Mountain slug snake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spotted slug snake
Pareas margaritophorus
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
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.

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.

Diet

Mountain slug snakes feed on the following invertebrates:

• snails
• slugs
• earthworms

Distribution

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