All_Short_Notes.qxd 06.08.2010 15:15 Seite 7 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 23 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2010 SHORT NOTE 85 tions as alternative survival strategies, with toriya; Sofia. DÜŞEN, S. & ÖZ, M. (2004): Helminth pa- normal, modified, and abbreviated cycles rasites of the Tree Frog, Hyla arborea (Anura: Hylidae) from Southwest Turkey.- Comparative Parasitology, simultaneously present in the parasite popu- Lawrence; 71 (2): 258-261. GRABDA KAZUBSKA, B. lations. The evolutionary force behind this (1976): Abbreviation of the life-cycles in plagiorchid oddity is the infrequency of the transmission trematodes: general remarks.- Acta Parasitologica Polo- act between intermediate and definitive host. nica, Warsaw; 24: 125-141. GROSCHAFT, J. & MORA- VEC, F. (1983): Some trematodes and cestodes from The metacercaria of Pleurogenoides infect amphibians and reptiles in Egypt.- Vestnik Ceskoslo- an intermediate host, perennial water frogs, venské Spolecnosti Zoologické, Praha; 47: 241–249. that outlive the parasite (LAGRUE & POULIN LAGRUE, C. & POULIN, R. (2009): Life-cycle abbrevia- 2009). A fortuitous transmission of the pre- tion in trematode parasites and the developmental time hypothesis: is the clock ticking?- Journal of Evolution- cocious parasite larva to the genuine defini- ary Biology, Penryn; 22 (8): 1727-1738. LEFEBVRE, F. tive host puts the life-cycle simply back on & POULIN, R. (2005): Progenesis in digenean trema- track – as observed in the case presented. todes: a taxonomic and synthetic overview of species Especially stenoecious and thus fre- reproducing in their second intermediate hosts.- Para- sitology, Cambridge; 130 (6): 587-605. MACY, R. W. quently endangered exotic reptile species (1964): Life-cycle of the digenetic trematode Pleuro- seem to be favored victims of grotesque genoides tener (LOOSS, 1898) (Lecithodendriidae).- parasitism caused by bizarre, opportunistic Journal of Parasitology, Lawrence; 50: 564-568. and/or facultative pathogenic microorgan- ODENING, K. (1955): Die Zooparasiten der Frösche Deutschlands.- Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Fried- isms in captivity. Even well meant actions rich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena; 3 (3/4): 179-215. of the reptile keeper can produce counter- RICHTER, B. & HASSL, A. & KÜBBER-HEISS, A. (2008): productive effects, if an infective organism Akzidentelle Infestation von Rauschuppen-Busch- with an unknown ecology establishes itself vipern (Atheris hispida) mit einer heimischen Tremato- denart?- Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift, Han- in the artificial ecosystem of captive reptile nover; 115 (9): 349-350. RYZHIKOV, K. M.& SHARPILO, care. In the case described, the only signifi- V. P. & S HEVECHENKO, N. N. (1980): Helminths of am- cant noxious effect detected during trans- phibians of the fauna of the USSR; Moskva port and acclimatisation of the snake was (Izdatel’stvo Nauka), 278 pp. SCHNELLER, P. & PANT- CHEV, N. (2008): Parasitologie bei Schlangen, Echsen the feeding with local frogs, apparently und Schildkröten. Ein Handbuch für die Reptilienhal- housing autochthonous parasites, which tung; Frankfurt/Main (Edition Chimaira) [Frankfurter could not be killed by short-time freezing in Beiträge zur Naturkunde, vol. 40], 205 pp. a domestic refrigerator. Establishing breed- AUTHORS: Andreas R. HASSL, Micro-Biology ing in captivity of rare and endangered rep- Consult Dr. Andreas Hassl, Ameisgasse 63-4-12, 1140 Vienna, Austria; Barbara RICHTER & Anna KÜBBER- tiles simultaneously broadens the life basis HEISS, Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary of some odd parasitic organisms – undesir- Medicine; Department of Pathobiology; University of able, but unavoidable effects, which confer Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 species conservation efforts an extensive, Vienna; Austria extraordinary, and maybe even innovative subject matter. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The authors grate- fully acknowledge the supportive cooperation of Record of Coronella austriaca Walter HIRSCHMANN (Vienna). KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Serpentes, LAURENTI, 1768 from the Island of Atheris hispida, Bristly Bush Viper; Trematoda, Di- Mljet, southern Croatia genea, Pleurogenoides medians, Pleurogenoides com- pactus, trematode infection, fluke, anura, Rana, proge- nesis, definitive host, parasitology, exotic pet keeping The Smooth Snake, Coronella austri- SUBMITTED: June 18, 2009 aca LAURENTI, 1768, is continuously dis- REFERENCES: ANDREAS, K. (2006): Helmin- tributed across great parts of Europe, but then einheimischer Froschlurche. Inaugural–Dissertati- becomes rare towards the Mediterranean on, Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin; 123 pp. BESPROZ- zone in the south (ENGELMANN 1993; KREI- VANNYKH, V. V. (2000): The biology of the trematodes Nenimandijea kashmirensis and Pleurogenoides medi- NER 2007). It was found to be very abun- ans (Pleurogenidae) - parasites of frogs in the Maritime dant in the continental part of Croatia, but in Territory.- Parazitologiia, Sankt-Peterburg; 34 (4): 349- the coastal regions of the country, it is 354. BOZHKOV, D. (without year): Experimental inves- restricted to the more humid habitats in the tigation into the passage of mature helminths from the body of ingested frogs into the body of a water snake.- Istra Peninsula and the Dinaric and Velebit Izvestiya na Tsentralnata Khelmintologichna Labora- Mountains (ENGELMANN 1993; VÖLKL & All_Short_Notes.qxd 06.08.2010 15:15 Seite 8 86 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 23 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2010 SHORT NOTE Fig. 1: Coronella austriaca LAURENTI, 1768 from the island of Mljet, Croatia. Fig. 2: Montokuc Hill near Soline; habitat of Coronella austriaca LAURENTI, 1768 on the island of Mljet, Croatia. All_Short_Notes.qxd 06.08.2010 15:15 Seite 9 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 23 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2010 SHORT NOTE 87 Fig. 3: Mljet Island in Croatia. KÄSEWIETER 2003; HILL 2008). Distrib- austriaca here, their abundance constitutes utional data from Adriatic islands are very a rich food source to the snake. rare, and only refer to the three largest REFERENCES: BRUNO, S. (1980): L’erpeto- islands in the Adriatic Sea: Cres (JANEV- fauna delle isole di Cres, Trstenik, Plavnik e Krk (Kvar- HUTINEC et al. 2005; HILL 2008), Krk and ner, Jugoslavia).- Atti del Museo Civico di Storia Na- turale, Trieste; 31 (3): 249-282. ENGELMANN, W. E. Brač (WERNER 1891; BRUNO 1980; ENGEL- (1993): Coronella austriaca LAURENTI, 1768 - Schling- MANN 1993; JANEV-HUTINEC et al. 2005). natter, Glattnatter oder Haselnatter; pp. 200-245. In: During the author’s herpetological BÖHME, W. (Ed.): Handbuch der Reptilien und Am- research of the Mljet National Park (west phibien Europas. Vol. 3/I, Schlangen (Serpentes) I. Wiesbaden (Aula), 480 pp. HILL, J. (2008): Coronella part of Mljet island; Fig. 3) in May 2007, an austriaca (LAURENTI, 1768) from the Croatian Island adult individual of C. austriaca (Fig. 1) was of Cres.- Herpetozoa, Wien; 20 (3/4): 192. JANEV- observed on the northern slopes of Monto- HUTINEC, B. & LUPRET-OBRADOVIĆ, S. (2005): Zmije kuc Hill (42°46’20,6”N, 17°23’20,4” E; 253 Hrvatske - Priručnik za određivanje vrsta. Zagreb (Hrvatsko herpetološko društvo - Hyla), 33 pp. m a.s.l., not far from the village of Soline; KREINER, G. (2007): Snakes of Europe, all species from Fig. 2). The snake was a middle-sized male west of the Caucasus Mountains. Frankfurt am Main (total length: 49 cm), found hiding under- (Edition Chimaira), 317 pp. RATHBAUER, F. (2002): neath a large stone amidst light Quercus ilex Feldherpetologische Exkursion nach Cres.- ÖGH- Aktuell, Wien; 10: 6-10. VÖLKL, W. & KÄSEWIETER, D. forest. The vegetation of the surounding (2003): Die Schlingnatter ein heimlicher Jäger. area was classified as Querco ilicis – Bielefeld (Laurenti) [Beiheft der Zeitschrift für Pinetum halepensis LOISEL, 1971 (forest of Feldherpetologie 6], 151 pp. WERNER, F. (1891): Bei- holm oak and Aleppo pine). The weather träge zur Kenntnis der Reptilien und Amphibien von Istrien und Dalmatien.- Verhandlungen der zoologisch- was very sunny, calm and the air tempera- botanischen Gesellschaft, Wien; 41: 751-768. ture was 31 °C. KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Serpentes: At the above site, two reptile species Colubridae: Coronella austriaca, Mljet Island, Croatia, were observed in great numbers: Dalmato- new island record lacerta oxycephala (DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, SUBMITTED: November 4, 2009 1839) and Podarcis melisellensis (BRAUN, AUTHOR: Dušan JELIĆ, State Institute for 1877). As these two lizard species certainly Nature Protection, Trg Mažuranica 5, 10 000 Zagreb, rank high in the list of prey species for C. Croatia, < [email protected] >.