Gia Lai reed snake – Calamaria gialaiensis – Ziegler, Sang & Truong, 2008

WANEE Go-WILD

Science name: Calamaria gialaiensis – Ziegler, Sang & Truong, 2008

Taxonomic:  Animalia>> Chordata>> Reptilia>> Squamata >> Colubridae >> gialaiensis

Species status: Endemic ; IUCN status: LC (Least Concern)

Description:

Physical characteristics:
Size: Total length of 457 mm in the known specimen.
Body: Light greyish-brown dorsum with indistinct dark neck collar and a few dark blotches along the vertebral region before the cloaca. Tail with two pairs of light blotches and a yellow ring around the tip.
Ventral side: Yellowish beige with dark corners on each ventral and anterior subcaudals.
Tail: Short, as thick as the body, with a rounded end, representing 8.1% of the total length.
Diagnostic features:
This species is distinguished by having four supralabials (second and third entering the orbit), five infralabials (first three touching the anterior chin shield), and a mental scale touching the anterior chin shields. It has 3+191 ventrals, 23 divided subcaudal scales, and a single anal plate.

Distribution and habitat:

Distribution and Habitat:

Elevation: Found at elevations up to 1,300 meters above sea level.
Area: Endemic to Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Ke Bang District, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam.
Number of locations: 1
Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO): Missing Info
Habitat:
System: Terrestrial
Habitat type:
Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane Forest
Range Description:
Calamaria gialaiensis has been recorded only from Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam, at an elevation of 1,300 m.

Behaviour and ecology:

Lifestyle: Presumed fossorial, living in forest leaf litter.
Activity: Nocturnal, active at night.
Movement patterns: Non-migratory
Congregatory behavior: Not observed
Generation length: Missing Info

Conservation and status:

Current conservation status: Missing Info
Threats: Habitat destruction due to deforestation and degradation.
Protected areas: Found in Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Vietnam.
Continuing decline in habitat quality: Yes, due to habitat loss from deforestation.