Research Paper Occurrence of Common Trinket Snake Coeloganthus Helena Helena

Research paper

Occurrence of common trinket snake Coeloganthus helena helena (Daudin, 1803) (Colubridae: Colubrinae) in residential area, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Akhlaq Husain1, Ashwani Kumar Dubey2 and Gurprit Singh1 1Zoological Survey of India, 41, Hari Vihar, Vijay Park, Chakrata Road, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India 2Department of Zoology, Shri Krishna University, Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, India 1Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Corresponding author Email: [email protected]

Received: 21/11/2019 Revised: 28/11/2019 Accepted: 25/12/2019

Abstract: The present communication Bahuguna, 2010, 2014; Dhalve, 2013). deals with the occurrence of Common Recently, the authors (AH; GS) came Trinket Snake Coelognathus helena helena across a snake each at Ballupur area, (Daudin, 1803) belonging to family Chakrata Road and another at Sirmour Colubridae in Sirmor residential area of Marg residential area (Rajender Nagar- western Dehra Dun city and its systematic Krishna Nagar) in western part of Dehra account, distribution, habitat, food & Dun city which on study were found to feeding, breeding, behaviour and belong to Coelognathus helena Helena conservation status. It is beautifully (Daudin, 1803), the Common Trinket coloured non-venomous constrictor snake, Snake, belonging to family Colubridae. It brownish with black cross bars lodged is a beautifully coloured non-venomous with white ocelli on anterior part, two constrictor snake and was not recorded longitudinal blackish stripes on sides of earlier from these areas in Dehra Dun city posterior part, two parallel black stripes on and hence this find, being the first record neck, a black streak each below and behind from these areas, is interesting. eye and whitish below. Its systematic account, distribution, habitat, food & feeding, breeding, Keywords: Common Trinket snake in behaviour, conservation status, etymology Dehra Dun city. and other subspecies has been provided here for the benefit of the workers in this INTRODUCTION field and general awareness. The general reptilian fauna of Dehra Dun and around, has attracted the attention of DEHRADUN CITY various workers during the past Dehra Dun city (Lat. 30o31’65” N, Long. (Bhatnagar, 1972; Husain & Ray, 1995; 78o03’22”E) is located in Doon Valley on Husain & Tilak, 1995; Husain, 2003; Himalayan foothills, nestled between

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International Journal of Global Science Research ISSN: 2348-8344 (Online) Vol. 7, Issue. 1, April 2020, pp. 1104-1108 DOI: 10.26540/ijgsr.v7.i1.2020.142 Available Online at www.ijgsr.com © Copyright 2014 | ijgsr.com | All Rights Reserved rivers Ganga on the east, Yamuna on west the World: A Catalogue of Living and and Siwaliks on south. The city of Dehra Extinct Species: 172. Dun is famous for its greenery, picturesque Coelognathus helenae, Burbrink & landscape and slightly milder climate with Lawson, 2007. Molecular Phylogenetics good rainfall. It also harbours good wild and Evolution, 43 (1): 173-189. animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, Coelognathus helenus, Janzen et al., 2007. amphibians, spiders, butterflies, moths, Draco, 7 (30): 56-64. dragonflies etc.) in some pockets, besides Coelognathus helena helena, Thakur, rich floral cover. 2011. Reptile Rep (11): 2-4; Ganesh et al., 2018 . Asian Journal of Conservation COELOGANTHUS HELENA HELENA Biology, 7 (1): 28-45. (DAUDIN, 1803) Coelognathus helena helenum, Bhattarai et Common Trinket Snake al., 2018 (in error) Coluber helena Daudin, 1803. Hist. Nat. Local Names: Alankrat Samp (Hindi), Rept., 6: 227 (type-locality: Vizagapatam= Taskar (Marathi). Vishakapatanam, Andhra Pradesh, SE Classification: Class: Reptilia Laurenti, India); Boulenger, 1894. Catalogue of 1768, Order: Squamata Oppel, 1811, Snakes in the British Museum (Natural Suborder: Serpentes Linnaeus, 1758, History), 2: 36; Wall, 1921. Ophidia Family: Colubridae Oppel, 1811, Taprobanica of the snakes of Ceylon: 197. Subfamily: Colubrinae Oppel, 1811, Herpetodryas helena, Schlegel, 1837. Genus: Coelognathus Fitzinger, 1843. Essai sur la physionomie des serpens, Sightings: Part-1: 192. M. H. Schonekat, Libraire- 1 example, Ballupur area, Chakrata Road, Editeur, Amsterdem. Dehra Dun, 10.10.2018, by Dr. Akhlaq Cyanophis bistrigatus Gray, 1849. Ann. Husain (1st author). Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) 4: 246. 1 example, a residence on Sirmour Marg Herpetodryas malabaricus Jerdon, 1854: (Rajender Nagar-Kishan Nagar area), 530 (vide Boulenger, 1894. Catalogue of Kaulagarh road, Dehra Dun, 14.10.2018, snakes in the British Museum (Natural by Gurprit Singh (3rd author). History), Vol. 2: 382 pp) (nec Cyanophis Diagnostic Features: Narrow-headed and malabaricus Beddome, 1862). slender-bodied snake. Plagiodon helena, Dumeril & Bibron, Colouration: Adults dark brownish 1854. (juveniles paler) above with blackish cross Cyanophis helena, Gunther, 1858. : 95; bars lodged with 4-6 white ocelli and two 1859. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) 3: 231; longitudinal black stripes that continue Anderson, 1871. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, onto tail; two black stripes on neck; a 1871: 174. black vertical streak below eye and an Elephe helena, Smith, 1943. Faun. Brit. oblique one behind; belly pearl white or India, Reptilia and Amphibia, 3 yellowish, with or without a few small (Serpentes): 149; Das, 1996: 56; Schulz, black spots and sometimes with more or 1996. Bushmaster, Berg (CH):1-460. less distinct festooned or string-like Elaphe helena, Smith, 1943.Faun. Brit. markings on sides. India, 3: 149; Adadhani, 2005. Snakes of Scalation: Scales glossy/smooth; scales on India. Reptilia (GB) (41): 32-37. posterior part of body and tail, sometimes Coelognathus helena, Helfenberger, 2001. keeled. Russ. J. Herpetol. (Suppl): 1-56; Utiger et Dorsals 23-27 (rarely 29) rows at mid- al., 2002. Russ. J. Herpetol. (Suppl): 9 (2): body (smooth, feebly keeled on posterior 105-124; Wallach et al., 2014. Snakes of part of the body and on tail), ventrals

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International Journal of Global Science Research ISSN: 2348-8344 (Online) Vol. 7, Issue. 1, April 2020, pp. 1104-1108 DOI: 10.26540/ijgsr.v7.i1.2020.142 Available Online at www.ijgsr.com © Copyright 2014 | ijgsr.com | All Rights Reserved broad, 210-265, angulate laterally; anal Habitat: Forest areas, trees, bushes, wood entire (rarely divided); sub-caudals 73-100 piles, termite mounds, rock, crevices and paired; rostral little broader than long; around human habitation. suture between the inter-nasals is much Food & Feeding: Adults mainly feed on shorter than that between the pre-frontals; small rodents (rats, mice, squirrels) but frontal is as long as its distance from the also on other reptiles (lizards, snakes) and end of the snout, but shorter than the amphibians (frogs and toads); juveniles parietals; loreal somewhat longer; supra- subsist on insects and small lizards. labials 8-9, rarely 10-11 (5-6, 6-7 or rarely Breeding: Breeds mostly during summer 4-5, 4-6 or 5-7 touching eye; last supra- months when female lays 6-8 (Husain & labial below eye touching temporal); 5 or 6 Tilak, 1995) or 6-12 (Whitaker & Captain, lower labials in contact with anterior chin 2008) elongated eggs. shields, anterior chin shields as long as or Behaviour: Non-venomous, diurnal and little longer than posterior chin shields; nocturnal both. If molested, it coils, opens preocular 1 large; postoculars 2 (rarely 1); mouth and strikes repeatedly. Its bites may temporals 2+2 or 2+3 (rarely 2+4). be injurious due to inwardly pointed teeth. Length: 1.6 m, males shorter than females The males are generally more aggressive (Husain & Tilak, 1995); 70 cm -1.68 m than the females. (Whitaker & Captain, 2008); 1.68 cm Conservation Status: Indian Wildlife (Bahuguna, 2010); 1.4 m with 25 cm tail (Protection) Act, 1972- Schedule III. (Boulenger, 1890). Etymology: The specific name ‘helena’ is Altitudinal Range: Altitude range 500- considered after Helen of Troy, said to be 2000 m (Husain & Tilak, 1995); 900 m the most beautiful woman in the world (Reptile Database). (Beolens et al., 2011). Distribution: Remarks: Other subspecies Coelognathus Dehra Dun: Ballupur area, Chakrata Road helena monticollaris (Schulz, 1992) (type- and Sirmour Marg (Rajender Nagar- locality: Mountain areas between 600- Krishna Nagar area), Kaulagarh Road, 1950 m, Mangalore, Karnataka, SW Western Dehra Dun City (present new India), elsewhere from Goa, Gujarat, records). Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu and Elsewhere in Dehra Dun District: Dehra C. h. nigriangularis Mohapatra et al., 2016 Dun (locality not mentioned, Husain & (type-locality: A limestone cave near Ray, 1995); Sabhawala village in Gupteswar Temple, Koraput district, Vikasnagar Block- 26 km west of Dehra Odisha, India), elsewhere from Andhra Dun (Bahuguna, 2010); Forest Research Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh Institute Campus, 8.4 km from ISBT, and Maharashtra). Dehra Dun (Dhalve, 2013). Rest of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Pauri and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Tehri districts in Garhwal Division and Authors feel thankful to their respective Almora and Nainital districts in Kumaon organisational authorities for Devision; Rajaji Tiger Reserve; Corbett encouragement. Tiger Reserve. Rest of India: Himachal Pradesh, Jammu REFERENCES & Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland and Bahuguna A. (2010) Reptilia. In: Fauna of Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand. State Fauna Series, 18 (Part- Elsewhere: Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri 1), 445-503. Zoological Survey of India Lanka. Publication.

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Bahuguna A. (2014) Reptilia. In: Fauna of Dhavale O. (2013) Herpetofauna Inventory Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve. of the Forest Research Institute, New Conservation Area Series, 50, 77-81 (65- forest, Dehradun Uttarakhand, India. 83). ZSI Publication. Indian Forester, 139 (10), 956-958, figs. Beolens B., Watkins M. and Grayson M., A-F. (2011) The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Husain A. (2003) Reptilia. In: Fauna of Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Asan Wetland. Wetland Ecosystem Series, Press, Baltimore: 120 (Elaphe helena) (xiii 5, 29-30. ZSI Publication. + 296 pp). Husain A. and Ray, P. (1995) Reptilia. In: Bhatnagar R. K. (1972) Reptile fauna of Fauna of Western Himalaya, Part 1, Uttar Dehra Dun district (Uttar Pradesh). Pradesh. Himalayan Ecosystem Series: Cheetal, 15 (4), 15-23. 164 (159-167). ZSI Publication. Boulenger G. A. (1890) The Fauna of Husain A. and Tilak, R. (1995) Snakes British India, Including Ceylon and (Reptilia: Serpentes). In: Fauna of Rajaji Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia: 331-332 National Park. Fauna of Conservation (Coluber helena), xviii + 541 pp. Taylor Areas, 5, 98-99 (91-113). ZSI Publication. and Francis, London. Whitaker R. and Captain A. (2008) Snakes Chopra R. N. (1995) Lizards (Reptilia: of India: The Field Guide: 204, 4 figs. Sauria). In: Fauna of Rajaji National Park. Draco Books. Fauna of Conservation Areas, 5, 87-90. ZSI Publication.

Figure 1. Coelognathus helena helena (Daudin, 1803), the Common Trinket Snake (anterior region).

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Figure 2. Coelognathus helena helena (Daudin, 1803), the Common Trinket Snake (in natural habitat).

Figure 3. Coelognathus helena helena (Daudin, 1803), the Common Trinket Snake (in natural habitat).

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