__All_Short_Notes_ShOrT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.2016 10:24 Seite 15

ShOrT NOTE hErPETOZOA 28 (3/4) Wien, 30. jänner 2016 ShOrT NOTE 181

Oligodon kheriensis AChArji

& r Ay , 1936, in india and , s l m i k a

t l 1

with notes on distribution, e r l l l

a i i i t e

d l l u

i i d o o o u z a l

d s s s y o o o ecology and conservation o

i t e d d d g s s s i i b d e e e

v l e e e

f n e i a

h h h i y y a b b b

c y t t t t l l d , r r r p c

l n b a b b n u u u

o o n n n i a a v t t t l b b i i i r

t g

n s s s t The Coral-red Kukri , Oligodon a e e c s i i i f f f n

s o a c l l l p p i r d d d c

d n m x e e e i

g

kheriensis AChArji & r Ay , 1936, is one of e f n n s s s e , u r n n n t g

t t t

e e e i c e i i i e e e s e e l t

r p p d l e h h h i

the rarest snake species worldwide. There h a a

i d d d o o t v

e

e e e C h r w m l W W W i i i . n n

i a r r are about 70 species belonging to the central r e m f a W f h h i u u u O O o

o t r

d b b b w

rEEN AviD l

Asian Oligodon (G 2010; D f e n u i g

d

et al. 2011). Among these, O. kheriensis is d d A E n a

known from only nine specimens. The type

2 0 l

)

4

a 1 1 7

y 2 2 1 2

was reported from a forest camp near Kheri p 0 0 0 a 3 1 1 e 0 1 2 2 0 d 1

0 0 2 0

, , ) ) ) ) ) ) ) N 2

Division, Lakhimpur-Kheri district, State of

0 2 2

e

, 2 6 9 0 7 7 8 4 0 0

, e

2

, , n h 3 t , 2

4 1 1 2 1 3 0 y r — i t

: : : : : : : 9 ChArji Ay 9 a r

Uttar Pradesh, india ( A & r 1936),

3 h e r , y 2 1 1 0 3 2 9 a 1 1 c g 2 e b r D

— 6

r 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 u n b a e e ( ( ( ( ( ( (

the second specimen from Siddhanath 3 r a y i m o l u r n n 9 b e t r u u u u M e 1 c c b Science Campus, Mahendranagar in western j

j j d e F , e ( O y D Nepal ( SChLEiCh & K äSTLE 2002), and the F A r third from Pithuwa village, Chitwan district, &

south-central Nepal ( PANDEy 2012). indi - i j r

viduals number four and five (from Sirshtala A ) ) ) ) ) ) h ) ) 0 7 7 5 4 9

C 6 6 4

, in 2010 and 2012), six (from Dhapgunj in

2 2 9 1 2 , , , , , , , 8 8 1 A s 1 1 1 4 1 N ( ( ( N N N N N N N e ( ( ( ( (

° s t ,

,

, 2012) and seven (from Mohit nagar in 2013) ° ° ° ° ° ° ° i , , , , , 6 a s 4 3 3 5 8 0 9 E E E 5 E E E E E n ° ° ° n 2 8 8 3 4 8 6 i ° ° ° ° ° were reported from the district of jalpaiguri — 7 e 9 4 6 9 3 3 1 0 3 7 d 0 0 9 1 1 i 7 5 0 5 r 2 1 1 4 3 7 8 r 3 3 6 0 5 — 8 0 9 NAKE 7 in the indian state of West Bengal ( S o e 5 7 7 5 7 5 6 1 1 9 0 4 ...... 6 . 7 1 2 o h . 3 3 9 9 7 6 6 6 6 7 7 6 6 7 7 k 6 C . 4 4 . 4 5 OvErS iN NDiA 6

L i 2013), eight from Kater - 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 . . . . 6 . 2 ) 8 8 . n 8 8 4 4 7 y 8 8 7 o 8 8 8 8 8

niaghat Wildife Sactuary, Uttar Pradesh, a 8 d d o NAKE OvErS iN e india (Anonymous 2012; S L g i h l t

iNDiA 2013 ), and nine from an area near O f

,

o ,

e

Kachugaon reserve Forest, Kokrajhar, As - k e k k a a a m i m sam, india (S UTrA DhAr & N ATh 2013) . n m t e a a S ( a g

a a a e r 6 6 a i D r r a r D however, this snake’s threat status, biology e a

r r l

0 0 a a r a f y l

a f g k

a ) t i . . P P o r

a p i o ] u

ChLEiCh and ecology are al most unknown ( S v o o i l

. a o

n e e l r y a n n t K y . h t a h

g g a i

t c i s i äSTLE a

& K 2002). in the present note, the h e e k . l d d b h d l o r l l i j r r a a a e l l t o a u

r a L a a r p o o k p a

authors refer to nine new observational re- - i u i r M l a m w w c a S C C c [ a i S

i S r

cords of this taxon with photo evidence that n e n o u d u C u

extend the known distribution range, and t M M i e t r l

add some ecological information noticed in a r a a a a A

i i i i ( e d d d d

the natural habitats in the lowlands of south - y h r n n n n t l l l t i i i i

a a a ] n l l r , , , eastern Nepal and West Ben gal, india. This , . p p p l l l l l a a u o . e e e a a a a f p p o s

g g g g . e information may be useful for a more in- e s N N N C a

n n n n

e

N N , i e e e e

C C C t

depth scientific study to better understand e i m t B B B B E E S S S l [

a

a , , , S S t )

the natural history of O. kheriensis and for - c n n n , , W W W W S e

o a a a a a , , , , , d l i i i i t

p mulate strategies of its conservation. its p u w w w r r r r c a a t t t t d i u u u u i i i i r h h r t g g g g h h h t l o j rareness is the prime reason why O. khe - j i i i i s c C C C a a a a i A e ( p p p p

riensis was never formally assessed against r D l l l l

a a a a w j j j iUCN criteria for risk of ex tinction. j e N

The new individuals of O. kheriensis

: . 1 o were recorded at: i) Damak - ward no. 06, e N l

l jhapa (Nep al); ii) Sauraha, Chitwan (Nepal); b a a u iii) Saktikhor area, Chitwan (Nepal); and iv) T d i v

jalpaiguri, West Bengal (india). Their geo - i d

n 9 8 7 6 3 4 5 2 graphic distribution is described based on i 1 __All_Short_Notes_ShOrT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.2016 10:24 Seite 16

182 ShOrT NOTE hErPETOZOA 28 (3/4) Wien, 30. jänner 2016 ShOrT NOTE

Fig. 1: Map showing the currently known distribution of Oligodon kheriensis AChArji & r Ay , 1936, in india and Nepal. Blue circle – type locality; yellow stars – literature data; red triangles – new records; dashed area – known distribution.

photographic records and published locality (Table 1, Figs. 1 and 2). These localities lie information; precise record localities were approximately 106 km east of Damak, east - geo-referenced, general habits, habitat types ern Nepal. The records suggest a wider dis - in habited and circumstantial information tribution range for O. kheriensis than earlier documented. Due to the opportunistic data reported and fill in large gaps between collection, morphometric measurements known localities. Damak and jalpaiguri were not made. Previously published locali - localities are situated approximately 700 km ty information was included in the descrip - and 800 km east of the type locality in india tion of the known range, now extending (AChArji & r Ay 1936) and approximately across the Terai lowland regions of Nepal 330 km and 430 km east of the record’s and india. Extent of occurrence (EOO) and location at the village of Phithuwa, Chitwan area of occupancy (AOO) were calculated district, south-central Nepal ( PANDEy 2012). from the updated distribution information. All individuals were recorded in low - Con sidering the 2001 iUCN red List land areas along the foothills of the southern Categories and Criteria (version 3.1.), these himalayas from 54 m ( SUTrADhAr & N ATh results along with ecological data were used 2013) to 414 m a.s.l. Damak and Shakti - to define the threat of extinction category khor individuals were found under the soil for O. kheriensis . All geographic distribu - surface when exposed by an excavator. The tion information was entered on a 2 km x 2 location is surrounded by crop fields on km grid map using the software packages alluvial wet soil traversed by a water canal. ESri ArcGiS Desktop 10. Bamboos grow along the water canal. The This note reports nine individuals of Shaktikhor individual was rescued by a O. kheriensis from four new localities local from premises of the erstwhile third __All_Short_Notes_ShOrT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.2016 10:24 Seite 17

ShOrT NOTE hErPETOZOA 28 (3/4) Wien, 30. jänner 2016 ShOrT NOTE 183

Fig. 2: Oligodon kheriensis AChArji & r Ay , 1936, observed during the authors’ research. Top left – Damak specimen; top right – rajbaripara specimen; bottom left and right – two of the Chitwan specimens.

division of the Maoist army based in KäSTLE (2002) did not provide any informa - Shaktikhor, Chitwan (now the headquarters tion on the time of the day when individuals of the Nepal Army General Directorate) were found but PANDEy (2012) recorded it while excavating to settle that camp. The from Chitwan valley at mid-afternoon land was not agrarian. The jalpaiguri spec - (15:56 h) during April at an open cultivated imens were observed in rocky soil in a plain land. The individual from Katarniaghat open area. During the observations, all indi - Wildlife Sanctuary was observed at late viduals tried to dig themselves into the soil night (Anonymous 2012). The most recent for escape. it is obvious that the fossorial observations were made in the early morn - nature of this cryptic species along with lack ing hours (9:00 h; first Damak specimen in of systematic survey, can explain the very February), at mid-day (12:30 h - second low number of recorded individuals. Damak specimen in March; 13:14 h - AChArji & r Ay (1936) and SChLEiCh & Sauraha specimen in October) and at dark __All_Short_Notes_ShOrT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.2016 10:24 Seite 18

184 ShOrT NOTE hErPETOZOA 28 (3/4) Wien, 30. jänner 2016 ShOrT NOTE

hours of the day (20:28 h; 21:17 h; 22:30 h; blogspot.de/2013/08/rare-indian-snake-species-coral- all jalpaiguri specimens in December, june red.html > [last accessed 19 july, 2014]. SUTrADhAr , S. & N ATh , A. (2013): An account on poorly known and july) which indicates that this species Corral red Snake Oligodon kheriensis AChArji et rAy , can be active both by day and night. 1936 from Assam, india.- russian journal of According to the authors’ data, O. khe - herpetology, Moskva; 20: 247-252. riensis is a globally endangered, EN B2ab KEy WOrDS: reptilia: : Colubri- (iii, iv) species based on iUCN Categories dae; Oligodon kheriensis ; ecology, conservation, and Criteria (version 3.1.). This is caused threat, rare species; Nepal, india by the small size of the known extent of SUBMiTTED: August 27, 2014 occurrence of just 48.000 km 2 and area of AUThOrS: Deb Prasad PANDEy 1) ; Bishnu 2 LAMA 2) ; Dipendra DhUNGEL 3) ; Aniket MODAK 4) & occupancy of just 28 km . At present, the Dušan jELić (Correspond ing author < jelic.dusan@ population must be considered small and gmail.com > ) 5) severely fragmented as in total only 18 indi - 1) Department of Biological Sciences, johann viduals were ever observed. Due to habitat Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, degradation (urbanization and agriculture) Germany, Biodiversity and Climate research Centre and intentional killing ( PANDEy et al., un- (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, < [email protected] >. published), it can be inferred that there is a 2) Biodiversity Conservation Centre, Sauraha continuous population decline in terms of 44204, Chitwan, Nepal. area of occurrence, quality of habitat and 3) Dabgachhi, Dhukurpani, Damak 57217, Ward number of subpopulations. The wide range no. 06, jhapa, Nepal. 4) c/o Late Pabitra Modak (Paltu), raikatpara of known distribution localities and occa - (near Umagati School), P.O. & Dist., jalpaiguri Arohan, sional reports along the southern himalayas West Bengal, india. suggest a wide distribution of O. kheriensis . 5) Croatian institute for Biodiversity, Croatian however, further, elaborate studies will be herpetological Society hyla, Lipovac i., br. 7, Zagreb, necessary to verify this snake’s detailed dis - Croatia. tributional status, ecology, habits and habi - tat. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The authors are EUSS thankful to L. N. Dhungel and K. Bhattarai from jhapa, Rhagerhis moilensis (r , 1834), and M. K. Shreshta, B. r. Lamichhane and K. Pokharel as prey of Psammophis schokari from Chitwan who provided snake specimens and OrSKåL locality information. (F , 1775) rEFErENCES: AChArji , M. N. & r Ay , h. C. (1936): A new species of Oligodon from the United Psammophiinae are widely distributed Provinces (india).- records of the indian Museum, SW Palearctic ophidians, and due to their Calcutta; 38 : 519-520. Anonymous (2012): rare diurnal activity, commonly observed during indian snake species discovered at Katarniaghat sanc - tuary.- The indian Express, Noida, UP; july 16, 2012. surveys ( BONS & G ENiEZ 1996). Neverthe- DAS , A. & B ASU , D. & C ONvErSE , L. & C hOUDhUry , S. less, most species are little known in terms C. (2012): herpetofauna of Katerniaghat Wildlife of ecolo gy and behavior in the wild. Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, india.- journal of Threatened Whereas, Psammophis schokari (F OrSKåL , Taxa, Coimbatore; 4 : 2553-2568. DAviD , P. & D AS , i. & v OGEL , G . (2011): On some taxonomic and nomen - 1775) is one of the most common snake clatural problems in indian species of the genus species encountered in the Maghreb and in Oligodon FiTZiNGEr , 1826 (Squamata: ).- the Sahara, its ophiophagous behavior is not Zootaxa, Auckland; 2799 : 1-14. GrEEN , M. (2010): documented ( COTTONE & B AUEr 200 9). Molecular phylogeny of the snake Genus Oligodon (Serpentes: Colubridae), with an annotated checklist Rhagerhis moilensis (r EUSS , 1834) is also a and key. M. Sc. thesis, University of Toronto, pp. 91. common snake in the western Old World PANDEy , D. P. (2012): in the vicinity of Chitwan desert ecosystems, a typical species that National Park, Nepal.- herpetological Conservation marks the limits between Saharan and and Biology, Online resource, available at < http:// rAPE ANé www.herpconbio.org/ >; 7: 46-57. SChLEiCh , h. h. & Sahelian habitats ( T & M 2006). KäSTLE , W. (2002): Oligodon kheriensis AChArji and its exact distribution in the margins of the rAy , 1936; pp. 901-902. in: SChLEiCh , h. h. & Sahara remains poorly known and maps are KäSTLE , W . (Eds.): Amphibians and of Nepal: not accurate or up-to-date ( BONS & G ENiEZ biology, systematics, field guide. ruggell. (A.r.G. Gantner verlag KG). SNAKE LOvErS iN iNDiA (2013): 1996) due to difficult access to some areas. rare indian snake species: Coral red Kukri Snake. This is the first description of predation of P. WWW document available at < http://snakeloversindia. schokari upon R. moilensis .