Pareas chinensis
Pareas chinensis
CHINESE SLUG SNAKE
INTERESTING FACT:
Since most snails are dextral (their shells spiral to the right),
snakes of the Pareidae family, i.e. oriental slug snakes, attack from the left. In order to facilitate such a hunting strategy, almost all of them have much more teeth on the right mandible (lower jaw) than on the left.
"Snail shells can spiral to the left (sinistral) or to the right (dextral), as determined by a single gene, and a new study* has found the advantage of being in the minority sinistral group: they survive predation by snakes much better than dextral snails. The effect of this advantage is so great they could separate into a distinct species.
(...)
Southeast Asian snakes of the pareatidae family — the oriental slug-eating snakes — specialize in eating slugs and snails, and because the majority of snails are dextral with the shells on the right side, the snakes attack from the left, grabbing the shell with its upper jaw and sticking its lower jaw into the gap. The snakes have also evolved asymmetrical mouth parts with more fangs on one side than the other to help them eat the dextral snails. These changes, however, make it difficult for them to eat sinistral snails, especially as the snakes continue to attack from the left.”
Pareas chinensis
Pareas chinensis
CHINESE SLUG SNAKE
INTERESTING FACT:
Since most snails are dextral (their shells spiral to the right),
snakes of the Pareidae family, i.e. oriental slug snakes, attack from the left. In order to facilitate such a hunting strategy, almost all of them have much more teeth on the right mandible (lower jaw) than on the left.
"Snail shells can spiral to the left (sinistral) or to the right (dextral), as determined by a single gene, and a new study* has found the advantage of being in the minority sinistral group: they survive predation by snakes much better than dextral snails. The effect of this advantage is so great they could separate into a distinct species.
(...)
Southeast Asian snakes of the pareatidae family — the oriental slug-eating snakes — specialize in eating slugs and snails, and because the majority of snails are dextral with the shells on the right side, the snakes attack from the left, grabbing the shell with its upper jaw and sticking its lower jaw into the gap. The snakes have also evolved asymmetrical mouth parts with more fangs on one side than the other to help them eat the dextral snails. These changes, however, make it difficult for them to eat sinistral snails, especially as the snakes continue to attack from the left.”