A Case of Hooding (Neck Flattening Defensive Behavior) in the Barred Grass Snake Natrix helvetica [Former Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758)]

Alessandro Paterna

Abstract


Neck flattening, even known as «hooding», is the characteristic defensive posture which gave fame to cobras and made this group of snakes easily recognizable in the general culture. Such an intimidatory strategy is not restricted to this group of elapids alone. Several representatives of different snake families have the common ability to hood. Among European species this behavior has rarely been described and poorly documented. Here is presented a case of neck flattening observed in the wild in an adult barred grass snake specimen. Photographic materials are provided.

Keywords


Serpentes; Colubridae; Natricidae; Natrix helvetica; European grass snake; defensive behavior; neck flattening; hooding

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bannikov A. G., Darevsky I. S., Ishchenko V. G., Rustamov A. K., and Shcherbak N. N. (1977), The Key of Amphibians and Reptiles of the Fauna of the USSR, Prosveshchenie, Moscow [in Russian].

Dell’Aglio D. D., Toma T. S. P., Muelbert A. E., Sacco A. G., and Tozetti A. M. (2012), «Head triangulation as anti-predatory mechanism in snakes», Biota Neotropica, 12(3), 315 – 318.

Greene H. (1988), «Antipredator mechanisms in reptiles», in: C. Gans and R. B. Huey (eds.), Biology of the Reptilia. Vol. 16, pp. 1 – 152.

Guimarães M. and Sawaya R. J. (2011), «Pretending to be venomous: is a snake’s head shape a trustworthy signal to a predator?» J. Tropical Ecol., 27(4), 437 – 439.

Guimarães M. and Sawaya R. J. (2012), «The snake head-shape signal: a reply to Valkonen & Mappes», J. Tropical Ecol., 28(1), 125 – 126.

Hoffstetter R. and Gasc J. P. (1969), «Vertebrae and ribs of modern reptiles», Biol. Reptilia, 1, 201 – 310.

Jara M. and Pincheira-Donoso D. (2015), «The neck flattening defensive behaviour in snakes: first record of hooding in the South American colubrid genus Pilodryas», Animal Biol., 65(1), 73 – 79.

Kindler C., Chèvre M., Ursenbacher S., Böhme W., Hille A., Jablonski D., Vamberger M., and Fritz U. (2017), «Hybridization patterns in two contact zones of grass snakes reveal a new Central European snake species», Sci. Rep., 7(7378), 1 – 12.

Linnaeus C. (1785), Systema naturae per regna tria naturare, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm.

Mertens R. (1946), «Die Warn- und Droh-Reaktionen der Reptilien», Abh. Senckenberg. Naturforsch. Ges., 471(1), 108.

Myers C. W. (1986), «An enigmatic new snake from the Peruvian Andes, with notes on the Xenodontini (Colubridae: Xenodontinae)», Am. Mus. Novitates, 2853, 1 – 12.

Pokrant F., Kindler C., Ivanov M., Cheylan M., Geniez P., Böhme W., and Fritz U. (2016), «Integrative taxonomy provides evidence for the species status of the Ibero-Maghrebian grass snake Natrix astreptophora», Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 118, 873 – 888.

Pokrant F., Kindler C., Vamberger M., Smith K. T., and Fritz U. (2017), «Grass snakes (Natrix natrix, N. astreptophora) mimicking cobras display a ‘fossil behavior’», Vertebr. Zool., 67(2), 261 – 269.

Rage J. C. and Szyndlar Z. (1986), «Natrix longivertebrata from the European Neogene, a snake with one of the longest known stratigraphie ranges», Neues Jahrb. Geol. Paläontol., 1986(1), 56 – 64.

Russell P. and Home E. (1804), «Remarks on the voluntary expansion of the skin of the neck in the Cobra de Capello or hooded snake of the East Indies. With a description of the structures of the parts which perform that office», Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. Ser. B. Biol. Sci., 94, 346 – 352.

Sindaco R., Venchi A., and Grieco C. (2013), The Reptiles of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 2. Annotated Checklist and Distributional Atlas of the Snakes of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia, Latina Edizioni, Belvedere.

Szyndlar Z. (1991), «Ancestry of the grass snake (Natrix natrix): paleontological evidence», J. Herpetol., 25, 412 – 418.

Szyndlar Z. and Rage J. C. (1990), «West Palearctic cobras of the genus Naja (Serpentes: Elapidae): interrelationships among extinct and extant species», Amphibia–Reptilia, 11(4), 385 – 400.

Szyndlar Z. and Zerova G. A. (1987), «Neogene Cobras of the Genus Naja (Serpentes: Elapidae) of East Europe», Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien. Ser. A. Mineral. Petrogr. Geol. Paläontol. Anthropol. Prähist., 91, 53 – 61.

Valkonen J. K., Nokelainen O., and Mappes J. (2011), «Antipredatory function of head shape for vipers and their mimics», PLoS One, 6(7), e22272.

Werner Y. L. (1983), «Behavioural triangulation of the head in three boigine snakes: possible cases of mimicry», Israel J. Zool., 32(4), 205 – 228.

Werner Y. L. and Frankenberg E. (1982), «Head triangulation in two colubrine snakes: probable behavioural reinforcement of batesian mimicry», Israel J. Zool., 31(3 – 4), 137 – 150.

Young B. A., Lalor J., and Solomon J. (1999), «The comparative biomechanics of an ophidian defensive behavior: head triangulation in hognose snake (Heterodon) and egg-eater snake (Dasypeltis)», J. Zool., 248(2), 169 – 177.

Young B. A. and Kardong K. V. (2010), «The functional morphology of hooding in cobras», J. Exp. Biol., 213, 1521 – 1528.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2019-26-2-107-110

Refbacks

  • There are currently no 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