Daode YANG,Sikan CHEN,Yuanhui CHEN and Yuying YAN.Using Head Patch Pattern as a Reliable Biometric Character for Noninvasive Individual Recognition of an Endangered Pitviper Protobothrops mangshanensis[J].Asian Herpetological Research(AHR),2013,4(2):134-139.[doi:10.3724/SP.J.1245.2013.00134]

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Using Head Patch Pattern as a Reliable Biometric Character for Noninvasive Individual Recognition of an Endangered Pitviper Protobothrops mangshanensis

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Asian Herpetological Research[ISSN:2095-0357/CN:51-1735/Q]

Issue:

2013 VoI.4 No.2

Page:

134-139

Research Field:

Original Article

Publishing date:

2013-06-25

Info

Title:

Using Head Patch Pattern as a Reliable Biometric Character for Noninvasive Individual Recognition of an Endangered Pitviper Protobothrops mangshanensis

Author(s):

Daode YANG^1*;  Sikan CHEN¹;  Yuanhui CHEN² and Yuying YAN¹

¹ Institute of Wildlife Conservation, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China
² Hunan Mangshan National Nature Reserve Administration, Yizhang 424221, Hunan, China

Keywords:

biometric identification;  endangered snake;  head patch pattern;  Mangshan pitviper;  noninvasive individual recognition;  image?analysis;  natural markings

PACS:

-

DOI:

10.3724/SP.J.1245.2013.00134

Abstract:

Mangshan pitviper, Protobothrops mangshanensis (formerly Zhaoermia mangshanensis) is endemic to China. Unfortunately, due to the decreasing size of its wild populations, this snake has been listed as critically endangered. Research carried out on the Mangshan pitviper’s population ecology and captive reproduction has revealed that the unique head patch patterns of different individuals may potentially be used as a noninvasive recognition biometric character. We collected head patch pattern images of 40 individuals of P. mangshanensis between 1994 and 2011. By comparing each pitviper’s head patch pattern, we found that the head patch pattern of individual snakes was different and unique. Additionally, we observed and recorded the head patch pattern characters of four adults and five juveniles before and after ecdysis. Our findings confirmed that head patch patterns of Mangshan pitvipers are unique and stable, remaining unchanged after ecdysis. Thus, individuals can be quickly identified by examining the head patch pattern within a specific recognition area on the head. This method may be useful for noninvasive individual recognition in many other species that display color patch pattern variations, especially in studies of endangered species where the use of invasive marking techniques is undesirable.

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