BULLETIN of the Chicago Herpetological Society Volume 53, Number 1 January 2018 BULLETIN OF THE CHICAGO HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY Volume 53, Number 1 January 2018 Axial Bifurcation and Duplication in Snakes. Part VI. A 10-year Update on Authentic Cases . Van Wallach 1 Flipping Pages: Appreciations of Herpetological Literature. Raymond L. Ditmars: His Exciting Career with Reptiles, Animals and Insects (1944) by L. N. Wood . John J. Cebula 21 Badgers? We Don’t Need No Stinking Badgers! . Roger A. Repp 22 Minutes of the CHS Board Meeting, December 16, 2017 . 27 Herpetology 2018......................................................... 28 Chicago Herpetological Society Income Statement: January 1 --- December 31, 2017, and Balance Sheet, December 31, 2017 . 31 Advertisements . 32 New CHS Members This Month . 32 Cover: ‘Brady & Belichick,’ a wild-caught Lampropeltis t. triangulum from Maine. Photographed in life by Joe Warfel. 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Cannon Drive, Chicago IL 60614. and are normally held at 7:30 P.M., the last Wednesday of each month. Copyright © 2018 Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 53(1):1-20, 2018 Axial Bifurcation and Duplication in Snakes. Part VI A 10-year Update on Authentic Cases Van Wallach 4 Potter Park Cambridge, MA 02138 [email protected] Abstract This paper updates and supplements an earlier review that summarized 950 cases of axial bifurcation in snakes. A total of 1,850 cases are now known, the majority of which were bred in captivity. The addition of 900 cases over the past decade can be attributed mainly to inbreeding depression among captive-bred snakes. A statistical breakdown of the cases is presented by family, geographical region, type of dichotomy, and U.S. states. Additionally, data are tabulated for known longevity records, for those snakes known to have reached 1 m in length, and for all sale prices of living dicephalics. X-rays are presented that illustrate five different types of axial bifurcation in snakes. Introduction the only states lacking a reported case are Rhode Island and North Dakota. Note that 419 records worldwide are unidentified Ten years ago I reviewed both authentic and anecdotal re- as to species, dichotomy type is unknown in 833 snakes, 20 ports of primarily two-headed snakes but also other cases of cases are from an unknown geographic region, and 187 records axial bifurcation and summarized data on 950 cases (Wallach, from the USA lack a state of origin. The type of record quality 2007). Since that time only a few publications have appeared on or reliability is noted for four categories in Tables 2–5 with the subject (Beane, 2009; Jandzik, 2009; Albuquerque et al., category I including specimens that are preserved in a private or 2010; Jovanoviæ, 2011; Kim et al., 2013; Pezdirc et al., 2013; public natural history collection, category II consisting of all Sant’Anna et al., 2013; Dieckmann et al., 2014; Gvozdenoviæ records with some physical evidence, usually photographic, and Èavor, 2015; Twombley, 2015; Caviglioli et al., 2016; category III containing all reliable reports such as newspapers Wallach, 2012; Wallach and Salmon, 2013). An additional 900 and scientific observations, and category IV including anecdotal cases have been discovered in the interim so it seems worth- reports from lay people. Table 6 provides longevity records for while to provide an updated synopsis on the 1,850 original snakes that lived at least two years in captivity and Table 7 lists reports. sale prices of living dicephalic snakes.Table 8 lists those snakes Smith and Pérez-Higareda (1987) proposed the following known to have achieved at least 1 m in length. Table 9 com- seven terms to categorize axial bifurcation in snakes: cranio- pares survival times for 450 cases of axial bifurcation. Sadly, dichotomy, prodichotomy, proarchodichotomy, urodichotomy, much of the data (such as longevity, size, origin, etc.) is incom- opisthodichotomy, amphidichotomy, and holodichotomy. A plete as often there have been no responses to my queries con- craniodichotomous specimen has two incompletely divided cerning these individuals, and the majority of owners do not heads, a single atlas* and axis*, and a single body and tail. A publicize their unusual specimens. Table 10 summarizes yearly prodichotomous snake has two complete heads, each with an growth data for a Lampropeltis triangulum (‘Brady & Belichick’) atlas and axis, either a single or two short necks, and a single while Table 11 summarizes growth data by molting cycle. body and tail. A proarchodichotomous specimen has two heads, It is not unexpected that living snakes with axial bifurcation two long necks, and a single body and tail. A urodichotomous have some neurological problems. Nearly all neonates crawl snake has one head and body but two tails. An opisthodichoto- with an erratic and jerky motion as both heads vie for command mous specimen has one head, two bodies and two tails. An of the same body. Over time, if the snake survives, one head amphidichotomous snake has two heads, a single body, and two normally takes charge and controls locomotion and the serpent tails. Holodichotomy refers to a pair of twins from a single egg, can crawl more naturally. When one head controls most functions, usually healthy and normal but reduced in size in comparison such as movement, feeding and drinking, it is referred to as the with their siblings. dominant head and the snake as either left- or right-headed. A Table 1 lists all identified species with some form of axial dominant head can swallow a prey item quicker than the oppo- bifurcation, comprising 111 genera, 213 species, and 254 spe- site head. A dominant head does not always develop; occasion- cies and subspecies. Table 2 illustrates the taxonomic composi- ally the heads will continue to fight over the life of the snake. tion of cases, Table 3 illustrates the distribution of cases by type A most peculiar attribute was seen in ‘Brady & Belichick’ of dichotomy, Table 4 breaks down cases by geographical during its first year, as it was able to reverse direction instantly region, and Table 5 shows the distribution of cases by continen- and crawl backwards (unfortunately this was never recorded on tal state. Besides Alaska and Hawaii, which lack native serpents, video; Wallach, 2012a). The ability to crawl backwards was also * In anatomy, the atlas is the first vertebra of the spine, so named because in a human being it supports the globe of the head. The axis is the second vertebra. The atlas and axis are specialized to allow a greater range of motion than normal vertebrae. 1 Table 1. List of documented species and subspecies exhibiting axial bifurcation, arranged in phylogenetic order by family and subfamily. Leptotyphlopidae (1): Tricheilostoma bicolor Pythonidae (19): Antaresia childreni, A. maculosa, A. stimpsoni, Aspidites melanocephalus, A. ramsayi, Liasis olivaceus, Malayopython reticulatus, Morelia amethistina, M. bredli, M. s. spilota, M. s. cheynei, M. s. mcdowelli, M. s. metcalfei, M. s. variegata, M. viridis, Python bivittatus, P. molurus, P. regius, P. sebae Boidae (16): Acrantophis dumerili, Boa constrictor constrictor, B. c. amarali, B. c. occidentalis, B. imperator, Corallus hortulanus, Epicrates angulifer, E. assisi, E. cenchria, E. maurus, E. striatus, Eunectes murinus, E. notaeus, Gongylophis conicus, Lichanura t. trivirgata, L. t. roseofusca Tropidophiidae (1): Tropidophis melanurus Viperidae: Viperinae (9): Bitis arietans, B. atropos, B. gabonica, Daboia russelii, Montivipera xanthina, Pelias berus, Vipera ammodytes, V. aspis, V. a. francisciredi, V. ursinii rakosiensis Viperidae: Crotalinae