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Morphological characteristics of the elusive blotched snake (Elaphe sauromates)at its northwestern range limit (Romania)
Author(s) -
Tiberiu C. Sahlean,
Alexandru Strugariu,
Paul C. Dincă,
Gabriel Bogdan Chișamera,
Cătălin Răzvan Stanciu,
R. Zamfirescu,
Iulian Gherghel,
Valentina E. Moraru
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
turkish journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.283
H-Index - 28
ISSN - 1300-0179
DOI - 10.3906/zoo-1504-2
Subject(s) - meristics , sexual dimorphism , biology , range (aeronautics) , zoology , squamata , ecology , composite material , materials science
The blotched snake (Elaphe sauromates) is one of the most elusive species of snakes in Romania, and only a small number of individuals have ever been found, which is why morphological data are both scarce and over half a century old. The data gathered from the individuals captured during our field work confirmed the presence of sexual dimorphism (significant for SVL/TL ratios) and presented a greater morphological variation than recorded in the scientific literature. Individuals examined usually had more than 2 rows of temporal scales and displayed variation in subocular scales, as opposed to the information previously available, hinting at a possible environmental influence on meristic characteristics.

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