A first Finding and a new species of wolf-snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906) of the ophidian fauna of Azad Kashmir (Pakistan) Текст научной статьи по специальности «Биологические науки»

СОВРЕМЕННАЯ ГЕРПЕТОЛОГИЯ. 2018. Т. 18, вып. 3/4. С. 153 - 158

A FIRST FINDING AND A NEW SPECIES OF WOLF-SNAKE (LYCODONMACKINNONI WALL, 1906) OF THE OPHIDIAN FAUNA OF AZAD KASHMIR (PAKISTAN)

Abu ul H. Faiz12, Fakhar-I-Abbas 2, Mikhail F. Bagaturov3'4'5, Lariab Zahra M, Mehboob ul Hassan 6 and Tanveer Akahter

'Bio Resource Research Centre 34-Bazar Road, G-6/4, Islamabad, Pakistan E-mail: sabulhussan@gmail.com Women University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bagh Campus, Pakistan E-mail: info@wuajk.edu.pk 3Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences ' Universitetskaya emb., Saint Petersburg Petersburg '99034, Russia 4Athens Institute for Education and Research 8 Valaoritou, Athena '06 7', Greece 5International Union of Conservation of Nature: The Species Survival Commission: CPSG&ASG Groups

28 Rue Mauverney, Gland ''96, Switzerland E-mail: bbigmojo@mail.ru 6University of Punjab Canal Bank Rd, Punjab University New Campus, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Received 6 March 2018, revised 24 May 2018, accepted 14 June 2018

The present study was conducted to research the herpetofaunal in the Bagh area (the central part of State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan). It lasted from May 2015 till November 2016. As a result, 5 specimens of the Western-Himalayan endemic wolf-snake species Lycodon mackinnoni were recorded by visual encounter. These findings were new for the habitat of the species and for the specific composition of the ophidian fauna of both the Azad Kashmir area and Pakistan in the whole.

Key words: Lycodon mackinnoni, Western-Himalayan endemic species, new record, conservation, Azad Kashmir, Bagh area, Himalayas, Pakistan, anthropogenic pressure.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18500/1814-6090-2018-16-3-4-153-158

INTRODUCTION

The biodiversity found in the Himalayas is accounted by historical events that occurred during the Eocene, by geological changes and created ecosystem heterogeneity for wider distribution of species (Khan, 1991). The diversity and distribution of snakes in Himalayas is also due to these historical factors are directly related to the diversity and distribution of species, and the same occurs with snakes (Khan, 1980). In the Himalayas, established reptilian groups have diversified in response to harsh prevailing conditions, such as hostile winter and humid summer open formations (Khan, 1996).

The ophidian fauna of eastern and middle Himalayas is studied by various zoologists such as (Bou-lenger, 1890; Smith, 1935, 1943) and western Himalayas by Minton (1966) and Mertens (1969). The ophidian fauna of Kashmir in western Himalayas is worked out by Murphy et al (1979) and Khan (1990) but Pir Panjal range was least studied. The present

study was designed to explore the area to find the diversity and distribution of serpentine fauna.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Study area. The State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK 33-36 N, 73-75 E) has an area of some 13200 km2, falling in the western extremities of the Himalayan range with altitudes gradually rising from around 500 m above sea level in southern latitudes to 6500 m a.s.l. The northern part of State have cold mountainous with Jamgarh Peak 15,531 feet (4,734 meters). The present study was conducted in central part of Kashmir (Bagh) which is generally mountainous but weather remains moderate hot in summers and cold, chilly in winter (see Table 1 for temperature data and Fig. 1 for map of study area).

Methods. We surveyed 24 line transects randomly (diameter = 33.33 m) in such a way to present whole sampling of district Bagh. The position of line transect was marked with GPS (Garmin Foretrex

© Faiz A. ul H., Abbas-I-Fakhar, Bagaturov M. F., Zahra L., Hassan ul M., Akahter T., 2018

Table 1. Temperature data of the study area*

Month Low temp High temp

February 7.62±0.4 22.7±0.7

March 13.29±0.3 24.09±0.8

April 16.83±0.4 31.43±0.7

May 23.51±0.3 38.09±0.6

June 26.53±0.3 39.66±0.3

July 25.12±0.3 34.87±0.5

August 24.35±0.3 34.64±0.5

September 24.43±0.2 35.26±0.2

Note. * Available at: http://www.accuweather.com (accessed December, 2017).

401). The location of transects with GPS reading is given at the Table 2. The study was conducted from 1 February 2015 to 12 September 2016. We detected snakes in each transects using active, mostly nocturnal searches following a visual encounter survey (VES)

with five people (Heyer et al., 1994). The total time taken in each transect was circa forty-eight hours.

Searches consisted of walking slowly through each quadrant, thoroughly examining suitable patches of habitat, gently raking through leaf litter, and turning over logs, boulders and rock cervices. When we observed snake, we identified the species to the lowest possible taxon, tabulated the number of individuals and recorded the altitude and habitat area. We photographed animals as they were encountered. When we were unable to identify a specimen, we captured, humanely euthanized it and preserved it in a 70% solution of alcohol for later identification (Smith, 1943).

All specimens were captured and identified on available morphological data (Wall, 1906; Lanza, 1999). All external morphological data provide into Table 3 and Table 4 below.

The voucher specimens were collected from human habitation area except one sample which was

Fig. 1. Map of study area. Localities of found of MacKinnon's wolf snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906) marked in yellow

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Table 2. GPS coordinate of sampled study area with related samples (in bold)

No. Localities Latitude Longitude Elevation (in meters) Presence/ absence

1 Chittra 33°55'24.3"N 73°46'0.75"E 1965.65 female

2 Nari 33°55'52.0"N 73°46'7.55"E 1918.71 X

3 Sanna 33°55'55.7"N 73°46'7.88"E 1908.96 X

4 Chola 33°55'57.8"N 73°46'7.92"E 1912.31 X

5 Pania 33°55'58.4"N 73°46'6.07"E 1911.09 female

6 Gehla 33°55'18.0"N 73°46'1.90"E 1969.00 X

7 Dharan 33°55'13.6"N 73°46'2.12"E 1977.23 X

8 Parota 33°55'12.0"N 73°46'1.90"E 1964.74 X

9 Kals 33°55'24.3"N 73°46'0.80"E 1977.84 X

10 Numanpura 33°58'36.8"N 73°44'6.35"E 989.38 X

11 Banipasari 33°58'38.3"N 73°44'3.68"E 1079.60 X

12 Gehla 33°58'23.6"N 73°44'6.09"E 984.50 X

13 Kaffalgar 33°57'04.3"N 73°42'8.32"E 1027.17 X

14 Mang bajri 33°57'49.4"N 73°40'6.25"E 841.24 female

15 Dolman 33°58'09.0"N 73°40'1.28"E 821.43 X

16 Apper parian 33°58'12.3"N 73°40'1.58"E 844.29 X

17 Arja 33°58'40.7"N 73°39'5.58"E 814.12 X

18 Jehala 33°58'59.2"N 73°39'3.21"E 851.91 X

19 Saman 33°58'32.1"N 73°39'4.25"E 776.02 X

20 Chittra vicinity 33°55'47.17"N 73°46'7.62"E 1118.92 male

21 Dairaan 33°55'57.02"N 73°45'6.60"E 758.34 X

22 Narryula 33°56'54.42"N 73°47'55.01"E 793.39 X

23 Hullarh 33°58'7.57"N 73°47'6.17"E 790.34 X

24 Chhattar 33°56'43.54"N 73°50'18.64"E 783.94 male

captured on stones of stream (Nala Mahl) on stony area.

RESULTS

Table 3. Morphometric data of captured specimens of Lycodon mackinnoni Wall from District Bagh (AJK), Pakistan (all measurements in mm)

No. Head length Eye diameter Distance b/w eyes Tail length Head width Total body length Snout vent length

1 11 0.9 3.8 79 5.1 436 353

2 10 0.8 3.6 78 5.0 430 352

3 9 0.85 3.7 77 4.9 425 350

4 15.4 0.5 4.05 68.58 5.4 330.2 265

5 14 0.3 4.2 70 5.7 350.3 260

Table 4. Pholidosic count of Lycodon mackinnoni Pakistan

Scalation Number

Supra labial 8 8 8 8 8

Infralabial 7 7 7 7 7

Supraocular 2 2 2 2 2

Parietal 2 2 2 2 2

Prefrontal 2 2 2 2 2

Preocular 1 1 1 1 1

Post ocular 1 1 1 1 1

Loreal 1 1 1 1 1

Intranasal 2 2 2 2 2

Temporal 5(2+3) 5(2+3) 5(2+3) 5(2+3) 5(2+3)

Dorsal body scale 17-15 17-15 17-15 17-15 17-15

Ventrals 193(163-187) 193(163-187) 193(163-187) 193(163-187) 193(163-187)

Subcaudals 53 pairs 53 pairs 53 pairs 53 pairs 53 pairs

During the survey we have recorded MacKinnon's wolf snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906) from five different locations: Chittra, Pania, Mang bajri, Chittra vicinity, Chhattar, in rural areas of district Bagh Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The sample No. 1 was collected from location Chittra, transect No.1 (one female, Fig. 2) while second female specimen (sample No. 2) was collected from location Pania (Fig. 3), with transect No. 5. The third female (sample No. 3, Fig. 6) was collected from location Mang bajri, with transect No. 14. The first male (sample No. 4, Fig. 4) was collected from location of Chittra vicinity with transect No. 20, while second male (sample No. 5, Fig. 5) was collected from location Chhattar with transect No. 24 (see Table 2 for elevation data of all captured specimens).

DISCUSSION

The found species (L. mackinnoni) is not present before in the report of ophidian fauna of western Himalayas in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Khan, 1996) as well as in the check list of ophidian fauna of Pakistan where Genus Lycodon is represented by three species: L. aulicus (Linnaeus, 1758) by its nominotypical subspecies, L. striatus bicolor (Nikolsky, 1903) and L. travancoricus (Beddome, 1870) (Khan, 2003).

These findings extend the distributional range of the species, which was recently recorded from neighboring area of India (Manhas et al., 2015), and is a newly recorded range of L. mackinnoni at Tolipir hills of Pir punjal in Himalayas while this species was also reported at Mussoo-rie hills of Himalayas (Wall, 1906). The distribution range in western Himalayas at three locations (Mussoorie, Alomar and Muktesar) was also recorded before by Smith (1943).

Wall from District Bagh (AJK),

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Fig. 2. MacKinnon's wolf snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906). Specimenno. 1

The present collection describe elevation range of the distribution of L. mackinnoni at elevation range as follows: Chittra- 1965.65 ma.s.l.,Pania- 1911.09 m a.s.l., Mang Bajri- 841.24 m a.s.l., Chitra vicinity-1118.92 m a.s.l. and Chhattar- 783.94 m a.s.l., while formerly it was reported at maximum elevation range of 1860 m a.s.l. (Wall, 1906).

The specimens was collected at habitats of human vicinity in maize crop fields except one specimen (Fig. 6) which was found at the stream edge on trenched stone. The maize crop fields are in the territory of human habitat and tally the habitat description of L. mackinnoni (Wall, 1906) and also confirm the observations of habitat analysis by Manhas et al. (2015).

The morphometric measurements of total body length (0.43,0.42,0.42 m) of three samples are approximately same as reported previously (Wall, 1906; Manhas et al., 2015), while the remaining two samples

Fig. 3. MacKinnon's wolf snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906). Specimenno. 2

have measurements 0.26 m and 0.25 m accordingly. The snout length of first three samples is nearly same (35.3, 35.2 and 35.0 cm respectively) as reported

Fig. 4. MacKinnon's wolf snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906). Specimenno. 3

Fig. 5. MacKinnon's wolf snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906). Specimenno. 4

Fig. 6. MacKinnon's wolf snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906). Specimenno. 5

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(Wall, 1906; Manhas et al., 2015) while last two samples measured 26.5 and 26.0 cm. The tail length, head width and eye diameter, distance between eyes are approximately same as reported by F. Wall (1906) and A. Manhas et al. (2015).

The Mackinnon's Wolf snake (Lycodon mackinnoni) sampled in the study area is also facing anthropogenic pressure and is killed by human being due to fear of biting and needs immediate awareness for conservation of this beautiful harmless Western Himalayan endemic species. The anthropogenic pressure on habitat, vegetation analysis of landscape is given by a number of studies (Faiz et al., 2014, 2015).

REFERENCES

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Cite this article as:

Faiz A. ul H., Abbas-I-Fakhar, Bagaturov M. F., Zahra L., Hassan ul M., Akahter T. A First Finding and a New Species of Wolf-Snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906) of the Ophidian Fauna of Azad Kashmir (Pakistan). Current Studies in Herpetology, 2018, vol. 18, iss. 3-4, pp. 153-158 (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18500/1814-6090-2018-18-3-4-153-158

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УДК 598.115(549.1)

ПЕРВАЯ НАХОДКА И НОВЫЙ ВИД ВОЛКОЗУБА

(LYCODONMACKINNONI WALL, 1906) ОФИДИОФАУНЫ АЗАД КАШМИРА (ПАКИСТАН)

А. ул Х. Файз 1 2, Фахар-И-Аббас 2, M. Ф. Багатуров 3 4 5, Л. Захра 1 6, М. ул Хассан 6, T. Акатер 6

1 Исследовательский центр биоразнообразия Пакистан, Ж-6/4, Исламабад, 34-Базар роад E-mail: sabulhussan@gmail.com 2Женский университет Азад Джамму и Кашмира Пакистан, Багх Кампус E-mail: info@wuajk.edu.pk 3 Зоологический институт Российской академии наук Россия, 199034, Санкт-Петербург, Университетская набережная, 1 4Афинский институт образования и исследований Греция, 106 71, Афины, Валаориту, 8 5Международный союз охраны природы: Комиссия по выживанию видов. Швейцария, 1196, Гланд, Рю Маверни, 28 E-mail: bbigmojo@mail.ru 6 Государственный университет Пенджаба Пакистан, Пенджаб, Лахоре, Канал Банк Роад, Нью Кампус

Поступила в редакцию 20.02.2018, после доработки 11.04.2018, принята 26.05.2018

Настоящее исследование проводилось с целью изучения герпетофауны области Багх (центральная часть Штата Азад Джамму и Кашмир, Азад Кашмир, Пакистан). Оно проходило в период с мая 2015 г. по ноябрь 2016 г. В результате были найдены 5 экземпляров западно-гималайского эндемичного вида Lycodon mackinnoni методом визуального обнаружения. Эти находки явились новыми для ареала распространения вида, а также для видового состава офидиофауны, как Азад Кашмира, так и Пакистана в целом.

Ключевые слова: Lycodon mackinnoni, западно-гималайский эндемичный вид, новые данные, сохранение вида, Азад Кашмир, Багх, Гималаи, Пакистан, антропогенный прессинг.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18500/1814-6090-2018-18-3-4-153-158

Образец для цитирования:

Faiz A. ul H., Abbas-I-Fakhar, Bagaturov M. F., Zahra L., Hassan ul M., Akahter T. 2018. A First Finding and a New Species of Wolf-Snake (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906) of the Ophidian Fauna of Azad Kashmir (Pakistan) [Файз А. ул X., Аббас-И-Фахар, Багатуров M. Ф., Захра Л., Хассан ул М, Акатер T. 2018. Первая находка и новый вид волкозуба (Lycodon mackinnoni Wall, 1906) офидиофауны Азад Кашмира (Пакистан)] // Современная герпетология. Т. 18, вып. 3/4. С. 153 - 158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18500/1814-6090-2018-18-3-4-153-158

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