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Eryx jaculus (Javelin sand boa, Sandboa / Mahmuzlu Yılan, İkibaşlı Yılan)

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Eryx jaculus (Javelin sand boa, Sandboa / Mahmuzlu Yılan, İkibaşlı Yılan)


Eryx jaculus turcicus (Javelin sand boa, Sandboa / Mahmuzlu Yılan, İkibaşlı Yılan) [Female/Dişi] from Bozdoğan, AYDIN.

Sandboa is the a widespread species: Balkan, Turkey, Transcaucasian region to the Caspian Sea, Iraq, Iran through Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan south to Saudi Arabia, westwards along the Mediterranean coast through Egypt, Libya and Tunisia to Algeria. It has been found in an altitudinal range of -224 to 1450 m. Usually found in dry steppes both with light sandy soil and heavy steppe-soil, with sparse vegetation and stones, light Mediterranean forests as well as the black lava desert. It often inhabits cultivated fields too.

Sandboa is a stout, small-headed snake reaching a maximum total length of 84 cm, most adult specimens measure between 40 and 60 cm. The head is small, indistinct from neck. It terminates in a sharp-edged snout, covered with a large trapezoid rostral plate. The upper surface of the head is slightly concave. The eyes are small, directed sideways, with a vertically elliptical pupil. Head scalation: 2 (rarely 3) post-internasals, 6-12 scales around the eye, 7-11 supralabials, 2-3 loreals, 4 scales between the eyes. The body scales are smooth in the cranial 2/3 of the body, weakly keeled on the caudal 1/3 and on the tail. Dorsal scales are ordered into 41-57 scale rows at midbody. The 161-200 ventrals are very small (wide only about a third of the body diameter) but distinct; the anal shield is large and entire; 15-36 subcaudals. Laterally from the anal shield, rudiments of the hind legs can be found, forming two pointed spurs (longer in males). The ground coloration is mostly greyish or light brown above; creme, yellowish to whitish or reddish below. Tlte pattern consists of more or less distinct irregular spots. There is a dark stripe running from the eye to the mouth angle and often a longitudinal line on each tail side. The coloration and pattern is very variable, dark specimens with blackish spots on reddish to orange ground colour are known from the black lava desert.

The activity pattern depends on the season. In colder periods of the year, the Sandboa is diurnal, while in the warmer periods, it is typically active in early morning and early evening hours. It hides under stones or in rodent burrows. The prey is constricted in body coils. The food spectrum consists of small mammals, lizards and larger insects. Occasionally, small birds and snails are eaten too. Mating occur between May and June. The Sandboa is ovoviviparous, after about 3 months of gestation the female gives birth to 6-20 young, measuring 12-20 cm. It hibernates during the coldest months (between December and March). If disturbed, it tries to escape and hide under stones.

E. jaculus is a polytypic species. Though several subspecies have been recognised in the past [E. j. jaculus- around Sanlıurfa province in SE Anatolia; E. j. turcicus-Thrace, Southern and Western Anatolia; E. j. familiaris- Central and Eastern Anatolia], some authors propose to accept two subspecies only, separated from each other by the prolongation of the east African Rift Valley. The African populations then belong to the nominotypic form while the others are referred to E. jaculus turcicus.

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Boidae familyasından yurdumuzda yaşayan tek türdür(L. jaculus: ani kapan). Boyu 50-80 cmkadar olabilmektedir. Kuyrukları kısa ve küt konik şeklindedir. Baş ve kuyruk hemen hemen aynı kalınlıktadır. Bu nedenle ilk bakışta yanlış olarak iki başlıymış gibi algılanır. Kurak, kumlu ve çakıllı alanlarda yaşar. Sabahve akşam saatlerinde avlanırlar. Avını yutmadan önce sıkarak öldürür. Ovovivipardır. Bir defada 18-20 kadar yavru doğurur. Türkiye’nin hemen her tarafında 3 alttür halinde yaşar. E. j. jaculus: Güneydoğu Anadolu’da Urfa civarında, E. j. turcicus: Güney ve Batı Anadolu, ayrıca Trakya’da; E. j. familiaris ise Orta ve Doğu Anadolu’da yayılmıştır.

References /Kaynaklar: 1. Göçmen, B. (Unpub. results). The results of herpetological trips. 2. Göçmen, B., Tok, C. V., Kaya, U. & Tosunoglu, M. (1996). A Preliminary Report On the Herpetofauna of Northern Cyprus. Turk. J. Zoology, 20 (suppl.): 161-176. 3. Göçmen, B., Arikan, H., Mermer, A., Langerwerf, B. & Bahar, H. (2006). Morphological, Hemipenial and Venom Electrophoresis Comparisons of Levantine Viper, Macrovipera 4. Göçmen, B., Atatür, M. K., Budak, A., Bahar, H., Yildiz, M. Z., Alpagut-Keskin, N. (2008). Taxonomic notes on the snakes of Northern Cyprus, with observations on their morphologies and ecologies. Animal Biology, 59 (1): 1-30. 5. Budak, A. & Göçmen, B. (2005). Herpetology. Ege Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Kitaplar Serisi, No. 194, Ege Üniversitesi Basimevi, Bornova-Izmir, 226 pp. [2nd Edition, 2008]. 6. Atatür, M. K & Göçmen, B. (2001). Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern Cyprus (1st Edition), Ege Üniversitesi, Fen Fakültesi Kitaplar Serisi, No. 170, Ege Üniversitesi Basimevi, Bornova-Izmir, 63 pp (ISBN 975-483-486-5) [In Turkish & English]. [A PDF-Printable Version is present in my web site]. 7. Disi, A. M., Modry, D., Necas, P. & Rifai, L. (2001). Amphibians and Reptiles of the HashemiteKingdomof Jordan. Edition Chimaira, 408 pp. 8. Franzen, M., Bußmann, M., Kordges, T. & Thiesmeier, B. (2008). Die Amphibien und Reptilien der Südwest-Turkei. Supplement der Zeitschrift für Feldherpetologie 14, Laurenti Verlag, Bielefeld, Germany, 328pp. ......


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Author Bayram GÖÇMEN
Created on Wednesday 05 May 2010
Posted on Monday 24 January 2011
Tags Aydın, TURKEY / TÜRKİYE
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