AutorenPdf-vorlage_All_Short_Notes_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 28.07.2015 15:50 Seite 21 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 28 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2015 SHORT NOTE 109 behaviors.- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, canadian Journal of Zoology, Ottawa; 82: 889-896. Berlin; 64: 205-213. HEfliN , B. & Y OuNg , l. & TOlEdO , l. f. & H AddAd , c. f. B. (20 09): colors and lONdRAvillE , R. l. (2009): Short-term cycling of skin some morphological traits as defensive mechanisms in colouration in the blackspotted rockskipper anurans.- international Journal of Zoology, New York; Entomacrodus striatus .- Journal of fish Biology, 2009: 1-12. uMBERS , K. d. l. ( 2013): On the percep - london; 74: 1635-1641. HETTYEY , A. & H ERcZEg , g. tion, production and function of blue colouration in & l AuRilA , A. & c ROcHET , P-A. & M ERilA , J. (2009): animals.- Journal of Zoology, london; 289: 229–242. Body temperature, size, nuptial colouration and mating WEllS , K. d. (1980): Social behavior and communica - success in male moor frogs ( Rana arvalis ).- Amphibia- tion of a dendrobatid frog ( Colostethus tri nitatus ).- Reptilia, leiden; 30: 37-43. HuTcHiNSON , v. H. & Herpeto logica, lawrence; 36:189-199. duPRé , R. K. (1992): Thermoregulation. pp. 206-249. KEYWORdS: Amphibia: Anura: Alytidae, in: fEdER , M. E. & B uRggREN , W . W. (Eds): Discoglossus scovazzi , blue coloration, rapid color Environmental Physiology of the Amphibians. chicago change, stress-induced color change, physiology, (university of chicago Press). KiNg , R. B. & K iNg , B. behaviour, Morocco (1991): Sexual differences in color and color change in woodfrogs.- canadian Journal of Zoology, Ottawa; 69: SuBMiTTEd: february 11, 2014 1963-1968. KiNg , R. B. & H Auff , S. & P HilliPS , J. B. AuTHORS: Roberto gARcíA -R OA (correspond - (1994): Physiological color change in the green ing author < [email protected] >) 1) ; Ernesto Treefrog: responses to background brightness and tem - REcuERO 2) ; Paloma MAS -P EiNAdO 3, 4) perature.- copeia, Washington; 1994: 422-432. lANTZ , 1) department of Evolutionary Ecology. l. A. (1947): Note on Discoglossus in captivity.- Pro - National Museum of Natural Science – Spanish ceedings of the Royal Society, london; (B) 134: 52-56. Resarch council (MNcN-cSic). José gutiérrez lóPEZ , P. & g ABiROT , M. & M ARTíN , J. (2009): Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain. immune challenge affects sexual coloration of male 2) departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversi - iberian wall lizards.- Journal of Experimental Zoology, dad, instituto de Ecología, universidad Nacional New York; (A) 311: 96-104. MAcEdONiA , J. M. & Autónoma de México, Ap. Postal 70-275, ciudad lAPPiN , A. K. & l OEW , E. R. & M cguiRE , J. A. & universitaria, México df, 04510, Mexico. HAMilTON , P. S. & P lASMAN , M. & B RANdT , Y. & 3) department of Biodiversity and Evolutive lEMOS -E SPiNAl , J. A. & K EMP , d. J. (2009): conspic - Ecology. National Museum of Natural Science – uousness of dickerson’s collared lizard ( Crotaphytus Spanish Resarch council (MNcN-cSic). José guti - dickersonae ) through the eyes of conspecifics and érrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain. predators.- Biological Journal of the linnean Society, 4) instituto de Estudios ceutíes. Paseo del london; 97: 749-765. MARTíN , J. & f ORSMAN , A. (1999): Social costs and development of nuptial col - Revellín, 30. Apartado de correos 593, 51080 ceuta, oration in male Psammodromus algirus lizards: an Spain. experiment.- Behavioral Ecology, Oxford; 10: 396- 400. MARTíN , J.& l óPEZ , P . (1999): Nuptial coloration and mate guarding affect escape decisions of male lizards Psammodromus algirus .- Ethology, Berlin; 105: further confirmation for 439-447. MARTíNEZ -S OlANO , i. (2009): Sapillo pintojo mediterráneo – Discoglossus pictus . pp. 1-13. in: Platyceps rhodorachis (JAN , 1865), SAlvAdOR , A. & M ARTíNEZ -S OlANO , i. (Eds.): Enci - from india, with a note on feeding clopedia virtual de los vertebrados Españoles. Madrid (Museo Nacional de ciencias Naturales). MillS , M. g. on Cyrtodactylus fasciolatus & P ATTERSON , l . B. (2009): Not just black and white: (BlYTH , 1861) Pigment pattern development and evolution in verte - brates.- Seminars in cell & developmental Biology, london; 20: 72-81. NiElSEN , H. i. (1978): The effect The snake genus Platyceps is repre - of stress and adrenaline on the color of Hyla cinerea sented by 15 species worldwide ( uETZ & and Hyla arborea .- general and comparative HOšEK 2013), among them, P. ventromacu - Endocrinology, Orlando; 36: 543-552. NiSHiOKA , M. & uEdA , H. (1985): Blue variants in Hyla arborea japon - latus (g RAY , 1834) , P. ladacensis (A NdER- ica .- Scientific Report of the laboratory for Amphibian SON , 1871) and P. rhodorachis (JAN , 1865) Biology, Hiroshima; 7: 181-197. RivERA , X. & were re ported from india ( KHAN 1997; W HiT - ARRiBAS , O. & M ARTi , f. (2 001): Revisión de anom - alías pigmentarias en los anfibios de la Península AKER & c APTAiN 2004; d AS 2012 ). Platy - ibérica y de Europa.- Butlletí de la Societat catalana ceps ventromaculatus is rather distinctive in d’Herpeto logia, Barcelona; 15: 59-75. SAPORiTO , R. A. morphology and in habits low elevation & Z uERcHER , R. & R OBERTS , M.& g EROW , K. g. & areas ( WHiT AKER & c APTAiN 2004). Platy - dONNEllY , M. A . (2007): Experi mental evidence for aposematism in the dendrobatid poison frog Oophaga ceps ladacensis and P. rhodorachis are pumilio .- copeia, Washington; 2007 (4): 1006-1011. closely related and the former was often re - SKöld , H. N. & A SPENgREN , S. & W AlliN , M. (2012): garded a subspecies of P. rhodorachis (AN- Rapid color change in fish and amphibians – function, dERSON 1896; l A Tifi 1985; u ETZ & H OšEK regulation, and emerging applications.- Pigment cell & 2013). Recently ScHäTTi et al. (2013) de - Melanoma Research, København; 26: 29-38. STEgEN , J. c. & g iENgER , c. M. & S uN , l. (2004): The control scribed hybridization between P. rhodora - of color change in the Pacific tree frog, Hyla regilla .- chis and P. karelini in their common range. AutorenPdf-vorlage_All_Short_Notes_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 28.07.2015 15:50 Seite 22 110 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 28 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2015 SHORT NOTE Platyceps rhodorachis (JAN , 1865) is a few Eucalyptus trees and shrubs and sparse species complex known for its high vari - grass. The region may have been covered ability in color pattern throughout its distri - by dry deciduous forests ( cHAMPiON & bution range ( WERNER 1971; S cHäTTi & SETH 1968). ScHMiTZ 2006). its members are slender An individual of P. rhodorachis (total and agile snakes of up to 130 cm in length length ca. 95 cm; fig. 1) was spotted at (ScHlEicH et al. 1996). Their biology is 15:22 h moving from one rock crevice to the poorly known, apart from the fact that they other located about 3 m above ground. The are diurnal or crepuscular and inhabit snake was identified by its dorsal color pat - extremely dry and rocky areas ( AMR & d iSi tern based on descriptions given in MiNTON 2011). Platyceps rhodorachis has not yet (1966), S cHäTTi & S cHMiTZ (2006) and been assessed for the iucN Red list due to uETZ & H OšEK (2013) and comparison with paucity of data. photographs in uETZ & H OšEK (2013). Platyceps rhodorachis is reported The snake’s movements were watched from Algeria, libya, chad, Su dan, South- from about 8 m distance. At 15:24 h the Sudan, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, snake tried to enter a rock crevice but sud - iraq, Oman, iran, Turkmenistan, uzbeki - denly turned back holding a gecko (total stan, Kazakh stan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan body length ca.10 cm; fig. 1) at the neck. and Pakistan ( uETZ & H OšEK 2013). in The gecko was identified as Cryto dactylus Pakistan, there are records from sea level to fasciolatus (BlYTH , 1861) by its greyish- 2,300 m a.s.l. in the northern and north- brown dorsum with a series of dark brown western sub-Himalayas, Sulaiman and irregular edged bands extending up to tail Kirther Ranges, Salt Range Tableland, according to the information in vASudEvAN Makran coast, chitral, dir and Swat regions & S ONdHi (2010). This lizard is en demic to (KHAN 1986, 1997; K HAN & K HAN 2000 ). the western Himalayas ( ANNANdAlE 1914; The southeasternmost localities men - vASudEvAN & S ONdHi 2010) where it is tioned for this snake species include known from the hills of Shimla (Subalhu), Siwaliks in Kashmir and uttar Pradesh in Kumaon, Almora ( BlYlH 1861; A NNANdAlE india and Nepal ( KHAN 1997; S cHäTTi & 1914; S MiTH 1935 ) and garhwal between ScHMiTZ 2006). How ever, KHAN (1997) did 600 and 1,800 m a.s.l. ( HuSAiN & R AY 1993). not provide precise data on the indian spec - The predatory act began at 15:24 h and imen or locality and ScHäTTi & S cHMiTZ lasted for about five minutes, during which (2006) just discussed the alleged presence neither of the animals emitted any sound. of P. rhodorachis in uttar Pradesh. Thus, during the first four minutes, the snake did the only known authentic record of P. not try to swallow the prey; it firmly seized rhodorachis in this area refers to a specimen the gecko at the neck and remained motion - of P. r. kashmirensis (K HAN & K HAN , 2000) less for approximately 80 seconds. in the from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan (33° 30’ N, beginning, the gecko wriggled for several 74° 00’ E; 1,315 m a.s.l.; KHAN & K HAN seconds, while predator and prey were still 2000; u ETZ & H OšEK 2013). However, P. perched on the rock. The snake kept the rhodorachis was not included in the faunal gecko immobilized holding its head and exe - list of Himachal Pradesh by SAiKiA et al. cuted contraction movements with the body. (2007). After two minutes of continuous firm grasp As part of a cumulative environmen - by the snake, the lizard was flaccid, partially tal impact assessment on hydroelectric paralyzed (compare the mild toxic effect of projects along the Sutlej River Basin, the bite to prey animals described by PERRY undertaken by the Sálim Ali centre for Or - 1988).