Red Coronella austriaca

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Red Coronella austriaca

Postby Guillaume Gomard » Fri Jun 24, 2016 11:28 am

Dear all,

I just came across this interesting paper which reports on the rare observation of red Coronella austriaca, that is of a snake with an abnormal level of erythrophores. The specimen pictured looks amazing:

coronella.png
coronella.png (478.54 KiB) Viewed 9340 times


As always, the ecological advantage of such a coloration is questionable...

Did some of you already observe and maybe photograph erythristic snakes in the wild?

Source: Maèát, Z., Hegner, D., & Jablonski, D. (2016). Erythrism in the Smooth Snake, Coronella austriaca (Laurenti, 1768), Recorded from Georgia. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 23(1), 73-76.

P.S: Glad to be back on the forum ;)
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Re: Red Coronella austriaca

Postby Ruggero M. » Fri Jun 24, 2016 1:02 pm

I've observed in Italy a very big reddish Natrix natrix
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Re: Red Coronella austriaca

Postby Tim Lueddecke » Fri Jun 24, 2016 1:35 pm

This snake looks amazing!
Although I never saw an erythristic snake like that before, I remember that there are several cases of Vipera berus, showing a reddish coloration, which are called "Kupferotter" (Copperadder?) here in Germany.

Don´t know if these color-variation relies on the same mechanism as in the pinned C. austriaca above but both are stunning animals!

Bests,
Tim
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Re: Red Coronella austriaca

Postby Guillaume Gomard » Fri Jun 24, 2016 2:25 pm

Tim Lueddecke wrote: I remember that there are several cases of Vipera berus, showing a reddish coloration, which are called "Kupferotter" (Copperadder?) here in Germany.


Indeed, this example is also cited by the authors: "However, in vipers are known reddish or orange populations; Vipera berus, so called aberration chersea Linnaeus, 1758".

I think Daniel B. already showed in this forum several adders with quite strong orange coloration.
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Re: Red Coronella austriaca

Postby Kristian Munkholm » Fri Jun 24, 2016 2:31 pm

Stunning Coronella

Guillaume Gomard wrote:
Tim Lueddecke wrote: I remember that there are several cases of Vipera berus, showing a reddish coloration, which are called "Kupferotter" (Copperadder?) here in Germany.


Indeed, this example is also cited by the authors: "However, in vipers are known reddish or orange populations; Vipera berus, so called aberration chersea Linnaeus, 1758".

I think Daniel B. already showed in this forum several adders with quite strong orange coloration.


Something like this?

Image
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Re: Red Coronella austriaca

Postby Kristian Munkholm » Fri Jun 24, 2016 2:34 pm

Also...

Lytorhynchus diadema come in two distinct morphs.

Most look like this:

Image


...but a few look like this:

Image
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Re: Red Coronella austriaca

Postby Daniel Bohle » Sun Jun 26, 2016 12:39 pm

Kristian Munkholm wrote:Something like this?


No, this is more or less typical for a lot of juveniles.

But some juveniles look like this:
PA010458.JPG


Depending on the light, if they are in shed and what your camera settings are, they look from brown up to crazy orangen/red.

But they seem to end up all ugly dark brown (females) or black (males) if they are adults.
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Re: Red Coronella austriaca

Postby Daniel Bohle » Sun Jun 26, 2016 12:42 pm

Same animal half a year later...
P4191770.JPG
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Re: Red Coronella austriaca

Postby Kristian Munkholm » Sun Jun 26, 2016 12:59 pm

Daniel Bohle wrote:
Kristian Munkholm wrote:Something like this?


No, this is more or less typical for a lot of juveniles.


Yes, juveniles are more colourful.

This lady was quite red when she was a juvie as well.

Image

...& yes of course lighting and time of year are also significant factors.

The one in the first pic was a lot more colourful (and a lot lighter) than other juveniles I've seen though - crazy orange indeed (more so in real life, and even more so freshly shed a month earlier when I didn't get a pic).

Further, judging by size and time of year, this was probably about 2 years old, not a tiny juvie (but admittedly not entirely dull adult colours yet either.)
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