Pareas margaritophorus (Jan, 1866)

Nguyen, Tan Van, Brakels, Peter, Maury, Nathanael, Sudavanh, Somchit, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Idiiatullina, Sabira, Lorphengsy, Sengvilay, Inkhavilay, Khamla, Suwannapoom, Chatmongkon & Poyarkov, Nikolay A., 2020, New herpetofaunal observations from Laos based on photo records, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 248) 14 (2), pp. 218-249 : 240

Pareas margaritophorus (Jan, 1866)

Mountain Slug Snake ( Fig. 10B )

One adult individual of P. margaritophorus was observed by N. Maury on 26 November 2018 near Konglor Cave in Khounkham District site 2, Khammouan Province (17°53.945’N, 104°49.485’E; elevation 185 m asl) .

Morphological characters of the individual from Khammouan Province agreed well with the descriptions of Teynié and David (2010) and Hauser (2017). The photographed individual ( Fig. 10B ) agrees with the diagnosis of P. margaritophorus in the following characters: body small-sized, slender, laterally compressed; head elongate, distinct from neck; eye medium-sized; pupil vertical; loreal present, not entering the orbit; 1 preocular; subocular and postocular fused into one crescent–shaped scale; 2 anterior temporals; 3 posterior temporals; 7 supralabials, 1 st and 2 nd in contact with nasal, 2 nd in contact with loreal, 3 rd –5 th supralabials in contact with suboculars, not contacting the eye, 7 th largest; prefrontals in contact with eye; mental groove absent; dorsal scale rows entirely smooth; anterior vertebral scales slightly enlarged; ventrals 158; cloacal undivided; subcaudals 41, divided. Coloration of dorsum gray with irregular black or white spots; nuchal region with large pinkish spots; ventral surfaces cream with sparse speckling; iris dark.

Ecological notes. The individual was found at 2230 h on a limestone boulder under a dense bush. The surrounding habitat consisted of secondary dry mixed deciduous forest on karst.

Distribution. In Laos, this species has been previously recorded from Louangprabang, Vientian, Houaphan, Champasak, and Xekong provinces ( Hauser 2017). This is the first documented record from Khammouan Province. Elsewhere, this species has been reported from China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore ( Uetz et al. 2020).

Figures

Fig. 10. (A) Pareas macularius in Longcheng District, Xaisomboun Province; (B) P. margaritophorus in Khounkham District, Khammouan Province; (C) adult male and (D) adult female of Trimeresurus gumprechti in Bortaen District, Xaignabouli Province; (E) adult male and (F) adult female of T. popeiorum in Xay District, Oudomxai Province. Photos by P. Brakels (A, C–F) and N. Maury (B).