
Photo: 王緒昂 · CC BY 2.5
Plagiopholis styani
Diet
Mainly earthworms and arthropods
Habitat
Nocturnal; burrows with its head
Range
Southern and central China, Taiwan and northern Vietnam
Size
Up to 40 cm
Plagiopholis styani, the Chinese mountain snake, is a small non-venomous colubrid found in southern and central China, Taiwan and northern Vietnam. The type locality is Kuatun (Guadun) in Wuyishan, Fujian. In China the Reptile Database lists Fujian, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi and Sichuan north to south-eastern Gansu. (The Reptile Database; Wikipedia, general species account)
It reaches up to 40 cm in total length. The upper body is red-brown, olive-brown or green-brown with flecks of pink or black on each scale and a black or pale yellow spotted pattern, plus a dark, thick crossband on the nape. It is nocturnal, eats mainly earthworms and arthropods and uses its head to burrow. Females lay clutches of 5–11 eggs in summer. (Wikipedia, general species account)