Hemorrhois

Abstract: External morphology, skull bones, vertebrae, visceral topography and hemipenis features of the Sokotra racer were examined. Considerable differences exist vis-a-vis Palaearctic and East African racers and the insular species is thus referred to a monotypic genus, Hemerophis. The isolated position of H. socotrae (Gunther, 1881) is confirmed by nucleotide sequences of two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome c oxydase I and 12S rRNA. As to its phylogenetic relationship, H. socotrae requires further comparison with Afrotropical colubrids. Based on morphology and molecular data (mtDNA), the whip snake Tyria najadum Eichwald and related eastern Mediterranean species, the East African Coluber florulentus group, and the Arabian endemics Zamenis elegantissimus Gunther and Z. variabilis Boulenger are referred to Platyceps Blyth. Hemorrhois Boie is composed of the western H. algirus (Jan) and H. hippocrepis (Linnaeus), and an eastern subgroup with H. nummifer (Reuss) and H. ravergieri (Menetries). Hemorrhois and Platyceps spp. belong to a monophyletic group including the mainly SaharoSindian genus Spalerosophis Jan. The composition and systematic content of Hierophis Fitzinger remain unclear. To judge from mtDNA data, eastern Mediterranean species including H. caspius (Gmelin) are much closer to Eirenis modestus (Martin) than to the purely European H. gemonensis (Laurenti) and H. viridiflavus (Lacepede). Additional studies with more taxa are necessary to scrutinize the sister group relationship of Eirenis Jan with Hierophis spp. and to assess their phylogenetic affinities with other Palaearctic racer genera.

Abstract: Due to the importance of animal bites in terms of health impacts, potential medical consequences, and the necessity of proper differentiation between venomous and non-venomous snake species, this study was conducted with the aim of identifying non-venomous, or fangless snakes, in Kashan as a major city in central Iran during a three-year period (2010-2012). A total of 41 snakes were collected; 32(78) Ravergier`s racer Hemorrhois (Coluber) ravergieri, 3 (7%) Zebra Snake (Spalerosophis microlepis), 3 (7%) Braid Snake (Platyceps (Coluber) rhodorachis), one (2%) Desert Sand Boa (Eryxmiliaris), one (2%) Dice Snake (Natrixtessellata), and one (2%) Black-headed Snake (Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus). All snakes were taxonomically identified and confirmed to genus and species. All of the snakes were classified as Aglyphic with 97.5% belonging to the Colubridae family, and 2.5% to the Boidae family.Totally,six non-venomous species were identified, and Hemorrhois (Coluber) ravergieri was observed as the most abundant species in the city of Kashan, which is geographically located at the center of Iran. Although envenomation is usually a specific complication associated with venomous snakes, bacterial infections are a potential significant medical complication associated with both venomous and non-venomous snakebites. © 2016 Rouhullah Dehghani et al.

Abstract: Species of Hepatozoon Miller, 1908 are blood parasites most commonly found in snakes but some have been described from all tetrapod groups and a wide variety of hematophagous invertebrates. Previous studies have suggested possible associations between Hepatozoon spp. found in predators and prey. Particularly, some saurophagous snakes from North Africa and the Mediterranean region have been found to be infected with Hepatozoon spp. similar to those of various sympatric lizard hosts. In this study, we have screened tissue samples of 111 North African and Mediterranean snakes, using specific primers for the 18S rRNA gene. In the phylogenetic analysis, the newly-generated Hepatozoon spp. sequences grouped separately into five main clusters. Three of these clusters were composed by Hepatozoon spp. also found in snakes and other reptiles from the Mediterranean Basin and North Africa. In the other two clusters, the new sequences were not closely related to geographically proximate known sequences. The phylogeny of Hepatozoon spp. inferred here was not associated with intermediate host taxonomy or geographical distribution. From the other factors that could explain these evolutionary patterns, the most likely seems series of intermediate hosts providing similar ribotypes of Hepatozoon and a high prevalence of host shifts for Hepatozoon spp. This is indicated by ribotypes of high similarity found in different reptile families, as well as by divergent ribotypes found in the same host species. This potentially low host specificity has profound implications for the systematics of Hepatozoon spp.