Biology:Pareas andersonii

Short description: Species of snake

Pareas andersonii
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Pareidae
Genus:	Pareas
Species:	P. andersonii
Binomial name
Pareas andersonii Boulenger, 1888
Synonyms
Pareas andersonii Boulenger, 1888 Wall, 1908 Deuve, 1961 Deepak et al., 2020 Pareas margaritophorus Pareas macularius Li et al., 2020 Pareas macularius Wogan et al., 2008 Vogel et al., 2020 Pareas (Eberhardtia) andersonii Pareas macularius Poyarkov et al., 2022 Amblycephalus andersoni Smith, 1943 Wallach et al., 2014 Pareas margaritophorus Amblycephalus andersoni akzuala & Lalremsanga, 2019 Pareas andersonii Pareas macularius

Pareas andersonii, also known as Anderson's slug snake, is a small, non-venomous snake found in India (Nagaland), northern Myanmar, and China (Yunnan).

Description

Mostly dark grey with a bluish sheen, vertical black and white stripes color the dorsum and sides of P. andersonii, but lose their form closer to the posterior end to instead become random speckling.

The top of its head is dark grey with many black spots, lacking a nuchal spot or collar. The sides of its head have dense white mottling, including mostly-white labial scales with black spots around the edges. The ventral part of its head is white or beige with black mottling while the rest of the ventrum white or beige with many black rectangular spots across the ventral shields.

Behaviour

Like others in Pareas, P. andersonii is a semi-arboreal, nocturnal snake primarily preying upon land snails and slugs.

Etymology

Named in honor of John Anderson (1833–1900).

References

Wikidata ☰ Q106409311 entry