[5][6][3] The species epithet, plumbea, means 'lead-like' and refers to the snake's greyish upper body.

[3] DNA evidence suggests that this taxon might be a species complex.

In some populations, the upper part may be greenish, and dark spots along the vertebral line may also occur.

[3] The rice paddy snake is found in the Andaman Islands (India), Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, southern China, and Taiwan.

[1][3][4] The rice paddy snake is a common and abundant species associated with a variety of wet habitats.