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137J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 111(2), May-August 2014
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
14. PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD AND FIELD OBSERVATIONS OF A BROWN-SPOTTED PIT VIPER
Bhattacharjee, K.1
140/1 Tangra Road, Block-D, Flat 4, Kolkata 700 015, West Bengal, India. Email: [email protected]: 10.17087/jbnhs/2014/v111i2/72242
On November 05, 2013, during a field survey of vertebrates of Namdapha National Park (27° 29′ 27.8′′ N; 96° 22′ 32.2′′ E; 516 m above msl), Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh, India, a team of biologists came across what appeared to be a Brown-spotted Pit Viper approaching a small rodent on the forest floor. They observed the snake for nearly 60 minutes. During this time, the snake initially hid itself beneath foliage and left the prey for a while. It approached the prey, which was already dead presumably due to an initial bite, finally after 7–10 minutes and began swallowing the prey.
Observations were made and photographic records obtained (Figs 1–3). An imaginary line of the body from head to tail (depending on the position of the snake) was measured using a string, which was later measured using a scale to obtain the average length of the snake (Fitch 1987; Jesus et al. 2008).
The taxonomic identification of the pit viper is unconfirmed as no scalation data was recorded. Visually, the species appeared similar to Protobothrops mucrosquamatus. The type locality of P. mucrosquamatus is Naga Hills, which has similar topography to the present recorded location of this viper (Boulenger 1890, 1896; Günther 1864; Levinton et al. 2003).
Rajasthan Forest Department for providing necessary support and for permission to carry out field work. We would also like to thank Sutirtha Dutta for his useful
comments on the draft manuscript, and Rajesh, Ratan, Mamraj, and Jairam for their assistance in field data collection.
RefeRences
Daniel, J.C. (2002): The Book of Indian Reptiles and Amphibians. Bombay Natural History Society & Oxford University Press, Mumbai. Pp. 238.
Das, I. (2002): A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of India. New Holland (UK) Publishers Ltd., London, 144 pp.
Das, s.K., s. DooKia, K. Das & s.K. Dutta (2012): Ecological observations on the Indian Spiny-tailed Lizard Saara hardwickii (Gray, 1827) (Reptilia: Squamata: Agamidae) in Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India. J. Threat. Taxa 5(1): 3516–3526.
Dutta, s. & Y.V. jhala (2007): Ecological aspects of Indian Spiny-tailed Lizard Uromastyx hardwickii in Kutch. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 104(3): 255–265.
jhala, Y.V., a.r. rahmani, r. sanKaran, i.P. BoPanna, K.K. mourYa & s. Dutta (2012): Research and Conservation of Endangered and Threatened Fauna of Kachchh: An Integrated Approach.
Final Report. 2004–2011. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Pp. 591.
molur, s. & s. WalKer (Eds) (1998): Report of the Workshop ‘Conservation Assessment and Management Plan for Reptiles of India’ (BCCP-Endangered Species Project). Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Zoo Outreach Organisation, Coimbatore, India. 156 pp.
Patel, P. (2011): Will development spare the spiny-tailed lizards in Kachchh? Curr. Sci. 101(12): 1519–1520.
ramesh, m. & n.m. ishWar (2008): Status and distribution of Indian Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx hardwickii) in the Thar Desert, Western Rajasthan. GNAPE Technical Report No. T 02. Group for Nature Preservation and Education, Chennai, India. 48 pp.
roDgers, W.a., h.s. PanWar & V.B. mathur (2002): Wildlife protected area network in India: a review (executive summary). Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Pp. 14–17.
Fig. 1: The viper approaching its prey
Fig. 2: Full view of the viper
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
138 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 111(2), May-August 2014
RefeRences
Boulenger, g.a. (1890): The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London. xviii, 541 pp.
Boulenger, g.a. (1896): Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum, Vol. 3. Taylor & Francis, London. xiv + 727 pp.
Fitch, h.s. (1987): Collecting and life-history techniques. Pp. 143–164.In: Seigel, R.A., J.T. Collins and S.S. Novak (Eds): Snakes: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. MacMillan Publishing, New York.
günther, a. (1864): The Reptiles of British India. Taylor & Francis, London. xxvii + 452 pp.
jesus, r.a., e.a. raFael & D.c.m. maria (2008): What is the length of a snake? Contemporary Herpetology 2008(2): 1–3.
leViton, a.e., o.u.W. guineVere, michelle s. Koo, george r. Zug, rhonDa s. lucas & V. jens (2003): The dangerously venomous snakes of Myanmar Illustrated checklist with keys. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 54(24): 407–462.
15. ON A REPORT OF RED-BELLIED PACU PIARACTUS BRACHYPOMUS (CUVIER, 1818), (CHARACIFORMES: CHARACIDAE) FROM MUVATTUPUZHA RIVER, KERALA, INDIA
K.V. Zeena1,2,* anD K.s. jameela BeeVi1,3
1P.G. and Research Centre, Department of Zoology, Maharaja’s College, Ernakulum, Kochi 682 011, Kerala, India.2Email: [email protected]: [email protected]*Corresponding authordoi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2014/v111i2/72243
Piaractus brachypomus, an introduced fish species from South America of Family Characidae, commonly known as Red-bellied Pacu, was collected from Mukkam in Muvattupuzha river, Kerala. It closely resembles the Red Piranha Pygocentrus nattereri, but differs from it in terms of feeding habits, dentition, and behaviour. Pacu species are omnivores, while piranhas are highly carnivorous. The lower jaw in pacu is thin and equal to the upper jaw, whereas in piranha, the lower jaw is thicker and juts out beyond the upper jaw. Pacus have two rows of molar-like teeth, while piranhas have one row of pointed razor sharp teeth (Anon. 2010–2011; Datta and Nandeesha 2006).
Invasive alien fish species are one of the emerging potential threats to indigenous species (Ajithkumar et al.
1998; Gopalakrishnan and Ponnaiah 1999; Katwate et al. 2012; Kottelat and Whitten 1996; Krishnakumar et al. 2009; Menon 1979; Molur and Walker 1998; Raghavan et al. 2008; Shetty et al. 1989). Like some other exotic species, Piaractus brachypomus was introduced to India from Bangladesh between 2003 and 2004 for the aquaculture and aquarium trade (Chatterjee and Mazumdar 2009; Singh and Lakra 2011). It has been reported from the rivers of Tripura (Datta and Nandeesha 2006), Periyar river, Kerala (Dahanukar et al. 2011; Singh and Lakra 2011), Dimbhe reservoir, Maharashtra (Singh and Lakra 2011), and Chalakudy river, Kerala (Katwate et al. 2012).
This communication highlights the occurrence of Piaractus brachypomus in Muvattupuzha river, Kerala, which
Fig. 3: Feeding on its prey
Description: Slender, elongated yellowish-brown body with series of black-edged large brown blotches along the dorsum. Sixty four separate blotches, and light coloured small lateral blotches along the body. Markings on tail-end are close and form a band-like pattern. Tail tip
black. Ventral surface pale. Body scales with pointed tips. Small yellowish-brown scales, devoid of any markings, on dorsal surface of head. Faint lateral stripes extending from eyes to angle of mouth. Prominent rostral scale between the internasals. Eyes with vertical pupil. Fangs approximately 2 cm. Bifid tongue dark with red tinge. Total body length c. 120 cm.
Further investigation of this species is needed to ascertain its taxonomic identity.
AcKnOWLeDGeMenTs
The author is grateful to Dr. Jihosuo Biswas, Dr. Nabajit Das, Primate Research Centre, Guwahati, and Mr. J. Abedin for their kind cooperation in the field. Special thanks are due to the Forest Department, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, for allowing the team to conduct night surveys.
