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Re: Reptiles and amphibians of the Province of Saratov

PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:43 pm
by Bobby Bok
That sure is a stunning tessellata :shock:

Re: Reptiles and amphibians of the Province of Saratov

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 6:33 am
by Ruggero M.
Bobby Bok wrote:That sure is a stunning tessellata :shock:


A hint of dorsal markings is present, if you carefully see at picture number 3.
I've personally found two black specimens of tessellata in northern Italy, in two different places and occasions.
The first specimen was totally ink black (really 100% pure black on dorsum and belly): when I saw it crawling I thought at first it was a strange (young) incredibly melanic viridiflavus.
The second one was freshly hit by a car and agonizing. Totally ink black as the first one, but with a red throat region.
No pictures, these facts happened years ago: you can only trust me or not, but I can assure you I'm 100% sure of what I found... :lol:

P.s. Thinking about my second specimen: there is an ink black colour variation in aspis, with red throat, called "infernalis".
The fact that I've seen exactly the same particular colours association in tessellata, induces me to think that maybe the genes that control the black colour and the ones which control the red throat go often together. In addition, we can see some red colour too on the belly of the specimen photographed by Evgeny...

Without considering species as Dolichophis jugularis or Pseudechis porphyriacus... :lol:

Re: Reptiles and amphibians of the Province of Saratov

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:09 am
by Michal Szkudlarek
Ruggero Morimando wrote:
Bobby Bok wrote:That sure is a stunning tessellata :shock:


A hint of dorsal markings is present, if you carefully see at picture number 3.
I've personally found two black specimens of tessellata in northern Italy, in two different places and occasions.
The first specimen was totally ink black (really 100% pure black on dorsum and belly): when I saw it crawling I thought at first it was a strange (young) incredibly melanic viridiflavus.
The second one was freshly hit by a car and agonizing. Totally ink black as the first one, but with a red throat region.
No pictures, these facts happened years ago: you can only trust me or not, but I can assure you I'm 100% sure of what I found... :lol:

P.s. Thinking about my second specimen: there is an ink black colour variation in aspis, with red throat, called "infernalis".
The fact that I've seen exactly the same particular colours association in tessellata, induces me to think that maybe the genes that control the black colour and the ones which control the red throat go often together. In addition, we can see some red colour too on the belly of the specimen photographed by Evgeny...

Without considering species as Dolichophis jugularis or Pseudechis porphyriacus... :lol:

I have heard in a lecture that black+yellow is most prominent aposematic colouration. Maybe this is why you claim that black and yellow go in pair- because they have synergic effect.

Re: Reptiles and amphibians of the Province of Saratov

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:46 am
by Ruggero M.
Yes, Michal, black and yellow colours are present in wasps and in snakes too: I think now at Bungarus fasciatus, for instance.
But I was actually writing about red belly (or throat) and ink-black ground colour: another frequently encountered colour combination in snakes ! ;)

http://www.gettyimages.it/detail/foto/a ... /580573929

Re: Reptiles and amphibians of the Province of Saratov

PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 2:51 pm
by Berislav Horvatic
... maybe the genes that control the black colour and the ones which control the red throat
go often together.

Maybe, just maybe, who knows. (Does anyone?)
Two adders (Vipera berus berus, "Italian" or "Alpine" clade) from Gorski Kotar, Croatia - just
"for the fun of it", or as an illustration:

Be_8415_RED.jpg

BH_NN_6910_RED.jpg