One of the most common snakes you can find during the night hours in Shenzhen, although not easy to spot due to its small size, is the white-spotted slug snake (Pareas margaritophorus). Measuring only 20 to 30 centimeters in length on average, slug snakes can inadvertently escape the naked human eye. White-spotted slug snakes display a dark gray color decorated with scattered black and white spots over the entirety of their body. However, the underbelly of the animal is white and the black spots there are less prominent. Its head is clearly rounded and naturally engineered for the hunting of slugs and snails, with long teeth that help to pull snails out of their shells. The eyes are big and rounded; the neck is not thin enough to present a differentiated head-body separation. These fascinating reptiles are nocturnal and their movement is relatively slow. With a preference for humid ecosystems where they can easily find slugs and other prey, these snakes are limited to the land and are not seen in the water. Slug snakes are not venomous and definitely are not aggressive animals. They seldom attempt biting. If bothered or handled, their primary reaction will be to twist their body in squirming movements or to coil their body in order to protect their head. These beautiful animals play an important role in controlling snail populations in our city and its population is at the same time controlled by other snake species that may feed on them, so slug snakes set an amazing example of what a healthy ecosystem should look like. It is our job to keep preserving every single species of animal that inhabits our city, for the benefit of our future generations. | 