Sexual dimorphism and reproductive biology of the Asian bockadam snake (Cerberus schneiderii) in West Java

Sexual dimorphism and reproductive biology of the Asian bockadam snake (Cerberus schneiderii) in West Java

Although they are among the most abundant snakes on Earth, and are heavily exploited for their skins and meat, Asian bockadams (or “dog-faced water snakes”, Cerberus schneiderii ) have attracted relatively little study across their wide geographic range. Based on dissection of 3,382 snakes brought t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 20730
Main Authors: Herlambang, Alamsyah E. N., Kusrini, Mirza D., Hamidy, Amir, Arida, Evy, Mumpuni, Riyanto, Awal, Shine, Richard, Natusch, Daniel
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-12-2022
Nature Publishing Group
Nature Portfolio
Subjects:
631/158
631/601
704/172
Animals
Aquatic reptiles
Asian People
Biology
Colubridae
Female
Females
Gender differences
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Indonesia
Life history
Life sciences
Male
Males
multidisciplinary
Offspring
Ovaries
Population viability
Random variables
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Seasonal variations
Sex Characteristics
Sex ratio
Sexual dimorphism
Snakes
Indonesia
West Java Indonesia
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Summary:Although they are among the most abundant snakes on Earth, and are heavily exploited for their skins and meat, Asian bockadams (or “dog-faced water snakes”, Cerberus schneiderii ) have attracted relatively little study across their wide geographic range. Based on dissection of 3,382 snakes brought to processing facilities in and around the city of Cirebon in West Java, Indonesia, we document facets of the biology of these mangrove-dwelling aquatic homalopsids. Females attain larger body sizes than do males, and are heavier-bodied (due in part to greater fat reserves) but have shorter tails relative to snout-vent length. Males showed testicular enlargement late in the year (August-November) but both reproductive and non-reproductive females were found year-round. Litters were large (3 to 45 offspring), especially in larger females. The commercial harvest falls mainly on adult snakes of both sexes, with seasonal variation in sex ratios. Life-history traits such as early maturation and frequent production of large litters render this species resilient to commercial harvesting. Future research should explore reasons for strong variation among facilities in the sex ratios of snakes, potentially identifying ways to focus the harvest on the sex (males) whose numbers are less critical for population viability.
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ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-25007-6