Burma, embracing the provinces of Pegu, Martaban, and Tenasserim; with descriptions of new or little-known species. Jour. Linnean Soc., London, Zool., 10: 4-67.

External references

photo

[iucn_status_20_November_2021-1] Stuart, B.; Wogan, G.; Grismer, L.; Thy, N.; Nguyen, T.Q. (2012). "Pareas margaritophorus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T192017A2028502. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T192017A2028502.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.

[2] Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III. London. p. 445.

[RDB-3] Pareas margaritophorus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 13 February 2021.

[slug-4] "White-spotted Slug Snake". Ecology Asia. Retrieved 23 December 2012.

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