Caspian whipsnake
Encyclopedia
The Caspian whipsnake also known as the large whipsnake (among various other species in genus Dolichophis / Coluber
), is a common species of whipsnake found in the Balkans
and parts of Eastern Europe
.
s can be found at the middle body, though rarely there may be seventeen. Dorsal scales each have two apical pores at the posterior edge. The centre of the scale is lighter in colour than the edges. The dorsal
side is grey-brown and features markings which are distinctive in juveniles and young snakes but fade with age. The ventral side is light yellow or white.
in 1789, D. caspius has been known by many names. A list of such synonym
s is given below:
, Bulgaria
, Greece
, Yugoslavia
, Romania
, southern Slovakia
, European Turkey
, Moldova
, Montenegro
, southern Ukraine
, southern Russia
, Kazakhstan
, Jordan
, and southern Hungary
. Results from a survey indicate that habitats may be distributed along low areas near major rivers, such as the Danube
and the Olt river
.
It was previously assumed extinct in Moldavia
(eastern Romania, southern Ukraine, and western Moldova), where it was only known from two sites, and not observed since 1937. Three specimens were collected in May 2007 in Galaţi County
, somewhat dispelling this belief. Though it is known to be common in the Dobrudja area, knowledge of its distribution in other areas is poor. It is believed to be very rare in these parts, and may also be highly threatened. National legislation has stated that D. caspius is "a species of community interest" and thus must be strictly protected.
In Hungary it was formerly thought only to exist in two areas: one near the capital of Budapest
, and another near Szársomlyó. However, a recent survey of the region has yielded several previously-unknown whipsnake habitats along the river Danube
, including sites near Dunaújváros
and Dunaföldvár
. As in Romania, D. caspius is a protected species in Hungary.
bery. They have also been found in open, bushy areas, specifically, between the Danube Meadow and Romanian Plain
, near Căscioarele. Vine covered areas were found near this habitat as well. At Drăgăneşti Olt, the species was found on a hilly slope. Its habitat also includes rocky riverbanks and swampy areas, as well as gardens and cemeteries.
.
, is known to be heavily affected by agriculture. Habitat loss to agriculture may also be a cause of the species' decline in Romania. In Bulgaria, D. caspius is one of 31 most common species that represent 59% of the Bulgarian herpetofauna.
Coluber
Coluber is a genus of thin bodied, fast moving, colubrid snakes commonly known as racers. They are widespread around the world and vary greatly in habitat and behaviour. In the past, Coluber was a catch-all genus which included almost all snake species known at the time...
), is a common species of whipsnake found in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and parts of Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
.
Description
The Caspian whipsnake may grow to a maximum length of approximately 200 centimetres (78.7 in). This species is not venomous and is mostly active during the day. The head is joined to the body by a thick neck. Its pupils are round. Nineteen rows of smooth scaleScale (zoology)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
s can be found at the middle body, though rarely there may be seventeen. Dorsal scales each have two apical pores at the posterior edge. The centre of the scale is lighter in colour than the edges. The dorsal
Dorsum (biology)
In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...
side is grey-brown and features markings which are distinctive in juveniles and young snakes but fade with age. The ventral side is light yellow or white.
Synonyms
Since its initial recording by Johann Friedrich GmelinJohann Friedrich Gmelin
Johann Friedrich Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist, entomologist, herpetologist and malacologist.- Education :Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen...
in 1789, D. caspius has been known by many names. A list of such synonym
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
s is given below:
- Coluber caspius (GmelinJohann Friedrich GmelinJohann Friedrich Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist, entomologist, herpetologist and malacologist.- Education :Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen...
in 1789) - Coluber acontistes
- Coluber thermalis
- Coluber jugularis caspius
- Hierophis caspius
Distribution
The Caspian whipsnake is found in the Balkan peninsula, parts of Eastern Europe and a small portion of Asia Minor. It may be found in AlbaniaAlbania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, southern Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, European Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, southern Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, southern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, and southern Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Results from a survey indicate that habitats may be distributed along low areas near major rivers, such as the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Olt river
Olt River
The Olt River is a river in Romania. It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its source is in the Hăşmaş Mountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near the village Bălan. It flows through the Romanian counties Harghita, Covasna, Braşov, Sibiu, Vâlcea and Olt...
.
It was previously assumed extinct in Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
(eastern Romania, southern Ukraine, and western Moldova), where it was only known from two sites, and not observed since 1937. Three specimens were collected in May 2007 in Galaţi County
Galati County
Galaţi is a county of Romania, in Moldavia region, with the capital city at Galaţi.-History:Historically Galaţi is part of Moldavia...
, somewhat dispelling this belief. Though it is known to be common in the Dobrudja area, knowledge of its distribution in other areas is poor. It is believed to be very rare in these parts, and may also be highly threatened. National legislation has stated that D. caspius is "a species of community interest" and thus must be strictly protected.
In Hungary it was formerly thought only to exist in two areas: one near the capital of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, and another near Szársomlyó. However, a recent survey of the region has yielded several previously-unknown whipsnake habitats along the river Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, including sites near Dunaújváros
Dunaújváros
Dunaújváros is a Hungarian city in Central Transdanubia, along the Danube river. It is in Fejér county.-History:Dunaújváros is one of the newest cities of the country...
and Dunaföldvár
Dunaföldvár
Dunaföldvár is a town in Tolna County, Hungary.- External links :*...
. As in Romania, D. caspius is a protected species in Hungary.
Habitat
Recently observed specimens of D. caspius were found in grassy, open areas with sparse shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
bery. They have also been found in open, bushy areas, specifically, between the Danube Meadow and Romanian Plain
Romanian Plain
The Romanian Plain is located in southern Romania and the easternmost tip of Serbia. Part of the historical region of Wallachia, it is bordered by the Danube River in the east, south and west, and by the Getic Plateau in the north. Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is located in the central part...
, near Căscioarele. Vine covered areas were found near this habitat as well. At Drăgăneşti Olt, the species was found on a hilly slope. Its habitat also includes rocky riverbanks and swampy areas, as well as gardens and cemeteries.
Diet
The Caspian whipsnake feeds on small vertebrates. Its diet may include small mammals, lizards, birds, and other snakes. Though not venomous, the Caspian whipsnake is considered "ferocious" and bites quickly and without warning. Due to its ability to consume rodents which may harm crops, it is valued as natural pest controlPest control
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.-History:...
.
Conservation
There is relatively little data on the conservation status of D. caspius in many regions. Whilst it is known to be common in the Dobrudja area, it may be rare and threatened in other areas. In Drăgăneşti Olt, Romania, road-killed snakes are a "common sight" to locals. Traffic-related deaths may be a cause of their decline in Romania. One of the recently observed habitats, the Romanian PlainRomanian Plain
The Romanian Plain is located in southern Romania and the easternmost tip of Serbia. Part of the historical region of Wallachia, it is bordered by the Danube River in the east, south and west, and by the Getic Plateau in the north. Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is located in the central part...
, is known to be heavily affected by agriculture. Habitat loss to agriculture may also be a cause of the species' decline in Romania. In Bulgaria, D. caspius is one of 31 most common species that represent 59% of the Bulgarian herpetofauna.