Pareas berdmorei


Pareas berdmorei, also known as the Mengla snail-eating snake or Berdmore's slug-eating snake, is a non-venomous snake native to Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.

Description

The dorsum of P. berdmorei is mostly yellow-brown to orange in color with variable dark markings. Thin stripes beginning at the upper postocular scales continue to the nape, often forming elongated dark markings. Its iris is uniform in color, which may vary from beige to bright red-orange. Its belly is white.

Behaviour

Like the other snakes in its genus, P. berdmorei is an oviparous, semi-arboreal, nocturnal snail and slug eater.

Distribution and subspecies

Pareas berdmorei is widely distributed across mainland Indochina north of the Kra Isthmus, with three major populations and three recognized subspecies.
Pareas berdmorei berdmorei inhabits northern Vietnam, northern Laos, northern Thailand, eastern Myanmar, and southern Yunnan, China.
Pareas berdmorei truongsonicus inhabits the northern Annanmites (Truong Son) Mountains in central Vietnam and Laos.
Pareas berdmorei unicolor inhabits southern Vietnam and adjacent eastern Cambodia.

Etymology

Its specific name refers to the collector of its holotype, Captain Major Thomas Matthew Berdmore.