Spalerosophis
atriceps is commonly known as Black Headed Royal Snake or Diadem Snake & is
a species of colubridae family of snakes. S. atriceps species is endemic to South
Asia found in India (north western part)
Nepal and Pakistan whereas the type locality of species is entitled “Himalaya”
in original description. Found in a wide range of elevation up to 6560 ft.
above sea level.
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Spalerosophis atriceps(Image source: www.reptile-database.org) |
Scientific classification
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Kingdom:
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Animalia
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Phylum:
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Chordata
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Class:
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Reptilia
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Order:
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Squamata
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Suborder:
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Serpentes
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Family:
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Colubridae
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Genus:
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Spalerosophis
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Species:
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atriceps
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Binomial name
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Spalerosophis atriceps, Fischer
(1885)
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Dorsally the species is observed to be orange,
yellow to yellowish brown or pink having sprinkled blackish spots from behind
head up to tail. The body of these snakes is robust covered with glossy scales,
with little keeled oval shaped scales are present on the dorsal side. The top
of head is sometimes is wholly black or and deep red having black shades. Besides,
the lateral sides of head and nape are found deep red colored while ventrally
pinkish. Juveniles and sub adults specimens vary from adults. They have an
orange colored body with brown or yellow color typically, having a streak of
black patches laterally. On the ventral sides the species is generally pinkish-red
in color with blackish spots which are arranged in irregular manner at some places.
Spalerosophis atriceps have long tail of same shade as of dorsal side with
blackish blotches; whereas sub adults and young ones have asymmetrical patterns.
Head is elongated, triangular and is clearly
distinct from neck, rostral broader than high; covered under scrappy scales. The
specimens is having 10-13 supralabials which are separated from eyes by a chain
of small sub ocular scales; eyes are large having round pupil in these snakes; prefrontal’s
are fragmented into small scales; loreal-2; preocular-2; postocular 3-4; temporal
3-4. Dorsal scales are little keeled and are 23-25/27-29/19-21; ventral scales
are 216-278 (highest reported in one female specimen from Gilgit); anal can be either
divided or undivided and subcaudal are 82-112, paired in cress cross manner.
Spalerosophis atriceps can attain maximum length (snout-to-vent
length) of about 6.6 ft. However the average length of the species
recorded is 5 ft. with the new born size is about 25-47 cm. It is an
oviparous specious of snakes which mate during winters till monsoon, where new born
can be seen throughout monsoon months. According to one report in India an
adult female laid a clutch of 3-8 eggs in October having eggs dimensions viz., 2.2–3.1 in
(56–78 mm) long by 0.63–1.06 in (16–27 mm) wide.
Spalerosophis atriceps is a nocturnal species which
prefer rocky areas, scrub forest, deserts and semi deserts. The species is capable
of showing arboreal activity besides terrestrial; on frightening it coils its body
and makes loud hiss which sounds like pressure cooker whistle.
In northern India the species is confined to urban
settlement of many parts of its range and often observed over buildings besides
prefer mounds, rodent holes, rock crevices for perching. It has been reported
from deserts and semi deserts of northwest India from Kutch, Gujarat to
foothills of Himalayan zones of Jammu and Kashmir.
In desert ecosystem it is among the major reptilian which
keeps under control the populace of birds and rodents in its range of
habitation. The species if protected in India under schedule 4 of Wildlife
Protection Act (1972). Road kill and killings due to misidentification, and its
large size are the main threats besides loss of habitat.
Literature:
Baig, K.J. and Masroor, R. 2008. The snakes of the
genus Spalerosophis Jan, 1865 in Indo-Pakistan and Iran (Squamata: Serpentes:
Colubridae). Herpetozoa, 20 (3/4):109-115 - get paper here
Baig, K.J., Masroor, R. and Arshad, M. 2008.
Biodiversity and ecology of the herpetofauna of Cholistan Desert, Pakistan. Russian
Journal of Herpetology, 15 (3):193-205
Corlett, R.T. 2011. Vertebrate carnivores and
predation in the oriental (Indomalayan) region. The Raffles Bulletin of
Zoology, 59 (2):325–360
Fischer, J.G. 1885. Ichthyologische und
herpetologische Bemerkungen. V. Herpetologische Bemerkungen. Jahrb. Hamburg.
Wiss. Anst. 2: 82-121 - get paper here
http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Spalerosophis&species=atriceps
retrieved on 25 March, 2020
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalerosophis_atriceps
retrieved on 25 March, 2020
Jamal, Q., Muhammad, I., Saif, U., Muhammad, A.,
Farrah, Z., Qaiser, Z. and Syed, B. R. 2018. Diversity and altitudinal distribution
of Squamata in two distinct ecological zones of Dir, A Himalayan sub-zone of Northern
Pakistan Pakistan J. Zool., 50 (5): 1835-1839 - get paper here
Kästle, W., Rai, K. and Schleich, H.H. 2013. Field
Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal. ARCO-Nepal e.V., 625 pp. - get paper here
Mahabal, A. and Sanjay, T. 2014. Instances of
aberrant colors and patterns among the indian herpetofauna: a review. Russ.
J. Herpetol., 21 (2): 80-88
Masroor, R. 2012. A contribution to the Herpetology
of Northern Pakistan. SSAR, Ithaca [review in JoTT, 4 (6): 2670] - get paper here
Minton, S.A.Jr. 1966. A contribution to the
herpetology of West Pakistan. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 134:
29-184.
Patel, H. and Vyas, R. 2019. Reptiles of Gujarat,
India: Updated Checklist, Distribution, and Conservation Status. Herpetology
Notes, 12: 765-777 - get paper here
Saikia, U., Sharma, D.K. and Sharma, R.M. 2007.
Checklist of the reptilian fauna of Himachal Pradesh, India. Reptile Rap,
(8): 6-9- get paper here
Schätti, B., Tillack, F. and Helfenberger, N. 2009.
A contribution to Spalerosophis microlepis JAN 1865, with a short review of the
genus and a key to the species (Squamata: Serpentes: Colubridae). Herpetozoa,
22 (3/4): 115-135 - get paper here
Smith, M.A. 1943. The fauna of British India, Ceylon
and Burma including the whole of The Indo-Chinese Sub-region, Reptilia and
Amphibia. Vol. 3 Serpentes. Taylor & Francis, London.
Uetz, P., Freed, P. & Hošek, J. (eds.), The
Reptile Database, http://www.reptile-database.org,
accessed 26/03/2020
Wallach, V., Williams, K.L. and Boundy, J. (2014)
Snakes of the World: A catalogue of living and extinct species. Taylor and
Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
Whitaker,
R. and Captain, A. 2007. Snakes of India: The Field Guide.
Chennai: Draco Books.
Whitaker, R. 2005. Common Indian Snakes, A Field
Guide. Macmillian Publishers
Whitaker, R. Captain, A. 2004. Snakes of India, The
Field Guide. Draco Books
Whitaker, R. and Captain, A. 2004. Snakes of India.
Draco Books, 500 pp., reprinted 2007 - get paper here
