Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 693-695 (2020) (published online on 25 August 2020)

Record of Davian behaviour (necrophilia) in Fowlea piscator (Schneider, 1799) (Serpentes: Natricidae) from Central India

Khan Ashaharraza1,*, Sameer Sheikh2, and Gernot Vogel3

Necrozoophilia, also known as Davian behaviour between two populations (Dutt, 1970), scavenging or thanatophilia, is a form of reproductive animal (Moktadir and Hasan, 2016), death feigning (Vogel and behaviour in which the male of a species attempts Kam, 2010), cobra imitating behaviour (Stumpel, 1981) copulation with a dead conspecific female. It has been and arboreality (Deshmukh et al, 2018). F. piscator is a reported in all major groups of tetrapods (Dickerman, sexually dimorphic species; males are smaller and with 1960; Lehner, 1988; Sinovas, 2009; Costa et al., 2010), longer tails than females (Vogel and David, 2012). The Anurans (Meshaka, 1996; Bettasoet al., 2008; Sinovas, dietary records include fishes, arthropods, amphibians 2009; Mollov et al., 2010; Brito et al., 2012; Izzo et and their eggs (Whitaker and Captain, 2004; Kalki, al. 2012; Bedoya et al., 2014) and Lizards (Sharred et 2020). al., 1995; How and Bull, 1998; Vitt, 2003; Fallahpour, On 2 November 2018, one of us (SS) observed a pair 2005; Brinker and Bucklin, 2006). Relative rarely, the of snakes copulating among a human dwelling area at phenomenon has also been recorded in snakes (Amaral, Washim (20.116666°N, 77.13333°E), Maharashtra, 1932; Siqueira et al., 2015). India. The snakes were identified as Checkered Fowlea piscator formerly known as Xenochrophis Keelback, Fowlea piscator according to Whitaker piscator is a widely distributed species in South Asia and Captain (2004), Vogel, and David (2012). In the (Wallach et al., 2014) and perhaps it is the most common present case, the female was twice as large as the male. snake in India (Whitaker and Captain, 2004). However, However, on a closer look; it was noticed that the the taxonomy is not yet completely resolved, and still female, to which the male had inserted its hemipenis, several cryptic species might be hidden under this was dead (Fig. 1). Rural people working around stated name (Vogel and David, 2012). Recently the species X. that the female was killed by villagers the day before, as piscator was shifted into the genus Fowlea Theobald, a threat barge into their property and was thrown into the 1868 (Purkayastha et al., 2018). Information on the habits backyard. SS collected both specimens in a cloth bag. of these snakes is in general hard to elucidate (Wall, After five hours, it was noted that the male itself parted 1907). However, this freshwater natricid shows certain from the female. Therefore, the female was discarded, interesting behaviours and phenomena like: caudal and the male was released in the nearest suitable habitat. autotomy (Ananjeva and Orlov, 1994), leuscistic forms, Another unpublished case of necrophilia was observed including melanism & albinism (Mahabal and Thakur, in the species Chrysopelea paradisi Boie, 1827 at Hua 2014; Ashaharraza et al. 2020), chromosomal variation Hin Safari, Thailand where two individuals were spotted pairing on the branch of tree. The female was larger and at least since a couple of hours dead, being scavenged by ants on fluids from ruptured eyes. However, the male was actively coiling, rubbing to the female and remained in same condition even after an hour (Mirfin, 1 Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation, North pers. comm. 2019). Orissa University, Baripada-757003, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, Snakes have paired scent glands at the base of the India. tail; each gland opens at the outer edge of the cloacal 2 Bring the life wild rescue organization, Kata Road, Nr. Govt. opening. These sac-like glands release copious amounts Milk Dairy, Washim-444505, Maharashtra, India. 3 Society for Southeast Asian Herpetology, Im Sand 3, D-69115 of semisolid, bad-smelling fluids. For some species, the Heidelberg, Germany. fluid may serve in defence, whereas in other situations, * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] they may function for sexual recognition (Vitt and 694 Khan Ashaharraza et al.

Figure 1. Male Fowlea piscator mounted with a dead female (upside down), Washim, Maharashtra, India.

Caldwell, 2014). In the case of Fowlea piscator these References glands are certainly active for defensive behaviour and Amaral, A. (1932): Contribuição à biologia dos ophidios do Brasil: may also be triggered by females, marking trails for IV. Sobre um caso de necrofiliaheterólogana jararaca (Bothrops males during breeding season. jararaca). Memórias do Instituto Butantan 7: 93–94. Mechanisms used by snakes for detecting pheromone Ananjeva, N.B., Orlov, N.L. (1994): Caudal autotomy in colubrid trails through the vomeronasal organ, especially for snake Xenochrophis piscator from Vietnam. Russian Journal of finding partners and recognizing potential mates during Herpetology 1(2): 169–171. Ashaharraza, K., Biakzuala, L., Lalremsangha, H.T. (2020): Record the breeding season, are crucial to understand the mating of leucistic Fowlea piscator (Serpentes: Natricidae) from behaviour and copulation of these animals (Parker and Mizoram, India. IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians 27(1): 42–43. Mason, 2011). Bedoya, S.C., Mantilla-Castaño, J.C., Pareja-Márquez I.M. (2014): It was reported that the active reproductive cycle of Necrophiliac and interspecific amplexus in Dendropsophus female snakes may promote necrophilia, as chemical columbianus (Anura: Hylidae) in the Central Cordillera of cues, trails and pheromones are still released after Colombia. Herpetology Notes 7: 515–516. Bettaso, J., Haggarty, A., Russell, E. (2008): Rana boylii (Foothill death, permitting courtship and copulation by young Yellow-legged Frog). Necrogamy. Herpetological Review 39: reproductive males (Siqueira et al., 2015). In fact, 462. Fowlea piscator is known to lay eggs between Brito, L.B.M., Joventino, I.R., Ribeiro, S.C., Gascon, P. (2012): December to March (Whitaker and Captain, 2004) and Necrophiliac behavior in the “cururu” toad, Rhinella jimi the present incident occurred during its breeding season, Steuvax, 2002, (Anura, Bufonidae) from Northeastern Brazil. thus supporting this hypothesis. North-Western Journal of Zoology 8: 365–366. Natural history studies on central Indian snakes are Costa, H.C., Silva, E.T., Campos, P.S., Oliveira, M.P.C., Nunes, A.V., Santos, P.S. (2010): The corpse bride: A case of Davian still scarce and required imperative documentation. behavior in the Green Ameiva (Ameiva ameiva) in southeastern The Davian behaviour in south Asian snakes was never Brazil. Herpetology Notes 3: 79–83. documented and is here reported for the first time from Deshmukh, R.V., Deshmukh S.A., Badhekar, S.A. (2018): India and from Thailand. Climbing behavior in a Checkered Keelback, Xenochrophis piscator (Schneider 1799), in central India. IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians 25(1): 46–47. Acknowledgements. We are thankful to Indraneil Das (Sarawak Dickerman, R.W. (1960): “Davian behaviour complex” in ground University, Malaysia) for his help to access literature and his squirrels. Journal of Mammalogy 41: 403. personal communication during manuscript construction, as well Fallahpour, K. (2005): Gambelia wislizenii. Necrophilia. as Peter Uetz (Virginia Commonwealth University, USA) and Herpetological Review 36: 177–178. V. Deepak (Natural History Museum, London) for additional How, T.L., Bull, C.M. (1998): Tiliqua rugosa (Sleepy Lizard). comments. We extend our gratitude to Karla Mirfin (Hua Hin Mating Behaviour and Necrophilia. Herpetological Review 29: Safari, Thailand) for sharing information on Chrysopelea paradisi, 240. and Abhijeet Dani and Madhao Vaidya for their excellent support Kalki, Y. (2020): Natural History Notes. Fowlea piscator (Checkered during field survey. Patrick David helped us reviewing the paper. Keelback): Diet. Herpetological Review 51(1): 143. Record of Davian behaviour in Fowlea piscator from Central India 695

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Accepted by Zeeshan Mirza