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Spalerosophis diadema (Diadem Snake / Diadem Yılanı)

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Spalerosophis diadema (Diadem Snake / Diadem Yılanı)


Spalerosophis diadema (Diadem Snake / Diadem Yılanı) from Birecik, ŞANLIURFA - 14.05.2009.

Diadem snake is widely distributed throughout whole Saharan Africa, Arabia, across Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, S Turkey, and Iraq east to S Russia, Nepal, Pakistan and N India. It is a polytypic species with three presently recognized subspecies: the nominotypic, S. d. diadema from the SE part of the range, S. d. cliffordi from Africa and Arabia and S. d. schirazianus from the NE part of the range. Populations in Turkey are referred to S. d. cliffordi. It has been recorded from Kilis, Gaziantep and Şanliurfa provinces by us, at elevations 50-600 m. The formerly records of the species also includes the Adıyaman province.

Diadem snake inhabits a wide range of steppe, semi-desert to desert habitats (rocky wadis, flat lowlands, rocky slopes, margins of sandy dunes) and often found near human settlements, in cultivated fields and gardens. It can be reaching a maximum total length of over 130 cm. The head clearly distinct from the neck, and has moderately large eyes. Eyes have round pupils and golden irises. Some pholidotic characteristics are as follows: 10-13 upper labials, 3-4 loreals, 2-4 preoculars, 3-4 postoculars; a series of suboculars separate the labials from the eye; small numerous temporals. Three transverse series of plates are located between the rostral and the frontal. The maxillary teeth are of equal size without diasthemas (spaces). The body scales are obtusely keeled, ordered into 25-29 rows at midbody; 210-248 ventrals; anal scale entire; 64-81 paired subcaudals. The colour is variable: grayish, yellowish, light brown or reddish above, with a vertebral row of brown rhomboid or oval spots, with a white margin cranially and caudally. There is a row of smaller, alternating round spots on flanks. The head pattern is variable, consisting either of a symmetrical dark diadem marking resembling a butterfly or of several transverse dark bands across the snout and a distinct band between the eyes. The Venter is uniformly whitish or yellowish. A dark lateral strike extends also from the eyes to the mouth angle. Males have relatively longer tails and slightly higher number of subcaudals.

Diadem snake is a rapid, terrestrial species; diurnal in cold periods of the year, nocturnal in the hot ones. Its food consists predominantly of small mammals and birds, but small lizards are also consumed, mainly by juveniles. Its fangs are very small, indistinct and at back of upper jaw (Opistoglyphous) and the toxicity of its venom is low so not effective on humans and its preys. The prey is basically killed by strong body coils as seen in other Colubrid (-whip-) snakes. If cornered, it coils the body together with an "S"-curved neck, hisses and strikes readily.

References: 1. Göçmen, B. (Unpub. results). The results of herpetological trips. 2. Göçmen, B., Franzen, M., Yildiz, M. Z., Akman, B. & Yalçinkaya, D. (2009). New locality records of eremial snake species in southeastern Turkey (Ophidia: Colubridae, Elapidae, Typhlopidae, Leptotyphlopidae). Salamandra, 45 (2): 110-114. 3. Budak, A. & Göçmen, B. (2005). Herpetology. Ege Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Kitaplar Serisi, No. 194, Ege Üniversitesi Basimevi, Bornova-Izmir, 226 pp. [2nd Edition, 2008]. 4. Franzen, M. (1999). A record of Spalerosophis diadema (Reptilia: Colubridae) from Adıyaman province, Turkey. – Zoology in the Middle East, 9: 33-36. 5. Disi, A. M., Modry, D., Necas, P. & Rifai, L. (2001). Amphibians and Reptiles of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Edition Chimaira, 408 pp.

Author Bayram GÖÇMEN
Created on Thursday 14 May 2009
Posted on Sunday 06 March 2011
Tags Şanlıurfa, TURKEY / TÜRKİYE
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