The Southern Smooth Snake, Coronella Girondica (Daudin, 1803), in North-East Italy: New Findings and a Review of the Historical Distribution

Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 543-548 (2020) (published online on 08 July 2020)

The Southern Smooth Snake, Coronella girondica (Daudin, 1803), in North-East Italy: new findings and a review of the historical distribution

Daniel L. N. Iversen1, Karol Tabarelli de Fatis1, Antonio Romano1, Paolo Pedrini1, and Matteo R. Di Nicola2,*

The Southern Smooth Snake Coronella girondica Dalla Torre, in his work “Die Schlangen Tirols” (1912), (Daudin, 1803) is a monotypic species with a indicates numerous finds of C. girondica in the southern Mediterranean (West-Mediterranean) chorotype areas of the Province of Trento, which occurred between (Sindaco et al., 2013). Its distribution includes North- the mid-1800s and the beginning of the 1900s. West Africa and South-West Europe, ranging from the Data of ten specimens from seven localities within Iberian Peninsula to Mediterranean France and up to the Autonomous Province of Trento (four of which the central and north-eastern regions of Italy, where it are attributable to the 20th century) are catalogued in is mainly distributed on the Tyrrhenian side (Razzetti the Natural History Museum Vienna, 1st Zoological & Bonini, 2006; Razzetti & Bernini, 2011; Di Nicola et Department, Herpetological Collection. Some al., 2019) (Fig. 1). The presence of the species in North- specimens are deposited in the Fondazione Museo East Italy, reported in the past for the areas around Lake Garda, was lacking in recent confirmations: Razzetti & Bernini (2011) assumed that C. girondica had probably disappeared from that area. The other eastern records turned out to be doubtful or unverified (Bonato et al., 2007; Razzetti & Bernini, 2011). For example, the two easternmost findings present in the literature are probably attributable to labelling errors or due to imported individuals, particularly considering the environmental unsuitability of the finding areas: a single record from Chirignago, Venezia, in a low plain context near the Venetian lagoon (Bonato et al., 2007) and a single record from Chialina, Udine, in an Alpine environment (Vanni & Lanza, 1982; Razzetti & Bernini, 2011). In reference to the areas around Lake Garda, the first historical reports attesting the presence of C. girondica are attributable to Massalongo (1854), De Betta (1857) and Gredler (1882).

1 MUSE – Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Figure 1. Approximate distribution map of C. girondica in Scienza, 38122 Trento, Italy. Italy. In blue: current known range; in green: finds from this 2 Via Bobbio, 20144 Milano, Italy. study; in red: other recent finds. Modified from Di Nicola et * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] al. (2019). 544 Daniel L. N. Iversen et al.

Civico di Rovereto (FMCR), but just three of them have were provided. We take advantage of this work to give available source data (Caldonazzi et. al., 2002; Sartori, more detailed information and photos (Fig. 3) of these 2009). two records. The two individuals were found in the Lorenzi and Bruno (2006) provided a distribution same area (extended over two different municipalities), map of C. girondica in Trentino, pooling historical data a dry and rocky habitat close to an excavation and (mainly those of Dalla Torre, 1912) and their original demolition company: the first snake was observed in the findings. However, the results from these two data Municipality of Rivoli Veronese in 2011 (45.5872°N, sources are indistinguishable, so the work of Lorenzi 10.8215°E); the second snake was spotted in the and Bruno did not provide any new information. Municipality of Caprino Veronese in 2013 (45.5898°N, The mentioned historical findings are shown in Table 10.8215°E) (Campagnari M., pers. comm.). 1 and Fig. 2. Considering the presence of many old data Here we provide new data on the occurrence of C. and the scarcity of recent ones from the second half of the girondica in the Autonomous Province of Trento (Fig. 2), 20th century, Dušej (1989) hypothesized the existence of obtained from our field research and from information a population separated from the main distribution area, provided by local people, which were subsequently located around and immediately east of the Garda basin, verified and confirmed by one or more authors. Six which suffered a dramatic decline, probably caused by findings were collected from April to August 2019, urbanization and agriculture intensification. during field researches for the Herpetological Atlas of As for the 21st century, the Museo Civico di Rovereto Province of Trento (Iemma et al., 2018), in two different (now FMCR) published an anecdotal online article localities: five findings were from the area of Vigne (Anonymous, 2008) concerning the finding of an adult (Arco, Trento), in a territory of 2,03 hectares close to male C. girondica in the old town of Rovereto, Trentino. dry stone walls in a terraced area with olive trees (Fig. Novarini et al. (2017) published a note concerning two 4B), north of the Vigne hamlet (45.9238°N, 10.8665°E; alleged recent C. girondica findings in the Verona 160 m a.s.l.); one finding was made in the area of Province, Veneto but no further details or photographs Pietramurata (Dro, Trento), along a path located between a quarry and a vineyard, placed within a xerothermic and rocky environment north-west of the Pietramurata hamlet (46.0268°N, 10.9420°E; 290 m a.s.l.). The details of these findings are given below in chronological order: (i) April 16th, an adult individual observed active at 1:41 pm in Vigne by Mr. U. Cristofari, who photographed and then released the snake (museum photo voucher: MUSE_photo_20190416_Vigne_Arco_ TN_01.jpg) (Fig. 5A); (ii) April 19th, an exuviae collected in the same locality (Vigne) by the authors (Fig. 5B); (iii) May 28th, an adult observed active at 7.45 pm, at Pietramurata, by Mr. M. Maccabelli, who filmed the snake on the ground (museum photo voucher: MUSE_ photo_20190528_Pietramurata_TN_02.jpg) (Fig. 5C); (iv) August 4th, a dead adult collected in Vigne by the authors (MUSE – Museo delle Scienze, Herpetological Collection, specimen MTSN 3811) (Fig. 5D); (v) August 16th, another exuviae collected in Vigne by the authors (Fig. 5E) (vi) August 31st, an adult observed active at 8.26 pm in Vigne by the authors, who photographed and released the individual (MUSE_photo_20190831_ Figure 2. Distribution map of historical and recent C. girondica Vigne_Arco_TN_03.jpg) (Fig. 4A, 5F). records from North-East Italy. Red dots represent historical findings up to 1977; green dots represent the findings of this For a reliable identification of each finding, the study; blue dots represent other recent findings from Rovereto combination of the main morphological and pholidosis (Anonymous, 2008) and Caprino Veronese/Rivoli Veronese characters of the species were verified: number of (Campagnari M., pers. comm.). dorsal scales at mid-body, number of supralabial scales, The Southern Smooth Snake in North-East Italy 545

Figure 3. The two C. girondica findings from the Verona Figure 4. Adult C. girondica found on 31st August in Vigne Province mentioned by Novarini et al. (2017): adult individual (A); Habitat of Vigne, Arco (Autonomous Province of Trento) observed in the Municipality of Rivoli Veronese in 2011 (A); (B). Photocredits: Di Nicola M.R. (A); Iversen D.L.N. (B). adult individual observed in the Municipality of Caprino Veronese in 2013 (B). Photocredits: Campagnari M.

Table 1. Historical and recent C. girondica records from North-East Italy. The dates are in the format: day / month / year. Province codes:Table TN1. Historical = Trento; and VR recent = Verona; C. girondica MN = Mantova. records from North-East Italy. The dates are in the format: day / month / year. Province codes: TN = Trento; VR = Verona; MN = Mantova

Source Place Coordinates Date Dalla Torre, 1912 Val di Ledro (TN) 45.8744°N, 10.7664°E - Dalla Torre, 1912 Vallarsa (TN) 45.8562°N, 11.0613°E - Dalla Torre, 1912 Rovereto, Madonna del Monte (TN) 45.8826°N, 11.0444°E 7/5/1896 Dalla Torre, 1912 Castello di Avio (TN) 45.7463°N, 10.9517°E - Dalla Torre, 1912 Ala, towards Val Ronchi (TN) 45.7566°N, 11.0152°E 20/3/1896; 14,18,27,31/5/1896 Dalla Torre, 1912 Arco (TN) 45.9199°N, 10.8856°E 1,7,25/5/1896; 19/3/1897; 4/1897 Dalla Torre, 1912 Avio (TN) 45.7356°N, 10.9371°E 4,11/4/1896; 7,11/5/1896; 1,24/5/1897; 29/5/1900 Dalla Torre, 1912 Biacesa (TN) 45.8660°N, 10.8053°E 4,13/5/1896; 11,20/5/1897; 1/5/1807 Dalla Torre, 1912 Borghetto (TN) 45.6983°N, 10.9292°E 29/4/1896 Dalla Torre, 1912 Brione (TN) 45.8941°N, 10.5891°E 21/5/1896 Dalla Torre, 1912 Cavedine (TN) 45.9942°N, 10.9730°E 2,11,13,17,18,23,26,31/5/1897; 546 3/6/1897;Daniel 22/4/1898; L. N. 5,26/5/1898 Iversen et al. Dalla Torre, 1912 Ciago (TN) 46.0898°N, 11.0047°E 23/5/1897; 7/5/1898; 6/6/1899; 3/7/1899 Dalla Torre, 1912 Cologna-Gavazzo (TN) 45.9126°N, 10.8416°E 22/3/1896; 6/1900 Table 1. Continued. Dalla Torre, 1912 Darè (TN) 46.0751°N, 10.7176°E 11/5/1898 Dalla Torre, 1912 Drena (TN) 45.9699°N, 10.9451°E 29/4/1896; 18/5/1896 Source Place Coordinates Date Dalla Torre, 1912 Dro (TN) 45.9609°N, 10.9119°E 9,21/5/1897 Dalla Torre, 1912 Isera (TN) 45.8872°N, 11.0089°E 2/5/1898; 23/5/1910 Dalla Torre, 1912 Mori (TN) 45.8533°N, 10.9752°E 15,27/5/1896; 27,31/5/1898 Dalla Torre, 1912 Nago (TN) 45.8775°N, 10.8904°E 26/3/1896; 14,23/4/1896 16,21/5/1896; 17/5/1897; 26/5/1899 Dalla Torre, 1912 Nomesino (TN) 45.8657°N, 10.9626°E 7,11,17/51896 Dalla Torre, 1912 Noriglio (TN) 45.8848°N, 11.0671°E 13/6/1898 Dalla Torre, 1912 Oltresarca (now Bolognano / Vignole) (TN) 45.9118°N, 10.9055°E 1/5/1896; 2/5/1897; 5/1900 Dalla Torre, 1912 Pannone (TN) 45.8775°N, 10.9350°E 2/6/1897 Dalla Torre, 1912 Pilcante (TN) 45.7705°N, 11.0004°E 15/5/1909 Dalla Torre, 1912 Prè (TN) 45.8661°N, 10.7890°E 26/5/1899; 7/1910 Dalla Torre, 1912 Riva (TN) 45.8892°N, 10.8437°E 31/3/1896; 24/4/1896; 8/5/1896; 30/4/1897 Dalla Torre, 1912 Romarzollo (now Chiarano/Vigne) (TN) 45.9218°N, 10.8676°E 25/3/3, 14,18/5/1896; 14,10/5/1897;12/11/1907 Dalla Torre, 1912 Samone (TN) 46.0813°N, 11.5230°E 10/4/1896 Dalla Torre, 1912 Stravino (TN) 46.0033°N, 10.9838°E 18/5/1897 Dalla Torre, 1912 Tenno (TN) 45.9191°N, 10.8324°E 30/5/1900 Dalla Torre, 1912 Tiarno superiore (TN) 45.8880°N, 10.6706°E 19/6/1909 Dalla Torre, 1912 Valle (TN) 46.1130°N, 11.2123°E 28/4/1896 Dalla Torre, 1912 Vezzano (TN) 46.0788°N, 11.0000°E 28/5/1986; 6/5/1897; 20,21,25/5/1898; 24/8/1901; 9/7/1907; 17/5/1909 Dalla Torre, 1912 Vigolo Vattaro (TN) 46.0052°N, 11.1993°E 25/4/1896 Dalla Torre, 1912 Ville del Monte (TN) 45.9299°N, 10.8240°E 5/6/1897 De Betta, 1857 Calavena di Tregnago (VR) 45.5321°N, 11.1728°E Between the middle of the XIX century and 1879 Anonymous, 2008 Rovereto (TN) 45.8868°N, 11.0455°E 2006 Milano Natural History Museum Collection Torri del Benaco (VR) 45.6095°N, 10.6912°E 1926 Novarini et al., 2017 Rivoli Veronese (VR) 45.5872°N, 10.8215°E 28/3/2011 Novarini et al., 2017 Caprino Veronese (VR) 45.5898°N, 10.8215°E 10/7/2013 Rovereto Civic Museum Collection Rovereto, Madonna del Monte (TN) 45.8826°N, 11.0444°E 1934 Rovereto Civic Museum Collection Pozze di Mori (TN) 45.8533°N, 10.9529°E 1962 Rovereto Civic Museum Collection Albaredo (TN) 45.8561°N, 11.0611°E 26/5/1958 This study Arco/Vigne (TN) 45.9238°N, 10.8665°E 16,19/4/2019; 4,16,31/8/2019 This study Pietramurata (TN) 46.0268°N, 10.9420°E 28/5/2019 Verona Natural History Museum Collection Fumane (VR) 45.5430°N, 10.8859°E Between the middle of the XIX century and 1879 Verona Natural History Museum Collection Sogara di Marcellise / Castagnè (VR) 45.4772°N, 11.1084°E Between the middle of the XIX century and 1879 Verona Natural History Museum Collection San Rocco di Piegara (VR) 45.5526°N, 11.0855°E 1977 Verona Natural History Museum Collection Castel Goffredo (MN) 45.2971°N, 10.4771°E 1977 Vienna Museum Collection Isera (TN) 45.8872°N, 11.0089°E 1916 Vienna Museum Collection Nogaredo (TN) 45.9126°N, 11.0232°E 1916 Vienna Museum Collection Riva (TN) 45.8892°N, 10.8437°E 1894 Vienna Museum Collection Riva, Santa Maria Maddalena (TN) 45.8908°N, 10.8342°E 1941 Vienna Museum Collection Rovereto (TN) 45.8872°N, 11.0435°E 1916 Vienna Museum Collection Torbole (TN) 45.8709°N, 10.8758°E 1897 Vienna Museum Collection (4 spec.) Südtirol - 1897

shape of the rostral scale and, with some limitations for finding belonged to a different individual. the exuviae, ventral and dorsal coloration (Di Nicola, The Southern Smooth Snake populations from the 2019). Analysis of pholidosis also confirmed that each surroundings of Lake Garda are at least 140 km from The Southern Smooth Snake in North-East Italy 547

Figure 5. The six C. girondica findings from the Autonomous Province of Trento, object of this study: live individual from Vigne (A); exuviae from Vigne (B); live individual from Pietramurata (C); dead specimen from Vigne (D); exuviae from Vigne (E); live individual from Vigne (F). Photocredits: Cristofari U. (A); Iversen D.L.N. (B, D); Maccabelli M. (C); Di Nicola M. R. (E, F).

the nearest other populations, located along the northern distribution and to estimate population abundance, in Apennines (in the provinces of Reggio Emilia and order to plan adequate conservation measures. Piacenza). Further studies on C. girondica from this area are Acknowledgements. We are grateful to: Silke Schweiger and needed, also with regard to molecular-based studies that Natural History Museum Vienna for providing us with the list of C. girondica specimens catalogued in the museum; Umberto could give indications about its local origin. Considering Cristofari and Michele Maccabelli for having documented two the rarity of the species in North-East Italy, further findings; Matteo Campagnari for providing us with information investigation would also be useful to elucidate its actual and photos of his findings; Elvio Pederzolli for providing us with 548 Daniel L. N. Iversen et al. some historical information; Thomas Zabbia for a preliminary Iemma, A., Tabarelli de Fatis, K., Garollo, E., Romano, A., Iversen, review of the manuscript; Lesley Dhonau and Teresa Cecilia D., Nardelli, A., Pedrini, P., (2018): Anfibi e Rettili del Trentino: Lebech Iversen for the language review; Aaron lemma for his il nuovo progetto Atlante. - Poster e contributo breve”. Atti del help with cartography; Giovanni Paolino for his advice. XII Congresso Nazionale Societas Herpetologica Italica. Rende The temporary capture of the living individual for photographic (Cosenza), 1-5 ottobre 2018. purpose has been carried out with the permit established by law Lorenzi, P., Bruno, S. (2006): Note erpetologiche - In: Ann. Mus. (MATT permit Prot. N. 12442/PNM, 13/06/2017). Civ. Rovereto 22: 277–286. Massalongo, A. (1854): Saggio di un’erpetologia popolare References veronese. Tip. Giuseppe Antonelli, Verona. Novarini, N., Zanovello, L., Bonato, L. (2017): Aggiornamento Anonymous (2008): La Coronella Girondica: incontro a sorpresa con della distribuzione dell’erpetofauna in Veneto: prime valutazioni un ‘Colubro di Riccioli’ (Daudin,1803). http://www.museocivico. in base ai dati dell’ultimo decennio. In: Bonato, L., Spada, A., rovereto.tn.it/news.jsp?ID_NEWS=323>emplate=news_ Cassol, M.: “Atti 8° Convegno Faunisti Veneti - Sedico, 21-22 archivio.jsp ottobre 2017”. Bonato, L., Fracasso, G., Pollo, R., Richard, J., Semenzato, M. Razzetti, E., Bonini, L. (2006): Coronella girondica in Sindaco, (Eds.) (2007): Atlante degli Anfibi e dei Rettili del Veneto. R., Doria, G., Razzetti, E., Bernini, F. (Eds.) (2006): Atlante Associazione Faunisti Veneti. Ed. Nuovadimensione, degli anfibi e dei rettili d’Italia / Atlas of Italian amphibians and Portogruaro (ME), Italy. reptiles. Societas Herpetologica Italica, Edizioni Polistampa, Caldonazzi, M., Pedrini, P., Zanghellini, S. (2002): Atlante degli Firenze, 792 pp. Anfibi e dei Rettili della provincia di Trento (Amphibia, Razzetti, E., Bernini F. (2011): Coronella girondica in Corti, C., Reptilia), 1987-1996 con aggiornamenti al 2001. St. trent. Sci. Capula, M., Luiselli, L., Sindaco, R., Razzetti, E. Fauna d’Italia, Nat. Acta Biol. 77: 1–173. vol. XLV, Reptilia. Calderini, Bologna, XII + 869 pp. Dalla Torre, K.W. (1912): Die Schlangen Tirols- Zoogeographische Sartori, M. (2009): Revisione delle conoscenze della distribuzione Studie. Z. Ferdinand. 3(56): 1–68. di Coronella girondica (Daudin, 1803) (Reptilia: Colubridae) e De Betta, E. (1857): Erpetologia delle Provincie Venete e del Tirolo Vipera ammodytes (Linnaeus, 1758) (Reptilia: Viperidae) nella meridionale. Memorie dell’Accademia di Verona 35: 1–365. provincia di Trento. Prova finale in Zoocenosi e protezione della Di Nicola, M.R. (2019): A revised dichotomous key to the snakes Fauna, Anno Accademico 2008-2009. Corso di laurea triennale of Italy (Reptilia, Squamata, Serpentes), according to recent in Scienze Naturali, Facoltà di scienze Matematiche Fisiche e systematic updates. Zootaxa 4686: 294–296. Naturali, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna. Di Nicola, M.R., Cavigioli, L., Luiselli, L., Andreone, F. (2019): Sindaco, R., Venchi, A., Grieco, C. (2013): The Reptiles of the Anfibi & Rettili d’Italia. Edizioni Belvedere, Latina, “le scienze” Western Palearctic. 2. Annotated checklist and distributional 31: 568 pp. atlas of the snakes of Europe, North Africa, Middle East Dušej, G. (1989): Sexualdimorphismus bei der and Central Asia, with an Update to the Volume 1. Edizioni Gattung Coronella Laurenti, 1768 (Serpentes, Colubridae). Belvedere, 543 pp. Diplomarbeit Zoologisches Museum der Universität Zürich, 88 Vanni, S., Lanza, B. (1982): Note di erpetologia italiana: pp. Salamandra, Triturus, Rana, Phyllodactylus, Podarcis, Gredler, V.M. (1882): Herpetologische Beobachtungen aus Tirol - Coronella, Vipera. Natura, Milano 73(1/2): 3–22. Corresp.-Blatt d. zool. mineral. Vernies Regensburg 36: 22–30.

Accepted by Jiri Smid