Pareas chinensis (Barbour, 1912)
Chinese Slug Snake 鈍頭蛇
(Non-venomous)

Pareas chinensis
Order
Suborder
Squamata 有鱗目
Serpentes 蛇亞目
Family Colubridae 游蛇科
Genus Pareas 鈍頭蛇屬
Species Pareas chinensis
Other name -
Chinese name -
Total length Up to 68 cm.
Description Back light brown, with black crossbars.
Ventrals yellowish with brown markings.
Body laterally compressed.
Head distinct from neck, with black spots on top.
A black line from above the eye to neck, and a black line from eye to jaw.
Eye bulging; snout short and blunt.
Scales smooth. Vertebral scales slightly enlarged and keeled.
Habitat

Rare in Hong Kong, restricted to Tai Mo Shan peak and surrounding area.

Behaviour Nocturnal. May climb low bushes.
Is docile and never attempt to bite.
When disturbed during the day, rolls itself into a ball.
Diet A captive specimen fed on certain species of snails and slugs.
Reproduction A captive female laid 3 elongated eggs in late May which hatched in about 6 weeks.
Distribution In Hong Kong, very rare. First recorded from Tai Mo Shan in 1965.
More record from this area in 1976, 1996 and 2002.
Also found at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden in 1997.

The Hong Kong population was thought to be Pareas hamptoni (Boulenger, 1905) before 1997 when it was changed to P. chinensis.
However, the validity of the species status of P. chinensis is still being disputed.
It is suggested that P. chinensis is either the synonym of P. hamptoni or P. formosensis (Van Denburgh, 1909).
Conservation Status IUCN Redlist: NE (Not Evaluated)
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