Vertebrate fauna of SE Asia
  

 

   
Home  
——————————  
SE Asia fauna ...  
   
Primates
 Carnivorans
 Large Mammals
 Small Mammals
 Mammal calls
 Bats
—————
Birds
—————
 Snakes
 Lizards & Crocodilians
 Turtles
—————
 Amphibians
 Tadpoles
 Frog calls
—————
Freshwater Fishes
 Marine & Brackish Fishes
—————
Species Lists
 





 


 
——————————  
SE Asia Vert Records (SEAVR) ...  
   
Philippines Records
  Indochina Records
  Indonesia & PNG Records
 
——————————  
New Guinea herptiles ...  
Snakes   Lizards   Frogs  
——————————  
   
  New or updated pages ...
 
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
——————————  
 

Search this site ...

 
 


   

 
  ——————————  
 

Links :
My wife, Sophia's website ... super-healthy, vegan delights :
Vegan-Inspired.com

 
  ——————————  
 


Email :


Text and photos by Nick Baker, unless otherwise credited.
Copyright © Ecology Asia 2023

 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   
   
 
White-spotted Slug Snake
   
   
Fig 1
 
©  Leong Tzi Ming
Fig 2
 
©  Leong Tzi Ming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 

Family : PAREIDAE
Species : Pareas margaritophorus
Maximum Size : 47 cm

Slug snakes are small to medium sized forest-dwellers which specialize in feeding on snails,  slugs and other soft-bodied invertebrates such as earthworms. They have specialised fangs on the lower jaw with which they are able to extract snails from their shells. Their heads are blunt, and somewhat wider than their moderately thick bodies.

The White-spotted Slug Snake is one of the smaller species, reaching 47 cm in total length. It is easily identified by the yellow or orange collar, and the grey or brown body which is adorned with scattered black scales, most of which have a white spot anteriorally, and which can form narrow, irregular bars. The underside is pale with dark spots.

This snake is nocturnal in habits and is active on the forest floor or on low vegetation. They are found in lowland and lower montane forests to elevations of around 1500 metres.

The species is widely distributed in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the northern parts of Peninsular Malaysia. Since 2000 there have been records from Singapore, often as roadkill; at first it was reported from the north of the island, but in later years it appears to be more widespread; it is considered to be accidentally introduced.


Figs 1 and 2 : White-spotted Slug Snake in a rocky stream passing through hill forest (around 600 metres elevation) at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand.  Photos by Leong Tzi Ming.


References : H10, H12