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Journal of Threatened Taxa The Journal of Threatened Taxa (JoTT) is dedicated to building evidence for conservaton globally by publishing peer-reviewed artcles OPEN ACCESS online every month at a reasonably rapid rate at www.threatenedtaxa.org. All artcles published in JoTT are registered under Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License unless otherwise mentoned. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproducton, and distributon of artcles in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publicaton. Journal of Threatened Taxa Building evidence for conservaton globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Note Range extension of the Common Slug Snake Pareas monticola (Cantor, 1839) (Reptilia: Squamata: Pareidae): a new family record for Nepal Dipa Rai, Manoj Pokharel & Tapil P. Rai 26 August 2021 | Vol. 13 | No. 9 | Pages: 19373–19375 DOI: 10.11609/jot.7335.13.9.19373-19375 For Focus, Scope, Aims, and Policies, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/aims_scope For Artcle Submission Guidelines, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions For Policies against Scientfc Misconduct, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/policies_various For reprints, contact <[email protected]> The opinions expressed by the authors do not refect the views of the Journal of Threatened Taxa, Wildlife Informaton Liaison Development Society, Zoo Outreach Organizaton, or any of the partners. The journal, the publisher, the host, and the part- Publisher & Host ners are not responsible for the accuracy of the politcal boundaries shown in the maps by the authors. Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 August 2021 | 13(9): 19373–19375 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) OPEN ACCESS htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.7335.13.9.19373-19375 #7335 | Received 14 April 2021 | Final received 08 May 2021 | Finally accepted 19 May 2021 NOTE Range extension of the Common Slug Snake Pareas montcola (Cantor, 1839) (Reptlia: Squamata: Pareidae): a new family record for Nepal Dipa Rai 1 , Manoj Pokharel 2 & Tapil P. Rai 3 1 Department of Environmental Science, GoldenGate Internatonal College, Post Box 4059, Batsputali, Kathmandu, Nepal. 2 Department of Environmental Science, Tri-Chandra Multple Campus, Ghantaghar, Kathmandu, 44600, Nepal. 3 Department of Environmental Science, Mechi Multple Campus, Bhadrapur Municipality-8, 57200, Jhapa, Nepal. 3 Turtle Rescue and Conservaton Centre (TRCC), Arjundhara Municipality-9, 57205, Jhapa, Nepal. 1 [email protected], 2 [email protected] (corresponding author), 3 [email protected] The family Pareidae Romer, 1956 is composed of a feeding behavior and niche parttoning between the small group of primarily nocturnal and partly arboreal species has caused increased rate of speciaton and snakes that have evolved to specialize in feeding sympatric co-occurrence of closely related Pareas species terrestrial snails and slugs (Loredo et al. 2013; You that appear morphologically similar (Hoso 2017; Ding et et al. 2015; Hoso 2017; Uetz et al. 2021). The family al. 2020; Vogel et al. 2020). Thus, despite the increasing is further divided into two subfamilies (Pareinae and research, informaton on the true diversity, distributon, Xylophiinae) and four genera (Aplopeltura Duméril, 1853; and natural history of species belonging to this genus are Asthenodipsas Peters, 1864; Pareas Wagler, 1830; and stll far from complete (Bhosale et al. 2020; Vogel et al. Xylophis Beddome, 1878) (Deepak et al. 2018; Uetz et 2020). al. 2021). The genus Aplopeltura and Asthenodipsas are Pareas montcola (Cantor, 1839) is one of the most endemic to southeastern Asia (Loredo et al. 2013; Uetz widely distributed species of the genus Pareas (Vogel et al. 2021), Xylophis is endemic to the Western Ghats et al. 2020; Uetz et al. 2021). Occurrence of Pareas of peninsular India (Deepak et al. 2018, 2020), whereas montcola sensu stricto has been established from Pareas has a relatvely wide distributon in the tropical to northeastern India, northern Myanmar, China (Motuo subtropical regions of the Oriental biogeographic realm in Tibet and Yunnan Province), Bhutan, and Bangladesh (Bhosale et al. 2020; Vogel et al. 2020; Wang et al. 2020). (Sylhet Division) (Hakim et al. 2020; Vogel et al. 2020; There are 22 species described within Pareas making Koirala et al. 2021). It has not been reported from Nepal, it the largest of all the four genera in the family (Bhosale et but its presence in the Darjeeling and Sikkim of India al. 2020; Liu & Rao 2021). The recent surge in the number (Uetz et al. 2021; Vogel et al. 2021) makes it likely for the of studies aiming to resolve the complex taxonomic and species to occur in the adjoining areas of eastern Nepal, phylogenetc status of Pareas has led to the additon which share a similar biotope (Khatwada et al. 2015). In of several new species (Bhosale et al. 2020; Ding et al. this paper, we present the frst evidence of occurrence of 2020; Wang et al. 2020; Liu & Rao 2021). Yet, specialized Pareas montcola sensu stricto from Nepal. Apart from Editor: Raju Vyas, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Date of publicaton: 26 August 2021 (online & print) Citaton: Rai, D., M. Pokharel & T.P. Rai (2021). Range extension of the Common Slug Snake Pareas montcola (Cantor, 1839) (Reptlia: Squamata: Pareidae): a new family record for Nepal. Journal of Threatened Taxa 13(9): 19373–19375. htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.7335.13.9.19373-19375 Copyright: © Rai et al. 2021. Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproducton, and distributon of this artcle in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publicaton. Funding: None. Competng interests: The authors declare no competng interests. Acknowledgements: We express our sincere grattude to Mr. Paul Freed for his help in the identfcaton of the Pareas montcola. We are also grateful to the reviewers and editors for their comments that helped us improve the artcle. 19373 J TT Pareas montcola new family record for Nepal Rai et al. Figure 1. Map showing Pareas montcola recorded locaton in Suryodaya Municipality of Ilam district. Inset map shows where the region lies in Nepal. adding a new species of herpetofauna to the list, this is a plantaton dominates much of the landscape which is new family record for the snakes of Nepal. interspersed with human setlements and patches of An individual Pareas montcola (Image 1a,b) was forest having Schima wallichi, Castanopsis indica, and encountered on 04 August 2020 at 2040 h during a Alnus nepalensis as the major tree species (Image 2). Two herpetological survey in Arubote village of Suryodaya perennial streams run through the landscape and join Municipality-10 in Ilam district of eastern Nepal the Jogmai river a few kilometers downstream. (26.910°N 88.053°E; 1,400m) (Figure 1). The snake was The present habitat and geographical features are in observed approximately 1 m above the ground moving accordance with other areas where Pareas species are on a wooden stack along a trail. The substrate conditon known to occur (Hauser 2017; Ding et al. 2020; Liu & Rao was moist due to recent rainfall and there was a high 2021). The nocturnal and partally arboreal habits of the actvity of snails and slugs in the vicinity. The snake had species have also been supported by our observaton. a laterally compressed slender body with large eyes Snails and slugs mostly prefer moist areas and are and vertcal pupils. Its body coloraton was brown with highly sensitve to variaton in water availability and the presence of distnct black bars in the dorsolateral temperature (Prior 1985). High rainfall during monsoon part. A black line extended from eye to the nape and and the presence of perennial water sources should another similar line from behind the eye to the angle of provide suitable habitat conditons for snails and slugs to the mouth (Image 1a,b). We took several photographs thrive in this region, thereby supportng the occurrence of the snake for identfcaton and expert consultaton. of their predator like Pareas montcola. Moreover, due to The snake was identfed as Pareas montcola by Mr. Paul signifcant genetc variatons among the populatons of Freed based on its morphological characteristcs. The key Pareas montcola across their range, it has been identfed to the species is loreal and prefrontal contact with the as a species complex rather than a single species (Vogel eye, no preocular, and the presence of enlarged vertebral et al. 2021). Furthermore, our inability to record detailed scales (Ding et al. 2020). morphometry and molecular evidence of the observed The present locality is approximately 25 km (aerial specimen hindered us from making confrmaton on its distance) south-west of Darjeeling in India. The region taxonomic status. Hence, we suggest further studies in has a subtropical climate and is characterized by having the tropical to sub-tropical regions of eastern Nepal to high precipitaton and humidity, especially during the collect metculous morphological and molecular data on monsoon (June –September) (Lillesø et al. 2005). Tea this species to understand its phylogenetc positon. 19374 Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 August 2021 | 13(9): 19373–19375 Pareas montcola new family record for Nepal Rai et al. J TT a b Image 1a,b. Pareas montcola recorded moving on a wooden stack in Suryodaya Municipality of Ilam district, Nepal. © Dipa Rai. margaritophorus (Jan in Bocourt, 1866). Tropical Natural History 17(1): 25–52. Hoso, M. (2017). Asymmetry of mandibular dentton is associated with dietary specializaton in snail-eatng snakes. PeerJ 5: e3011. htps://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3011 Khatwada, J.R., B. Wang, S. Ghimire, S. Paudel & J. Jiang (2015). A new species of the genus Tylototriton (Amphibia: Urodela: Salamandridae) from eastern Himalaya. Asian Herpetological Research 6(4): 245–256. htps://doi.org/10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.140097 Koirala, B.K., K.
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