First record of Coelognathus radiatus ( Boie , 1827 ) ( Reptilia : Colubridae ) from the Ananthagiri Hills , Eastern Ghats , India

In India, the genus Coelognathus Fitzinger, 1843 is represented by three species and one subspecies C. flavolineatus (Schlegel, 1837), C.h. helena (Daudin, 1803), C. radiatus (Boie, 1827) and C.h. monticollaris (Schulz, 1992). C. flavolineatus is endemic to the Andaman Islands; C.h. helena is very common throughout mainland India while the subspecies C.h. monticollaris is presently reported only from the Western Ghats. Unpublished reports of monticollaris from elsewhere are beyond the scope of this note. In India, Copper-headed Trinket Snake Coelognathus radiatus (Boie, 1827) was known to occur from Uttarakhand to Arunachal Pradesh, in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal and Sikkim. Recently, the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF), Andhra Pradesh State Office in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), has initiated a survey-based biodiversity documentation project in APTDC Eco-tourism sites. During the first phase of biodiversity survey at APTDC Eco-tourism sites in the Ananthagiri Hills in northern Eastern Ghats (Tyda, Borra, Ananthagiri and Araku Valley), we recorded the presence of C. radiatus in the coffee plantations at Ananthagiri. Through this communication, we report the first record of this species from Ananthagiri Hills, northern part of Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh, India. During field surveys between 15 and 25 February 2009 in the study area (0530 to 1800 hr), we encountered a live specimen of C. radiatus while it was crossing the road at about 1310hr near a coffee plantation close to Ananthagiri Village (18015’N & 82059’E), Vishakapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh on 22 February 2009 (Image 1). It was photographed and released after collecting scalation data along with measurements. The specimen was identified based on descriptions available in the literature (Smith 1943; Schulz 1996; Daniel 2002; Whitaker & Captain 2004). Photo vouchers (NHM.OU.REP.PV.15/16/17/182009) have been deposited in the collection of the Natural History Museum of Osmania University, Hyderabad.

Andaman Islands; C.h. helena is very common throughout mainland India while the subspecies C.h. monticollaris is presently reported only from the Western Ghats.Unpublished reports of monticollaris from elsewhere are beyond the scope of this note.In India, Copper-headed Trinket Snake Coelognathus radiatus (Boie, 1827) was known to occur from Uttarakhand to Arunachal Pradesh, in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal and Sikkim.
Recently, the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF), Andhra Pradesh State Office in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), has initiated a survey-based biodiversity documentation project in APTDC Eco-tourism sites.During the first phase of biodiversity survey at APTDC Eco-tourism sites in the Ananthagiri Hills in northern Eastern Ghats (Tyda, Borra, Ananthagiri and Araku Valley), we recorded the presence of C. radiatus in the coffee plantations at Ananthagiri.Through this communication, we report the first record of this species from Ananthagiri Hills, northern part of Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh, India.
During field surveys between 15 and 25 February 2009 in the study area (0530 to 1800 hr), we encountered a live specimen of C. radiatus while it was crossing the road at about 1310hr near a coffee plantation close to Ananthagiri Village (18 0 15'N & 82 0 59'E), Vishakapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh on 22 February 2009 (Image 1).It was photographed and released after collecting scalation data along with measurements.The specimen was identified based on descriptions available in the literature (Smith 1943;Schulz 1996;Daniel 2002;Whitaker & Captain 2004).Photo vouchers (NHM.OU.REP.PV.15/16/17/18-2009) have been deposited in the collection of the Natural History Museum of Osmania University, Hyderabad.

Description
It is a large and relatively slender snake, with its narrow head slightly set off from the neck.Snout is slightly rounded and approximately twice the length of eye diameter.Tail is relatively shorter and slender.The ventral keels are fairly well developed.The cross-section of the body is higher than wide.Eyes are relatively large and have a golden-yellow iris (Image 5).Tongue brownish-violet (Image 5).Head is copper or dull orange in colour; a transverse black stripe runs across head with black streaks leading to the eyes and two backwards.Two black stripes are present below eyes.Three narrow black stripes radiate from the eyes, one directly below the eye, and another obliquely to the angle of the mouth and a third fuses with the narrow collar band on the nape (Images 3, 4 & 5).Body is yellowish-brown, anteriorly adorned with longitudinal black stripes, usually three on each side, median not connected to the black collar.
Posteriorly, stripes disappear; belly pale yellow, mottled with grey.Skin is checkered black, blue-grey and bright yellow anteriorly, visible when the snake inflates itself under aggression (Image 2 & 5).Total body length of the Ananthagiri specimen was approximately 2.15m.
Biology: We sighted a large C. radiatus while it was crossing the road around mid-afternoon (1310hr) near a coffee plantation close to the Ananthagiri Village.This species has been recorded from gardens, crop fields adjacent to the forests, open areas and water logged areas (Smith 1914;Wall 1914).According to Günther (1864) it is equally diurnal and nocturnal.The specimen was very aggressive.Both Smith (1914) and Wall (1914) have described in detail how C. radiatus, when annoyed, flattens its neck vertically, throwing itself into an S-shaped loop, opening its mouth and thus remains alert, ready to defend itself vigorously against attack.The black lateral bars that become visible by this behavior may act as a warning to enemies (Image 2).
Status: C. radiatus is treated as widely distributed species and listed as Lower Risk Least Concern (Molur & Walker 1998).
The present record from the Ananthagiri Hills suggests that the species' natural distribution in India is greater than was previously thought (Image 1).Furthermore, it calls for further systematic and long-term surveys in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh to document herpetofaunal diversity in totality.With this addition the number of snake species known from Andhra Pradesh reaches 41 (Sanyal et al. 1993;Daniel 2002;Whitaker & Captain 2004;Rao et al. 2005;Srinivasulu & Das 2008).