Species Identification:
Morphological Characteristics:
- Head distinct from the neck.
- Eyes are of medium size, with vertically elliptical pupils.
- Nostrils located between two nasal scales.
- Presence of one preocular scale, one postocular scale, and two postocular scales.
- Eight supralabial scales, with the 3rd, 4th and 5th supralabials touching the eye. There are 10-12 infralabial scales, the first 4 of which touch the first chin shield.
- 19 rows of smooth dorsal scales, with the vertebral scales wider than the lateral scales. The scales on the anterior portion of the body are arranged in oblique rows.
- Ventral scales numbering between 195 and 244.
- Subcaudal scales numbering 92-96, paired.
- Body coloration: brown with two rows of darker brown spots, bordered by lighter coloration, slightly offset on either side of the dorsal surface. The region adjacent to the ventral scales has two rows of smaller, lighter brown spots on both sides.
- A V-shaped black marking on the head, originating from the rostral scale and extending outwards on both sides of the head.
- A single black, circular or oval-shaped spot on the nape of the neck.
- Lips with faint black markings, sporadically interspersed with dark brown streaks.
- Total body length: 245-680 mm, tail length: 61-180 mm.
Biology and Ecology:
- This distinct species of rắn rào đốm inhabits forested areas with abundant water and can be found at elevations up to 1,210 meters above sea level.
- The primary diet of this species consists of reptiles and birds.
- Females lay 4-8 eggs, and hatchlings are approximately 20 cm in length.
Distribution:
- Vietnam: Lạng Sơn (Ngân Sơn), Lào Cai, Bắc Thái, Lạng Sơn, Vĩnh Phú (Tam Đảo), Ninh Bình (Cúc Phương), Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, Đà Nẵng, Gia Lai, Ninh Thuận, Sông Bé, Đồng Nai, Tây Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City.
- Global: Widely distributed in Southeast Asia, including the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and Thailand.
Conservation Status:
- The population is relatively abundant, however, it is necessary to protect their natural habitats.