Genus · Colubridae
Types of mountain snakes
5 species make up the genus Plagiopholis, the snakes commonly called mountain snakes. None are considered dangerous to humans.
About mountain snakes
Small, secretive ground-dwelling colubrids of Asian mountain forests that almost no one ever encounters.
Plagiopholis is a small genus of snakes in the family Colubridae, the largest and most varied family of snakes worldwide. Members are commonly called mountain snakes because they live in hilly and montane country across parts of southern and eastern Asia. The genus is modest in size, with only a handful of recognized species, including the Assam Mountain Snake, the Chinese Mountain Snake, Blakeway's Mountain Snake, and Delacour's Mountain Snake.
These are upland animals. Records come from forested mountains and foothills across regions such as northeastern India, southern China, and parts of mainland Southeast Asia. Like many small colubrids tied to cool, damp forest, they favor moist leaf litter, soil, and ground cover rather than open or arid ground. They are rarely seen, and much of what is known about them comes from a limited number of museum specimens rather than long field study.
In general terms, Plagiopholis snakes are small, slender to stout-bodied, and short-tailed, with smooth or weakly keeled scales and a head not strongly set off from the neck. This blunt, low-profile build is typical of snakes that spend their lives burrowing through litter and loose soil. Coloration tends to be plain brown or olive, sometimes with darker markings on the neck, which is consistent with a cryptic, ground-living lifestyle.
On safety: these are small, inoffensive snakes that are not considered dangerous to people. Colubrids span a wide range, from completely harmless species to a few rear-fanged forms with mild venom, but Plagiopholis has no record of being a medical threat to humans. As a rule with any wild snake, the right move is to leave it alone and not attempt to pick it up. If a bite from any snake ever causes unusual symptoms, contact emergency services or US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Ecologically, small leaf-litter colubrids of this kind typically feed on soft-bodied invertebrates and other small prey they find while foraging through the ground layer, and the family Colubridae includes both egg-laying and live-bearing species. Specific diet and reproductive details for Plagiopholis are poorly documented given how seldom these snakes are observed. What is clear is the broad picture: secretive, harmless, montane forest snakes that keep to the ground and stay out of sight.
Plagiopholis belongs to the Colubridae family (Colubrids). The largest snake family, and the one most snakes you meet belong to. Typically round pupils, a head only slightly wider than the neck, and no heat-sensing facial pit or rattle. Scales may be smooth and glossy or keeled and matte depending on the species.
Danger: Almost all colubrids are harmless. A small number are rear-fanged with medically significant venom, the boomslang and the twig (vine) snakes of Africa being the dangerous exceptions. Most colubrids will flee or bluff rather than bite.
All species (5)
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