Annual activity pattern of Pseudocerastes urarachnoides BOSTANCHI, ANDERSON, KAMI & PAPENFUSS, 2006, with notes on its natural history (Squamata: Serpentes: Viperidae)

作者：Fathinia Behzad^*; Rastegar Pouyani Nasrullah; Rastegar Pouyani Eskandar; Todehdehghan Fatemeh; Mansouri Mahmood

来源：Herpetozoa, 2017, 29(3-4): 135-142.

• Squamata: Serpentes: Viperidae
• Pseudocerastes urarachnoides
• ecology
• behavior
• annual activity pattern
• natural history
• habitat
• Zagros Mountains
• Iran

The Spider-tailed Viper, Pseudocerastes urarachnoides BOSTANCHI, ANDERSON, KAMI & PAPENFUSS, 2006, is an endemic snake of western Iran that uses an elaborate caudal structure for luring avian prey. As many as 30 individuals of P. urarachnoides were detected in the field, their habitat associations were revealed and the annual activity pattern of 10 individuals was monitored for 13 months. The annual above-ground activity of this viper begins with the emergence from hibernation in early April and ends with the entry into the hibemaculum in late November. The activity pattern is bimodal with peaks in spring and late summer / early autumn. For ambush, P urarachnoides favors the concealment by trees over bushes; it prefers ambushing in holes of steep slopes, such as vertical limestone rocks, to flat substrates. Above-ground presence is significantly correlated with temperature and humidity only during some months. These findings contribute fundamental knowledge for future biological and ecological studies, such as population estimation, conservation programs, tourism, and habitat management decisions.