Reptile Rap Newsletter of the South Asian Reptile Network No.16 | March 2014 ISSN 2230-7079 Date of publication: 27 March 2014 www.zoosprint.org/Newsletters/ReptileRap.htm OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD REPTILE RAP #16, March 2014 Contents A case of total albinism in Common Kukri Snake Oligodon arnensis (Colubridae) with an unusual colour pattern Manoj Jadhav, Anil Mahabal, Vivek Desai & Jatin Shrivastav, 3-5pp Reptiles of Ousteri Riparian Areas, Puducherry, India R. Alexandar & J. Jayakumar, 6-14pp Reptile Diversity of Taranga Hill-Forest, North Gujarat, India C. D. Patel, D. I. Bhavsar & M. I. Patel, 15-23pp Record of East Indian Leopard Gecko Eublepharis hardwickii Gray, 1827 (Squamata: Sauria: Eublepharidae) from Hazaribag, Jharkhand, India Satya Prakash, M. Raziuddin & A. K. Mishra, 24-26pp Cases of unusual colour morph in Russell’s Viper Daboia russelii (Shaw & Nodder, 1797) from Gujarat, India Harchil Patel & Shantilal K. Tank, 27-30pp Cases of Albinism in snakes from Maharashtra, India Ram Bhutkar & Anil Mahabal, 31-35pp Occurence and Observation on Morphological Colour Pattern Changes of Ramphotyphlops braminus (Daudin, 1803) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India V. Rangasamy, C. Sivaperuman & C. Raghunathan, 36-38pp Report of Kerala Mud Snake Dieurostus dussumierii from a beach in Kochi, Kerala Doki Adimallaiah, 39-40pp 2 REPTILE RAP #16, March 2014 A case of total albinism in Common Kukri Snake Oligodon arnensis (Colubridae) with an unusual colour pattern Manoj Jadhav1, Anil Mahabal2, Vivek Desai3 & Jatin Shrivastav4 1,2 Zoological Survey of India, WRC, Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra 411044, India. 3G. No. 29, Plot No. 51, Near Hanuman Temple, Jalgoan, Maharashtra 425001, India. 4 Plot No. 68, Jeevan Nagar, Jalgoan, Maharashtra 425001, India. [email protected] (corresponding author), [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Albinism occurs in all the vertebrate groups general, the cases of total (complete, true or including reptiles. Albinism (Latin ‘albus’ pure) albinism are very rare in nature. meaning white) is a form of hypopigmentary congenital disorder, characterized by lack of On 6 June 2011 around 10.30hr an melanin pigment and an animal with such a unusually coloured snake was rescued by condition could have either pure or partial two authors (VD and JS) from a residential albinism (Cyril 2009). Further, it is due to area of Muktainagar Colony, Muktainagar a genetically inherited condition in which a (21°14’.47”N & 75°32’.89”E), Jalgoan District, recessive gene affects enzymes involved in Maharashtra. It was a sub-adult Common the metabolism of various chromatophore Kukri Snake, Oligodon arnensis (Shaw, 1802) pigments. Spadola & Insacco (2010) have (Colubridae) with total body length of 32.0 indicated that albinism is due to blockade of cm. It was photographed and released in a metabolic pathways of melanophores leading to nearby locality but away from the residential melanin synthesis. If such metabolic alteration area. Dorsally, the snake was light golden- impacts skin and eye melanophores it results in yellow in colour with 29 light brown bands complete albinism and if it impacts only skin or or bars which become more and more pale eye melanophores then it leads to incomplete from anterior to posterior part of body near or partial albinism. Partial albinism consists tail. The bands tapered laterally and clearly of presence of achromatic areas on various broader on the upper side. The head showed parts of the body. Sazima & Pombal (1986) three brownish coloured typical arrow shaped have stated that true albinos are recognized markings. Ventrally the belly was whitish to by their pinkish-yellowish body colour and light cream in colour without any spots or reddish eyes in life. Besides this there are markings. The eyes were pinkish-red in colour other pigment abnormalities causing various (Images 1 & 2). Generally, the normal (non- colour morphs and patterns in animals. In albinistic) specimens have regular olive grey Image 1. Lateral view of head showing pinkish-red eye REPTILE RAP #16, March 2014 Image 2. Dorsal view showing arrow marks on head and 29 bars on body coloured body with 22-45 black or very dark horizontal bands but only changed from black brown bands or bars between neck and tail. into brown to pale brownish colour indicate Head with three conspicuous black arrow that this Common Kukri Snake Oligodon shaped marks, often narrowly bordered with arnensis could be a case of total albinism with white or yellow. Ventrally the belly is glossy an unusual colour pattern. white to ivory in colour with or without black spots. Eyes are black in colour with rounded Similarly, Vyas (2012) has reported a case pupil (Sharma 2003; Whitaker & Captain of albinistic Common Kukri Snake Oligodon 2004). arnensis (Shaw, 1802) from Gujarat State. The entire body of the snake was golden-yellow Hence, because of the light golden-yellow in colour dorsally with 35 light lavender blue colour body with pinkish-red eyes and the usual bands, light pinkish-lavender chevron marks presence of arrow-shaped head markings and on the head. The belly was yellow-cream in 4 REPTILE RAP #16, March 2014 colour without any markings and the eyes References were pinkish-red in colour. He described the above case as an example of partial albinism as Basu, D. & S. Srivastava (2003). A case of albinism in Kachuga tentoria circumdara (Testudines: the functional melanophores were absent but Bataguridae). Hamadryad 27(2): 254. xanthophores were evidently still functioning Cyril, R.K. (2009). Record of albino Indian Flapshell in the pigmentary system. Turtle (Lissemys punctata) from Adyar Wetland, South India. Cobra(2): 10-11. Hoshing, V., S. Thakur & A. Mahabal. (2013). Cases A perusal of literature revealed that of total albinism in Green Keelback Macropisthodon there are a number of instances of complete, plumbicolor and Common Wolf Snake Lycodon aulicus incomplete and partial albinism in Indian (Colubridae). Reptile Rap, 15: 46-47. Jadhav, M. & A. Mahabal. (2012): Sighting of albino reptiles in general and snakes in particular Common Sand Boa Gongylophis conicus from Northern (Lahiri 1955; Whitaker 1971; Basu & Srivastava Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Journal of Bombay 2003; Cyril 2009; Vyas 2012, 2013; Vyas et Natural History Society 109(3): 205. Lahiri, R.K. (1955). A ‘White’ Python. Journal of Bombay al. 2012; Sayyed 2012; Hoshing et al. 2013; Natural History Society 53 (1): 135-136. Jadhav & Mahabal (in press)). Sayyed, A. (2012). The Distribution of Albino Green Keelback. http://www.indiawilds.com/diary/the- The present case of total albinism with distribution-of-albino-green-keelback/ accessed on 10 February 2013. an unusual colour pattern in Common Kukri Sazima, I. & J.P. Pombal (1986). Um albino de Oligodon arnensis could be the first report Rhamdella minuta, com notas sobre comportamento from Maharashtra and second case from (Osteichthyes, Pimelodidae). Revista Brasileria de Biologia 46(2): 377-381. India. Sharma, R.C. (2003). Handbook-Indian Snakes. (Published- Director, Zoological Survey of India, Acknowledgments Kolkata) 1-292pp. Spadola, F. & G. Insacco (2010). Incomplete albinism in Discoglossus pictus (Otth, 1837). Acta Herpatologica, The authors express their sincere gratitude 5 (2): 245-248. to Dr. R.M. Sharma, Dy. Director and Officer- Vyas, R. (2012). Albinism in two Indian colubrine snakes, in-Charge, Zoological Survey of India, WRC, Oligodon arnensis and Coelognathus helena. Sauria, 34(3): 57-61. Pune for constant support and providing Vyas, R., V. Prajapati & D. Parmar (2012). The case facilities. We also wish to thank Mr. Raju of incomplete albinism in Indian Red Sand Boa Eryx Vyas, Vadodara (Gujarat), for sparing valuable johnii johnii (Russel, 1801) (REPTILIA: SERPENTES: BOIDAE). Russian Journal of Herpetology 19(4): 299- literature. Our thanks are also due to Dr. S.S. 302. Jadhav, Senior Zoological Assistant, Zoological Vyas, R. (2013). Note on an unusual colour morphism in Survey of India, WRC, Pune for inputs to Oriental Rat Snake Ptyas muscosa (Linnaeus, 1758). enhance the quality of the paper. Reptile Rap 15: 43-45. Whitaker, R. (1971). Notes on Indian Snakes-1. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 68 (2): 461-463. Whitaker, R. & A. Captain (2004). Snakes of India. The Field Guide. Draco Books, Chennai. xiv+479pp. 5 REPTILE RAP #16, March 2014 Reptiles of Ousteri Riparian Areas, Puducherry, India *R. Alexandar1 & J. Jayakumar2 1 Research Scholar, Department of Ecology & Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India 2 Centre for Pollution Control & Environmental Engineering and Management, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605502, India *[email protected] Introduction Reptiles are found in almost all the parts of the world, except the extremely cold regions. Freshwater wetlands are very fragile The diversified climate, varying vegetation and and constitute a treasure of biodiversity. different types of soil in the country form a The wetland ecosystem forms an important wide range of biotopes that support a highly environment for aquatic, semi-aquatic and diversified reptilian fauna. Indian reptiles moisture loving floral and faunal associations. consist of 500 taxa in numbers; have a good Wetlands play an integral role in the ecology of representation of endemics (olur & Walker a watershed. Their shallow waters, nutrients, 1998). Nearly 44% of the assessed reptiles and primary productivity are ideal for are endemic to India (Molur