Key Identification Features
- This species is best known for its characteristic defense strategy: when threatened, it coils into a tight ball, tucking its head and neck away in the center.
- Three subspecies have been proposed, but they are not recognized by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- Color and size vary widely among the proposed subspecies, and each proposed subspecies has a distinct geographical range, so location is a good indicator for identifying these proposed subspecies.
- This species has a triangular head marked by a distinct row of thermoreceptive pits along its lips.
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