Il-Hun KIM,Ja-Kyeong KIM,Jonathan J. FONG and Daesik PARK.Report of a Dicephalic Steppes Ratsnake (Elaphe dione) Collected in South Korea[J].Asian Herpetological Research(AHR),2013,4(3):182-186.[doi:10.3724/SP.J.1245.2013.000182]
Click Copy

Report of a Dicephalic Steppes Ratsnake (Elaphe dione) Collected in South Korea
Share To：

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

Issue:
2013 VoI.4 No.3
Page:
182-186
Research Field:
Original Article
Publishing date:
2013-09-25

Info

Title:
Report of a Dicephalic Steppes Ratsnake (Elaphe dione) Collected in South Korea
Author(s):
Il-Hun KIM1;  Ja-Kyeong KIM1;  Jonathan J. FONG2 and Daesik PARK3*
1 Department of Biology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Kangwon 200-701, South Korea
2 School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, South Korea
3 Division of Science Education, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Kangwon 200-701, South Korea
Keywords:
dicephalism;  morphology;  Steppes Ratsnake;  Elaphe dione
PACS:
-
DOI:
10.3724/SP.J.1245.2013.000182
Abstract:
In this report, we describe morphological characteristics of a dicephalic Steppes Ratsnake (Elaphe dione) collected from the wild in 2011 in South Korea. The specimen has two heads and two long necks. Unlike normal individuals, the dicephalic snake has divided ventral scales under the necks of the bifurcated columns. The snout-vent length (SVL) and overall total length of the individual are shorter than those of normal snakes of the same age. Nevertheless, the counts of nine different scale types that are often used for classification are all within the ranges of normal individuals. As far as we know, this is the first detailed morphological description of a dicephalic E. dione in the scientific literature.

References:

Andreadis P. T., Burghardt G. M. 1993. Feeding behavior and an oropharyngeal component of satiety in a two-headed snake. Physiol Behav, 54: 649–658
Burghardt G. M. 1991. Cognitive ethology and critical anthropomorphism: A snake with two heads and hognose snakes that play dead. In Ristau C. A. (Ed.), Cognitive Ethology: The Minds of Other Animals. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 53–90
Bakken D. J., Bakken L. A. 1987. Dicephalism in the Russian rat snake, Elaphe schrenckii schrenckii. Bull Chicago Herp
Soc, 22: 2
Blanc C. P. 1979. Notes on reptiles of Tunisia, VII, Observations on a double-headed snake Natrix (Reptilia: Colubridae). Arch Inst Pasteur Tunis, 56: 81–90
De Albuquerque N. R., Arruda W. S., Costa A. S., Galharte R. C. V., Vargas L. G. S., Moreno I. H. 2010. A dicephalic yellow anaconda snake, Eunectes notaeus (Serpentes: Boidae), from southern Pantanal, Brazil. J Nat Hist, 44: 31–32
De Albuquerque N. R., Piatti L., Wallach V. 2013. Dicephalism in the green racer snake, Philodryas patagoniensis (Serpentes, Colubridae), from southeastern Brazil. Herpetol Notes 6: 85–87
Heasman W. J. 1933. The anatomy of a double-headed snake. J Anat, 37: 332–345
Kang Y. S., Yoon I. B. 1975. Illustrated encyclopedia of fauna and flora of Korea, Vol. 17, Amphibia-Reptilia. Seoul, South Korea: Samhwa Publisher (In Korean)
Lee J. H., Jang H. J., Suh J. H. 2011. Ecological guide book of herpetofauna in Korea. Incheon, South Korea: National Institute of Environmental Research, 184–189 (In Korean)
Manimozhi A., Baskar N., Sekar M. 2006. Twining in Python molurus molurus in captivity. Hamadryad, 30: 203–204
McAllister C. T., Wallach V. 2006. Discovery of a dicephalic western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox (Serpentes: Viperidae), from Texas, with a summary of dicephalism among members of the genus Crotalus. J Arkansas Acad Sci, 60: 67–73
Petch S. 1990. A case of twins from a single egg in the Chinese ratsnake Elaphe bimaculata. Herptile, 15: 13–16
Schulz K. D. 1996. A monograph of the colubrid snakes of the genus Elaphe Fitzinger. Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic: Koeltz Scientific Books, 109–115
Sim J. H. 2001. Dreaming a green life: Turtle and snake. Seoul, South Korea: Darunsaesang Publisher, 137 (In Korean)
Singhal A., Agarwal G., Sharma S., Gupta A., Gupta D. 2006. Parapagus conjoined twins: Complicated anatomy precludes separation. J Indian Ass Ped Surg, 11: 145–147
Smith H. M., Pérez-Higareda G. 1987. The literature on somatodichotomy in snakes. Bull Md Herpetol Soc, 23: 139–153
Spadola F., Insacco G. 2009. Newborn dicephalic Podarcis sicula. Acta Herpetol, 4: 99–101
Wallach V. 2007. Axial bifurcation and duplication in snakes, Part I, A synopsis of authentic and anecdotal cases. Bull Md Herpetol Soc, 43: 57–95

Memo

Memo:
-
Last Update: 2016-01-25