Report of a dicephalic steppes ratsnake (Elaphe dione) collected in South Korea
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Asian Herpetological Research
Publication Date
7-21-2013
Volume
4
Issue
3
First Page
182
Last Page
186
Publisher
Zhongguo Kexueyuan Chengdu Shengwu Yanjiusuo,Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu Institute of Biology
Keywords
dicephalism, morphology, Steppes Ratsnake, Elaphe dione
Abstract
In this report, we describe morphological characteristics of a dicephalic Steppes Ratsnake (Elaphe dione) collected from the wild in 2011 in South Korea. The specimen has two heads and two long necks. Unlike normal individuals, the dicephalic snake has divided ventral scales under the necks of the bifurcated columns. The snoutvent length (SVL) and overall total length of the individual are shorter than those of normal snakes of the same age. Nevertheless, the counts of nine different scale types that are often used for classification are all within the ranges of normal individuals. As far as we know, this is the first detailed morphological description of a dicephalic E. dione in the scientific literature.
DOI
10.3724/SP.J.1245.2013.00182
Print ISSN
20950357
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2013 Asian Herpetological Research. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Kim, I.-H., Kim, J.-K., Fong, J. J., & Park, D. (2013). Report of a dicephalic steppes ratsnake (Elaphe dione) collected in South Korea. Asian Herpetological Research, 4(3), 182–186. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1245.2013.00182