In this report, we describe morphological characteristics of a dicephalic Steppes Ratsnake （Elaphe dione） collected from the wild in 2011 in South Korea. The specimen has two heads and two long necks. Unlike normal ...In this report, we describe morphological characteristics of a dicephalic Steppes Ratsnake （Elaphe dione） collected from the wild in 2011 in South Korea. The specimen has two heads and two long necks. Unlike normal individuals, the dicephalic snake has divided ventral scales under the necks of the bifurcated columns. The snout- vent length （SVL） and overall total length of the individual are shorter than those of normal snakes of the same age. Nevertheless, the counts of nine different scale types that are often used for classification are all within the ranges of normal individuals. As far as we know, this is the first detailed morphological description of a dicephalic E. dione in the scientific literature.展开更多
基金supported by 2013 Research Grant(C100983401-01) from Kangwon National University
文摘In this report, we describe morphological characteristics of a dicephalic Steppes Ratsnake （Elaphe dione） collected from the wild in 2011 in South Korea. The specimen has two heads and two long necks. Unlike normal individuals, the dicephalic snake has divided ventral scales under the necks of the bifurcated columns. The snout- vent length （SVL） and overall total length of the individual are shorter than those of normal snakes of the same age. Nevertheless, the counts of nine different scale types that are often used for classification are all within the ranges of normal individuals. As far as we know, this is the first detailed morphological description of a dicephalic E. dione in the scientific literature.
