Parafimbrios

Parafimbrios is a small genus in the family Xenodermidae, the odd-scaled snakes. It contains only one or two described species, the best known being the Ziggy Stardust snake, Parafimbrios lao, found in the limestone karst country of Laos and adjacent northern Vietnam. The genus was described only recently, and like its xenodermid relatives it is defined by strange skin: rows of enlarged, keeled or tubercular scales that give the body a rough, beaded look quite unlike the smooth sheen of most snakes. The common name nods to the Naga hill region the type species comes from.

Xenodermids as a family are small, ground-dwelling, leaf-litter snakes of moist forests in South and Southeast Asia, and Parafimbrios fits that mold. Its species are tied to wet, rocky, forested uplands, where they shelter under leaf litter, in rock crevices, and near streams. They are rarely seen, partly because they are small and cryptic and partly because the karst habitat they favor is patchy and hard to survey. To recognize one in general terms, look for a slender, modestly sized snake with a distinctly rough, ridged scale texture and the muted browns and grays typical of forest-floor species, rather than any bold pattern.

These are non-venomous, harmless snakes that pose no danger to people. Like other xenodermids they are small-prey specialists, and the family is generally associated with soft-bodied prey such as earthworms, slugs, and amphibians, with many members thought to lay eggs. Behavior is poorly documented because the snakes are so seldom encountered, which is common for obscure forest taxa. There is no need to handle wild snakes regardless of whether they are venomous, and even for harmless species the responsible move is to observe and leave them be. If anyone is ever bitten by a snake that cannot be confidently identified as harmless, treat it as a medical matter and contact US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or local emergency services.