Pareas chinensis (Barbour, 1912)
Chinese Slug Snake 鈍頭蛇
(Non-venomous)
Suborder
Serpentes 蛇亞目
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.
Rare in Hong Kong, restricted to Tai Mo Shan peak and surrounding area.
Is docile and never attempt to bite.
When disturbed during the day, rolls itself into a ball.
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).
