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Colubridae

Dalat Dwarf Snake

Harmless

Calamaria buchi

Dalat Dwarf Snake
Calamaria buchi, (c) Tien Nguyen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Dalat Dwarf SnakeDalat Dwarf Snake

3 photographs of the Dalat Dwarf Snake. (c) Tien Nguyen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

The Dalat Dwarf Snake (Calamaria buchi) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family.

Family
Colubridae

About the Dalat Dwarf Snake

Calamaria buchi, also known commonly as Buch's reed snake and the Dalat dwarf snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Calamariinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Vietnam.

Etymology

The specific name, buchi, is in honor of French missionary Father Buch who collected the holotype.

Description

The diameter of the eye of Calamaria buchi is equal to the distance from the eye to the mouth. The frontal is twice as wide as a supraocular. There is a preocular present. There are four upper labials, the second and third contacting the eye. The holotype, a female, has 221 ventrals.

Geographic distribution

Calamaria buchi is found in Lam Dong Province and Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Calamaria buchi is forest, at elevations from sea level to 500 m (1,600 ft).

Behavior

Calamaria buchi is terrestrial, fossorial, and nocturnal.

Reproduction

Calamaria buchi is oviparous.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Dalat Dwarf Snake

Is the Dalat Dwarf Snake venomous?
No. The Dalat Dwarf Snake (Calamaria buchi) 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 Dalat Dwarf Snake poisonous?
Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Dalat Dwarf Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Dalat Dwarf Snake dangerous?
The Dalat Dwarf Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Why is it called the Dalat Dwarf Snake?
The specific name, buchi, is in honor of French missionary Father Buch who collected the holotype.

More Colubridae snakes

Classification

How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.

OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards
Squamata
FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits
Colubridae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
Calamaria
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
Calamaria buchi

Keep learning

Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.