Family : COLUBRIDAE
Species : Calamaria pavimentata
Maximum Size : 49 cm

Calamaria pavimentata inhabits hill and montane forest in northern parts of Southeast Asia and beyond. Nothing more is known about the ecology of this small, burrowing and terrestrial snake.

Its English name may be either Collared Reed Snake or Brown Reed Snake.

Its body is slender and mainly brown in colour, with narrows longitudinal dark stripes running along the entire length of the body and onto the tail.

There is a dark brown to blackish collar on the neck, behind which is a narrow yellow or orange collar. The labial scales on the lips are mottled with yellow or orange too, and this colouration extends to the forepart of the neck. The underside is also yellow or orange.

Within Southeast Asia this species is known from Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia. Outside the region it is known from parts of northern India, south China and the Ryukyu Islands of southwest Japan.

Figs 1 and 2 :  Example from Maxwell Hill (= Bukit Larut), Perak, Peninsular Malaysia at an elevation of around 1200 metres.  Photos thanks to Serin Subaraj.


References :

Das, I., 2010. A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-east Asia. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd