Pareidae
Common Slug Snake
HarmlessPareas monticola
3 photographs of the Common Slug Snake. (c) yucui10, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
The Common Slug Snake (Pareas monticola) is a non-venomous snake in the Pareidae family, recorded in 7 countries.
- Family
- Pareidae
About the Common Slug Snake
The common slug snake, Assam snail eater, Assam snail-eater snake, or montane slug-eating snake (Pareas monticola) is a species of snake found in Northeast India (Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Darjeeling, Arunachal Pradesh), eastern Nepal, Bhutan, China (Tibet, Yunnan), Myanmar, and Vietnam. Its type locality is "Naga Hills, Asám" (=Assam), India. It is also reported from north-eastern and south-eastern Bangladesh. The species was first described by Theodore Cantor in 1839.
Pareas monticola is a nocturnal and arboreal snake that typically occurs in low vegetation and preys on slugs and snails.
Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.
Frequently asked: Common Slug Snake
- Is the Common Slug Snake venomous?
- No. The Common Slug Snake (Pareas monticola) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.
- Is the Common Slug Snake poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Common Slug Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Common Slug Snake dangerous?
- The Common Slug Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Common Slug Snake live?
- The Common Slug Snake has verified records in 7 countries, including India, Myanmar, China. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Where it is found
More Pareidae snakes
Classification
How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.
Keep learning
- What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
- Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
- What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
- How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.