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Dolichophis jugularis - for ULLA


Dolichophis jugularis - for ULLA
Photo Information
Copyright: Bayram Gocmen (boreocypriensis) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3983 W: 153 N: 4794] (12696)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2001-08
Categories: Reptiles
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Snakes - Serpientes - Serpents, RARE or SIGNIFICANT contributions to TN 3, Dedications at TrekNature Part Three, Cyprus Herpetofauna, Bayram's dedications [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-03-03 14:57
Viewed: 766
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Dolichophis jugularis (Black Whip Snake)(in Turk. Kara Yilan, Siyah Yilan)

Black Whip Snake is a huge snake with a maximum total length of over 250 cm -even 3 m in Cyprus , black when adult but grey peppered blackish or brownish and white when young (up to approx. 1 m) (see WS version), is an active diurnal snake with its ferocious, “relatively docile” behaviour. The head is relatively small, with a rounded snout, slightly distinct from the neck. The eyes have round pupils. The iris has a black ring at the periphery, which is sometimes incomplete and thus "U"-shaped (opened upwards), orange to red around the pupil. The body scales are smooth, ordered into 19 scale rows at midbody.

It lives in dry, open places, rocky river banks, rocky-stony slopes, fields and swamps; can also be seen in gardens, vineyards and cemeteries. It shelters under stones and in rodent galleries. It is a diurnal, very rapid snake, in hottest months often seen basking in early morning and late afternoon hours. It is rather shy, escaping rapidly and noisy when disturbed. If cornered, it hisses and strikes readily; large specimens even attack the enemy and follow it for several meters with elevated head and cranial part of the body. It is predominantly terrestrial, but it climbs well on bushes and swims well. It is known to feed mainly on rodents (especially mice and rats) and lizards; sometimes even on other or conspecific snakes (i.e., shows cannibalistic behaviour). Since it consumes crop-harming rodents, it was used in agricultural pest control in Cyprus. The prey is mostly killed in several coils of the body and then swallowed. It is an oviparous species, the females lay 5-15 eggs in rodent burrows, under stones etc.

It is widespread in Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel with a vertical distribution up to 1400 m. and represented with three subspecies in known distribution area:

1) C. j. jugularis, with red throat, in Anatolia and northern Syria,
2) C. j. asianus, with black and white throat, in southern Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Mediterranean Israel, and
3) C. j. cypriacus, with mostly black venter, anteriorly speckled with some red, which is an endemic subspecies of the island of Cyprus.

This snake species is, despite of its virtual harmlessness, one of the most feared snakes by the natives, thanks to its large size, diurnal lifestyle, intense hissing and striking when cornered. Therefore, it is often confused with uniform black venomous snake, Walterinnesia aegyptia (Desert/Egyptian Cobra) in some distribution areas (such as SE Anatolia, Syria and Jordan) where they were found in sympatric. It can be distinguished by the presence of a loreal scale on the head and the only divided subcaudal plates, also bigger eyes, diurnal life and different striking behaviour. In Desert cobra the loreal plate is lacked on the head, there is the mixture of divided and undivided subcaudals. Also the later is mostly nocturnal with a smaller size around 1 meter, and in comparison with Black whip snake, it moves slowly and mostly strikes with closed mouth.

Ps. The photo of Adult was scanned from a diapositive.

Attention: This species is widespread in NC, especially in the vicinity of wheat fields and citrus gardens. Since it feeds on agricultural pests such as mice, it has a biological pest control potential, so usually does not get killed by the local people. On the contrary, they accept it "holy". Many old people (such as my mum Ulfet), believe that each Black Whip snake represent "the spirit of the late son".

And today, I would like to dedicate these captures to our friend in TN, Ulla Kruys (Uleko) who is also an admirer of my homeland, Cyprus, for her kind interest my herpetological captures! Thank you Ulla!
Luis52, rousettus, jaycee, gerbilratz, haraprasan, nkasot, xTauruSx, matatur, bahadir, jpdenk, Jamesp, yasemin, montivipera, cypturk has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To cypturk: hahahboreocypriensis 1 06-15 16:45
To amcolli: Hello Annaboreocypriensis 1 03-06 09:34
To uleko: Hi Ullaboreocypriensis 1 03-05 03:34
To Jamesp: Hello Jamesboreocypriensis 1 03-04 14:47
To jignasi: Hello Ignasiboreocypriensis 1 03-04 14:40
To degani: ciao Francoboreocypriensis 1 03-04 10:56
To Silvio2006: ciao Silvioboreocypriensis 1 03-04 10:55
To zulfu: Sağolboreocypriensis 1 03-04 10:54
To bahadir: Sağol Bahaboreocypriensis 1 03-04 10:53
To matatur: Sağol Hocamboreocypriensis 1 03-04 10:52
To xTauruSx: slmboreocypriensis 1 03-04 10:50
To nkasot: Teşekkürlerboreocypriensis 1 03-04 10:49
To mariki: Hello Marieboreocypriensis 1 03-04 01:17
To gerbilratz: Hello Howardboreocypriensis 1 03-03 23:20
To lousat: Hi Lucianoboreocypriensis 1 03-03 23:19
To haraprasan: Hello Haraprasanboreocypriensis 1 03-03 23:18
To rousettus: :)boreocypriensis 4 03-03 21:35
To jaycee: Hello my dear friend Janeboreocypriensis 1 03-03 15:30
To Luis52: Hello Luisboreocypriensis 1 03-03 15:12
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1022 W: 5 N: 2802] (10144)
  • [2008-03-03 15:01]
  • [+]

Hi Bayram.
Great image of this black snake. As I can see it is very large, and he has a beautiful colors. Your Notes are interesting.
Gracias Bayram.
Luis52.

big, black, and very beautiful snake, great image with excellent notes, TFS regards h

Great pic but i dont understand how dedicate this at a woman..ehehhe..my best compliments,Luciano

Hi Bayram,
WOW! what a dedication. Excellent example showing this fella is mistaken as desert cobra. Excellent details and a fine composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Hello Bayram,

Very nice composition. Good exposure and sharpness. Very nice colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • nkasot Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 403 W: 0 N: 38] (189)
  • [2008-03-04 1:46]
  • [3] [+]

Hocam çok güzel kareler. Hem orijinal version hem de WS ve verdiğiniz değerli bilgiler pekçok kitapta dahi yok. Elinize sağlık. Teşekkürler.
Nazım

Merhaba Hocam Nazım'a bu kez ben de katılıyorum. Orijinali slayttan aktarmanıza ve kaçınılmaz rezolüsyon kaybına rağmen yine de harikulade. Teşekkürler. Elinize sağlık.
Deniz

A very familiar snake in a familiar looking posture Bayram, unfortunately it lost a little of its resolution during the scanning process, but still a handsome specimen, I'm sure our dear friend Ulla would cherish this dedication.
Cheers,
Mehmet

Merhaba Hocam. Kara yılan da bir başka güzel. Devasa boyutu ve heybetli kaçışını unutamıyorum. Elinize sağlık. Teşekkürler.
Bahadır

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 527 W: 0 N: 95] (583)
  • [2008-03-04 2:59]
  • [+]

Bu heybetli yılanın oldukça hoş bir çekimi. WS deki juvenili ayrı bir tür gibi kabul edenler bile olur sanırım. O kadar farklı ki:) Teşekkürler. Elinize sağlık.
Mehmet

Sayın Dr, çekim güzel, sanırım slaytın aslı daha da güzeldir. notlar da pek güzel. yalnız ben bile zorlandım bu kara yılanmıydı diye:) latince tür adının yanında bir de Türkçe adını verirsek sanırım pek çok dost ve vatandaşımız da bilgilerden nasiplenir. sanırım sen de aynı fikirdesin.
iyi geceler, selamlar.

Hi Bayram, superb snake with lighting skin, wonderful details and excellent sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

Hi Bayram,

He is very big and very black. He looks so different from the ones you have posted and the ones I have seen here. Beautiful skin, face, and once again I love the eye.

Jane

Hi again Bayram,
this snake looks very elegant and its is a beautiful animal, great capture and interesting note, bravo Bayram,
ciao
franco

Hola Bayram, siempre me pregunto como puedes encontrar tantos reptiles jejeje. Bonita captura, aunque cre que con un enfoque algo justo.
Un abrazo: J. Ignasi

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1252 W: 0 N: 4837] (14366)
  • [2008-03-04 14:45]
  • [+]

Hi Bayram

Great capture - good detail and exposure.

James

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2463 W: 168 N: 7435] (23482)
  • [2008-03-05 1:10]
  • [+]

Dear Bayram,
I'm very sorry indeed to have overlooked this post that you so kindly dedicated it to me!! What an enormous snake! At least its colour is easy to see. I'm glad its of use for biological control and therefore not so threatened. I'm surprised really that we didn't see any snakes at all on Cyprus as we're always walking around in fields and in rocky areas looking for insects and birds. But we don't exactly have our eyes on the ground!
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

i am sorry this really does not make mee feel comfortable, holy or not holy !
back to gekos! for me
ciao
anna

Aman ne guzel gara yilan. gercekten cok guzel. kibristaki degerlere deginmen de cok iyi. eline saglik. Selamlar. Leyla

Merhaba Hocam,
Güzel bir kare.
Saygılar, Naşit

DR BAYRAM GOCMEN.. Korkuttun beni dayi bu kara yilanla...Cok korkunc ve itici gorunur.. bunlarla nasil calisin... neyse photo is perfect and good detail, also We can see very clear on patten even on the black colur..Information very useful too...regards Merih

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