Cover Image

Reproduction Cycle of the Eastern Egg-Eater Snake Dasypeltis medici medici (Bianconi, 1859) in Captivity

Alessandro Paterna

Abstract


For the first time the data on the complete reproductive cycle of the eastern egg-eater snake (Dasypeltis medici medici) have been documented and recorded. The data, collected from specimens in captivity, illustrate the age when they reach sexual maturity, mating and its frequency in the course of the year, gestation, clutch size, egg morphology, incubation times as well as different results based on the parameters used, appearance and general characteristics of the hatchlings.

Keywords


Serpentes; Colubridae; Dasypeltis medici medici; eastern egg-eater snake; mating; gestation; egg-laying; hatchlings

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bianconi J. J. (1850), «Specimina Zoologica Mosambicana», Mem. Reale Accad. Sci. dell’Inst. Bologna Classe Sci. Fis., 10(1), 497 – 506.

Branch B. (1988a), Field guide to the Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa, Struik Publisher, Cape Town.

Branch W. R. (1988b), South African Red Data Book. Reptiles and Amphibians, South African National Scientific Programmes, report No. 151, pp. 194 – 195.

Gans C. (1952), «The functional morphology of the egg-eating adaptations in the snake genus Dasypeltis», Zoologica, 37(4), 209 – 243, plates. I – IV.

Gans C. (1954), «Dasypeltis — little snake versus big egg», Animal Kingdom, 57(1), 6 – 10.

Gans C. (1957), «Dasypeltis medici lamuensis, a new race of egg-eating snake (Ophidia, Reptilia) from coastal East Africa», Breviora, 79, 1 – 13.

Gans C. (1959), A taxonomic revision of the African Snake Genus Dasypeltis (Reptilia: Serpentes), Carnegie Museum, Pittsburg, PA, Tervuren.

Gans C. and Loveridge A. (1952), «Proposed use of the plenary powers to validate the generic name Dasypeltis Wagler, 1830, for the African Egg-Eating snake (Class Reptilia)», The Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 6(11), 347 – 348.

Gans C. and Richmond N. D. (1957), «Threat displays in snake of the genus Dasypeltis», Copeia, 4, 269 – 74.

Gartner G. E. A. and Greene H. V. (2008), «Adaptation in the African egg-eating snake: a comparative approach to a classic study in evolutionary functional morphology», J. Zool., 275(4), 368 – 374.

Gomathi S., Vijitha M., and Rathnasamy S. (2014), «Affinity Separation of Lysozyme from Quail Egg (Coturnix ypsilophora) and its Antimicrobial Characterization», Int. J. PharmTech Res., 6(4), 1286 – 1291.

Loveridge A. (1942), «Scientific results of a fourth expedition to forested areas in East and Central Africa. IV. Reptiles», Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 91(4) 237 – 373.

Marais J. (1992), A Complete Guide of the Snakes of Southern Africa, Blandford, London.

Marais J. (2004), A Complete Guide of the Snakes of Southern Africa, Struik Nature, Cape Town, pp. 275 – 276.

Mehrtens J. (1987), Living Snakes of the World, Sterling Publishing Co., New York, NY.

McLachlan G. R. (1979), South African Red Data Book. Reptiles and Amphibians, South African National Scientific Programmes, report No. 23.

Tolik D., Poіawska E., Charuta A., Nowaczewski S., and Cooper R. (2014), «Characteristics of egg parts, chemical composition and nutritive value of Japanese quail eggs — a review», Folia Biol., 62(4), 287 – 292.

Trape S., Mediannikov O., and Trape J.-F. (2012), «When colour patterns reflect phylogeography: New species of Dasypeltis (Serpentes: Colubridae: Boigini) from West Africa», Comptes Rendus Biol., 335(7), 488 – 501.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2017-24-3-228-234

Refbacks



You can subscribe to the print or electronic version of the journal on the site of EastView Company. If you have any questions, please write to the email sales@ivis.ru