Snakes and Wild Life

Snake diversity in the island of Sri Lanka is extremely high, hosting at least 89 inland (i.e., non-marine) snake species, of which at least 49 are endemic. This includes the endemic genera Aspidura, Balanophis, Cercaspis, Haplocercus, and Pseudotyphlops, which are of uncertain phylogenetic affinity. We present phylogenetic evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial loci showing the relationships of 40 snake species from Sri Lanka (22 endemics) to the remaining global snake fauna. To determine the phylogenetic placement of these species, we create a molecular dataset containing 10 genes for all global snake genera, while also sampling all available species for genera with endemic species occurring in Sri Lanka. Our sampling comprises five mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S, cyt-b, ND2, and ND4) and five nuclear genes (BDNF, c-mos, NT3 RAG-1, and RAG-2), for a total of up to 9582 bp per taxon. We find that the five endemic genera represent portions of four independent colonizations of Sri Lanka, with Cercaspis nested within Colubrinae, Balanophis in Natricinae, Pseudotyphlops in Uropeltidae, and that Aspidura + Haplocercus represents a distinct, ancient lineage within Natricinae. We synonymize two endemic genera that render other genera paraphyletic (Haplocercus with Aspidura, and Cercaspis with Lycodon), and discover that further endemic radiations may be present on the island, including a new taxon from the blindsnake family Typhlopidae, suggesting a large endemic radiation. Despite its small size relative to other islands such as New Guinea, Borneo, and Madagascar, Sri Lanka has one of the most phylogenetically diverse island snake faunas in the world, and more research is needed to characterize the island's biodiversity, with numerous undescribed species in multiple lineages.

Snakes are fascinating creature and play an important role in the ecosystem functioning. Due to their predatory nature, they are involved in diverse food webs and ecological guilds. In this context the present study reports 22 species of snakes belonging to 8 families grouped under 18 genera from district Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh. Forest area seemed more diverse than agricultural and rocky areas. Most probable reason might be anthropogenic activities in agricultural areas and difficulty in locating the snake in rocky area.

Snakes, particularly venomous snakes and exceptionally large constricting snakes, have haunted the human brain for a millennium. They appear to be responsible for our excellent vision, as well as the anxiety we feel. Despite the dangers we faced in prehistory, snakes now hold clues to solving some of humankind's most debilitating diseases. Pythons and boas are capable of eating prey that is equal to more than their body weight, and their adaptations for this are providing insight into diabetes. Fascination with snakes has also drawn many to keep them as pets, including the largest species. Their popularity in the pet trade has led to these large constrictors inhabiting southern Florida. This book explores what we know about the largest snakes, how they are kept in captivity, and how they have managed to traverse ocean barriers with our help. REPLACE

Ainda existem áreas de floresta na região de Manaus que abrigam grande diversidade de plantas e animais nativos, incluindo 65 espécies de cobras que são apresentadas neste volume muito bem ilustrado. Guias como este são essenciais para naturalistas, conservacionistas e curiosos em geral. There are still forested areas in Manaus region, home to a great diversity of wildlife, including 65 species of snakes that are presented in this very well-illustrated volume. Guides such as this one are essential to naturalists, conservationists and the curious in general.

""Rituals devoted to the propitiation and supplication of the sarpa, as the common snake is called in Sanskrit, as well as the snake’s supernatural counterpart the Naga, have been in evidence on the Indian sub-continent for more than two millennia . It has been suggested that snake veneration, within the vast corpus of fertility and ancestor cult practices which permeated the South Asian pre-historic devotional landscape , are the ritual seeds from which medieval iconography and devotional practice evolved . The snake figures prominently in the art and narrative of contemporary Saivism, Vaisnavism, Jainism and Buddhism , in addition to the many popular devotional practices of rural village and nomadic peoples throughout India. In part to lingering colonial sentiment dogging the subject of popular religious practice, too often dismissed as primitive , superstitious , peasant or folk practices, serious academic examination of the impact of snake veneration on the religious landscape of India has been limited.

Building on Robert Redfield’s notion that one can construct a valid characterization of pre- or proto-historic peoples through the combined efforts of archaeology and ethnography , and Clifford Geertz’s call for “thick description ” in the interpretation of culture, this paper looks to “thicken” the phenomena of snake sacrifice as a lived practice within distinct cultural theatres, integrated within textual and material referents of sacrifice to, and of, the snake.""

Z10- FAUNA VERTEBRADA DEL ÁREA POTENCIAL PARA LA CONSERVACIÓN (APC) TRIÁNGULO DE LA RESERVA, MUNICIPIO DE TUBARÁ, ATLÁNTICO Y PERSPECTIVAS SOBRE SU CONSERVACIÓN

El Triángulo de la reserva fue declarada como área potencial para la conservación (APC) por la Corporación Autónoma Regional del Atlántico en el 2008. Por su estado de conservación y presencia de fuentes de agua permanente, el Triangulo de la reserva presenta hábitats estratégicos para el sostenimiento de una alta riqueza de especies.  La ONG, Fundación Kamajorú ha realizado muestreos continuos de fauna desde el 2005, registrando 105 especies de vertebrados terrestres, 21contemplados en CITES como especies amenazadas. Para el APC Triangulo de la reserva se registran 48 especies de reptiles, siete citadas en CITES, 17 especies de anfibios y 40 especies de mamíferos, de los cuales se encuentran 14 en CITES. Además, se tiene el registro de 130 especies de aves, 17 consignadas en CITES. Los patrones de uso de las especies, por parte de las comunidades, comprometen a mamíferos como el venado (Mazama gouzoubira), roedores (Cuniculus paca,
Dasyprocta punctata), felinos de los géneros (Herpailurus, Leopardus), reptiles como las tortugas (Chelionoidis carbonaria, Trachemys scripta, Kinostrernonscorpioides) e iguana (Iguana iguana) y aves como la guacharaca (Hortalis spp.) y loros de los géneros Amazona y Aratinga. La depredación sobre grupos
importantes como las serpientes se deben al desconocimiento por parte del público sobre la diferenciación de las especies inofensivas, además ser ávidamente sacrificadas por su connotación mágico-religiosa. La expansión de proyectos urbanísticos, de turismo no sostenible, el tráfico de fauna y la comercialización ilegal de carbón vegetal ponen en peligro las poblaciones locales de vertebrados. Acortar la distancia entre el conocimiento indígena-campesino y los requerimientos de la biología de la conservación es una prioridad urgente, la declaratoria de esta área como parte del SIRAP permitirá el manejo de especies vulnerables y áreas estratégicas para la conservación.

Large-scale biogeographical determinants of snake assemblages may underestimate the effects of local factors that operate within restricted areas. We determined the influence of ecological gradients on the richness and species composition of snakes in the Reserva Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Multivariate analyses revealed aspects of habitat selection by snakes which would be impossible to detect with large-scale approaches. There was no evidence for a relationship between the number of species recorded per plot and any of the variables measured. However, the species composition, based on a matrix of Chao dissimilarities between plots, differed significantly between riparian and non-riparian areas. The results have important implications for management and conservation, because Brazilian environmental legislation only provides protection up to 30 m away from streams like those of Reserva Ducke, while snakes use larger riparian areas. If only the areas contemplated by law are protected, the majority of species associated with riparian areas are at risk.

A Biota Neotropica é uma revista eletrônica e está integral e gratuitamente disponível no endereço https://www.biotaneotropica.org.br Biota Neotropica is an electronic, peer-reviewed journal edited by the Program BIOTA/FAPESP: The Virtual Institute of Biodiversity. This journal's aim is to disseminate the results of original research work, associated or not to the program, concerned with characterization, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity within the Neotropical region.

Rituals devoted to the propitiation and supplication of the sarpa, as the common snake is called in Sanskrit, as well as the snake’s supernatural counterpart the Naga, have been in evidence on the Indian sub-continent for more than two millennia . It has been suggested that snake veneration, within the vast corpus of fertility and ancestor cult practices which permeated the South Asian pre-historic devotional landscape , are the ritual seeds from which medieval iconography and devotional practice evolved . The snake figures prominently in the art and narrative of contemporary Saivism, Vaisnavism, Jainism and Buddhism , in addition to the many popular devotional practices of rural village and nomadic peoples throughout India. In part to lingering colonial sentiment dogging the subject of popular religious practice, too often dismissed as primitive , superstitious , peasant or folk practices, serious academic examination of the impact of snake veneration on the religious landscape of India has been limited.

Building on Robert Redfield’s notion that one can construct a valid characterization of pre- or proto-historic peoples through the combined efforts of archaeology and ethnography , and Clifford Geertz’s call for “thick description ” in the interpretation of culture, this paper looks to “thicken” the phenomena of snake sacrifice as a lived practice within distinct cultural theatres, integrated within textual and material referents of sacrifice to, and of, the snake.""

The  Indian  Egg-eating  Snake  Elachistodon westermanni  Reinhardt,  1863  is  the  only  species in the monotypic genus  Elachistodon  Reinhardt, 1863.  Sparse  distribution  records  and  an  elusive nature  make  it  one  of  the  least  studied  Indian snake  species.  It  is  currently  known  from  sixteen  sites  spread  across  Bangladesh,  India  and Nepal.  I  here  take  the  opportunity  to  report  a new  locality,  which  extends  the  distribution  of the  species  to  the  south  and  also  provide  notes on  the  behavior  and  captive  feeding  of  E. westermanni.

Copyright is held by the authors. Articles in R&A are made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. O f the more than 3,500 known species of snakes (Uetz et al. 2021), nearly 90 have been recorded in Nepal (Shah and Tiwari 2004; Kästle et al. 2013; Sharma et al. 2013). However, many of the records from Nepal are based on either presence-only surveys or anecdotal information. Herein we provide a checklist of snakes found in and around Bardiya National Park (BNP) and its buffer zone. Bardiya National Park (28°15'-28°35.5'N, 80°10'-81°45'E; elevational range 152-1,564 m asl) (Fig. 1) covers an area of 968 km 2 in the southwestern lowlands of Lumbini Province, Bardiya District, Nepal (Bhuju et al. 2007; DNPWC 2021). A buffer zone of 327 km 2 with forested areas and farmland surrounding the park was added in 1996 and another 180-km 2 area in the north was included in 2011. The climate is temperate with dry winters and hot summers. Biomes include tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, shrublands, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, although no forests are intact. The recorded biodiversity is 839 species of plants and 667 species of animals. We collected information on snakes collected from BNP and its buffer zone in 2010-2021 from the database of the National Trust for Nature Conservation, Bardiya Conservation Program (NTNC-BCP) rescue records and by reviewing the literature, recording opportunistic sightings, interviewing local residents, and gathering data posted on various social media platforms. We evaluated all data and included only reliable information documented by photographs acquired from snake handlers and nature guides of the Buffer Zone User Group (BZUG) or technicians and staff of the NTNC-BCP. We identified species using published guidebooks (Dutta and Manamendra-Arachchi 1996; Shah and Tiwari 2004; Sharma et al. 2013; Bhattarai et al. 2020). We recorded 24 species of snakes in eight families in and around BNP and its buffer zone (Table 1; Fig. 2). Twentytwo of the species were among the 27 recorded by Shah and Tiwari (2004) in and around Bardiya National Park, and 16 were among the 18 listed by Subedi et al. (2021) in the Chure Region. We recorded eight species not listed by Subedi et al. (2021) and three species that had not been recorded by Shah and Tiwari (2004). Subedi et al. (2021) listed two species and Shah and Tiwari (2004) six species we did not find during our survey. When compared to other areas in Nepal, the species diversity in the vicinity of BNP corresponds to the 19 (18 in common) recorded in Parsa National Park (Bhattarai et al. 2018), 25 (16) throughout the Chure Range (Bhattarai et al. 2020), and 30 (22) in Shuklaphanta National Park (Rawat et al. 2020). Nepal's snake diversity and that of BNP in particular are threatened by habitat degradation, nest damage, roadkills, and indiscriminate killing attributable to unfavorable perceptions of snakes (Shah and Gautam 2010). Many Nepalese do not distinguish venomous and non-venomous snakes and assume that all snakes are dangerous and must be killed (Thapa 2007). Also, research and conservation efforts frequently are consid

Threatened species are those that have a high probability of extinction or are close to this situation to continue direct pressure on them or their habitats. From this definition we analyze problems and biases in the categories of threat of Argentine snakes, showing examples where taxonomic changes (Linnaean shortfall), gaps in knowledge about the distribution of species (Wallacean shortfall), or bio-ecological aspects (Haeckelean shortfall) generate biases in the allocation of its conservation status. We proposed that endangered species should be listed as hypothesis, by analyzing scientifically quantitative and / or qualitative information about its geographic distribution, size and population trend and bio-ecological characteristics that make them vulnerable against anthropogenic effects. As a result, will be reject or not its inclusion

Squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) are one of the most diverse groups of terrestrial vertebrates. Recent molecular analyses have suggested a very different squamate phylogeny relative to mor- phological hypotheses, but many aspects remain uncertain from molecular data. Here, we analyse higher-level squamate phylogeny with a molecu- lar dataset of unprecedented size, including 161 squamate species for up to 44 nuclear genes each (33 717 base pairs), using both concatenated and species-tree methods for the first time. Our results strongly resolve most squamate relation- ships and reveal some surprising results. In contrast to most other recent studies, we find that dibamids and gekkotans are together the sister group to all other squamates. Remarkably, we find that the distinctive scolecophidians (blind snakes) are paraphyletic with respect to other snakes, suggesting that snakes were primitively burrowers and subsequently re-invaded surface habitats. Finally, we find that some clades remain poorly supported, despite our extensive data. Our analyses show that weakly supported clades are associated with relatively short branches for which individual genes often show conflicting relationships. These latter results have important implications for all studies that attempt to resolve phylogenies with large-scale phylogenomic datasets.

We take for granted that image of the snake is an essential religious and cultural idiom of India. The material presence of the snake, whether in-the-flesh or in simulacrum, simultaneously embodies awe and fear like no other entity across the pan-Indian religious landscape. The influence of snake veneration on the understanding of the sacred made flesh is at the core of what this paper contemplates, albeit within the necessarily narrower scope of the śramanic faiths, les soit-disantes traditions savantes, which are represented today by the Jain and Buddhist faiths. In this paper I argue that these śramanic faiths, with their complex and often tense relationship between the ascetics and their laity , were conceptual vehicles which, when combined with indigenous notions of the embodied sacred, later conceived iconographically, permitted non-Vedic populations a means of asserting their cultural and religious identities through the body and image of sacred snakes.

This article explores British Orientalist construction of ‘snake-infested’ India focusing on the constitution of Orientalist discourse through the real experience of the colonisers gained in course of their extensive engagement with Indian wilderness while they began to subjugate more and more areas of the subcontinent. The main thrust of this article is to prove that, the Orientalist creation of the inferior image of venomous Indian snakes and the land they dwelled, as reflected in a range of nineteenth-century colonial literature, was definitely not a product fashioned through the Western interpretation of classical Indian texts; rather, this Orientalist understanding was inevitably fostered through the visible reality of livelihood in India and influenced by a traditional Christian sense of animosity towards snakes. This article, therefore, is a critique of the argument that scholastic construction of Orientalism derived only from the Western interpretation of scriptural accounts of the East.

Acknowledgement: This is the Postprint Version of the article: "Indian Snakes and Snaky India: British Orientalist Construction of a Snake-Ridden Landscape during the Nineteenth Century", Rahul Bhaumik, Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities Vol. IX, No 2, August 2017, link to the article https://rupkatha.com/V9/n2/v9n224.pdf, ink to the journal www.rupkatha.com, which has been published after peer review and in a final version at https://rupkatha.com/V9/n2/v9n224.pdf.

The ecology of the genus Thamnodynastes has received little study, and problems with its taxonomy have generated imprecise and incorrect data. We analyzed the reproductive biology, sexual dimorphism, feeding ecology, habitat use, and seasonal activity of Thamnodynastes hypoconia in its subtropical-temperate area of distribution. We discuss its main ecological traits in light of the competition and predation, and the deep-history hypotheses. Males and females attained sexual maturity at different body sizes, with females achieving the largest sizes. In this species, the males and females had no difference in the body size, and males had more ventral scales than did the females. The females' reproductive cycle was seasonal and not annual, with parturition occurring in summer, whereas the cycle of the males was continuous. Thamnodynastes hypoconia feeds mainly on amphibians (97%) and occasionally on lizards (3%). As in other Thamnodynastes snakes, hylid frogs were the most common type of prey consumed (34%). Thamnodynastes hypoconia is primarily a twilight-nocturnal species that inhabits wetlands (large rivers and their floodplains), where its prey is abundant. Its activity is seasonal, with a high number of individuals encountered during the warm months. The similarity between the natural history traits of T. hypoconia (anurophagy, seasonal reproductive cycle, aquatic and nocturnal habits) and other species of the genus suggests there is phylogenetic conservatism, mainly of its ecomorphological traits, which is a pattern commonly reported for Dipsadidae snakes.

The South American Cerrado harbors a rich reptilian fauna with high number of endemics. However, knowledge of this diversity is still incipient in front of accelerated transformation of natural landscapes, which makes the domain a “hotspot” for study and conservation of global biodiversity. Studies on the reptile fauna of Cerrado are urgently needed for a better understanding of the processes that led to their origin and distribution and to support conservation planning. We used standard methods to sample two unexplored regions of the Serra Geral do Tocantins Ecological Station (EESGT), located in the Jalapão region of the Cerrado domain. We recorded 45 species of reptiles for the EESGT and surroundings, which represents high species richness, comparable to other well-sampled regions of the Cerrado. Accumulation curves and estimators indicate that sampled richness of lizards and amphisbaenas are close to real values. However, current sampling underestimates snake richness.
The non-random distribution of species in the landscape agrees with previous evidence suggesting differential use of habitats by Cerrado reptiles. Combining the results of this study with those of previous surveys conducted in the region, we recorded 88 species of reptiles for the Jalapão region with eight new records, including Bachia oxyrhina, a recent described species of this region. We found three general patterns of distribution: (1) species endemic of the Cerrado domain, (2) species shared with the domains of the South American diagonal of tropical open formations, (3) species widely distributed, also shared with forest ecosystems. Species of wide distribution prevails in the region, but there is large number of species typical of the Cerrado, possibly including five endemics to Jalapão, and there is an important contribution of the Caatinga fauna. The distribution of reptile species in local and regional scales shows the need to consider the landscape heterogeneity for adequate conservation planning in the Cerrado region. Because of the physical and biotic characteristics, EESGT has a key role in the preservation
and knowledge of the diversity of Cerrado reptiles.

Threatened species are those that have a high probability of extinction or are close to this situation to continue direct pressure on them or their habitats. From this definition we analyze problems and biases in the categories of threat of Argentine snakes, showing examples where taxonomic changes (Linnaean shortfall), gaps in knowledge about the distribution of species (Wallacean shortfall), or bio-ecological aspects (Haeckelean shortfall) generate biases in the allocation of its conservation status. We proposed that endangered species should be listed as hypothesis, by analyzing scientifically quantitative and / or qualitative information about its geographic distribution, size and population trend and bio-ecological characteristics that make them vulnerable against anthropogenic effects. As a result, will be reject or not its

Tidak lama berselang dari diketemukannya Rhabdophis chrysargos juvenile yang kami bahas beberapa waktu lalu, muncul kembali spesies yang sama dengan ukuran yang berbeda. Spesies ini memiliki ciri morfologi yang berbeda antara yang belum dewasa dengan yang sudah dewasa.

During the nineteenth century, the British Raj launched a campaign to reduce the number of people killed annually by venomous snakes on the Indian subcontinent. Unlike its successful effort to cull large mammals, the colonial government was forced to abolish its bounty scheme in 1890 and instead seek to use sanitation to reduce interactions between humans and snakes. This article will assess this transition in policy as a means to understand how attitudes towards the governance of animals were shaped by cultural and ecological factors. It will be shown that during its inception, discourses of scientific governance statistically augmented perceptions of the threat posed by snakes, presenting them as a direct yet manageable danger within an anthropocentric cultural model. However, financial and practical limitations forced the government to recognise that the behaviour, seasonal patterns and territorial movements of snakes influenced the rate of mortality, and thus adjust its policy to acknowledge the experience of cohabitation in India’s diverse ecological contexts.

Abstract. Herein we report two occurrences of predation on juveniles of the invasive Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus, by native anuran and reptile predators in southeast Brazil. The first predator was the frog Leptodactylus ocellatus, and the second one was the water snake Liophis miliaris, both common species known to feed on anurans. These are the first records of predation on this invasive species in Brazil. Keywords. Biological invasion, predation, exotic prey, native predators.

Snakes utilize chemical and visual stimuli during predation, however the emphasis on these cues and which cues are used to initiate predation varies among species. For example, rattlesnakes using the ambush strategy rely on chemical cues to locate an ambush station, then visual and thermal cues to initiate envenomating strikes, then chemical cues again to track prey. By contrast, many natricine snakes use chemical cues to initiate predation, increasing the rate of tongue flicking regardless of whether visual cues are present. The present study examined the individual and interactive effects of chemical and visual stimuli of prey on the predatory behavior of five snake taxa representing three feeding guilds. Bull snakes (Pituophis catenifer), Eastern Corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus), and Midland Rat snakes (Scotophis spiloides) have a diet primarily consisting of mammals; Western Fox snakes (Mintonius vulpina) prey primarily on bird eggs; and Common Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula) prey equally on mammals and reptiles. Three patterns of response to chemical and visual stimuli of the test prey (Mus musculus) were observed. Mammal specialists responded to chemical cues. Fox snakes responded to visual cues, but not to chemical cues. Kingsnakes exhibited increased rates of tongue flicking in response to both chemical and visual stimuli. This study suggests correlations between the evolution of prey preference, foraging ecology and the utilization of chemical or visual stimuli by snakes.

Studies leading to decision-making for environmental licensing often fail to provide accurate estimates of diversity. Measures of snake diversity are regularly obtained to assess development impacts in the rainforests of the Amazon Basin, but this taxonomic group may be subject to poor detection probabilities. Recently, the Brazilian government tried to standardize sampling designs by the implementation of a system (RAPELD) to quantify biological diversity using spatiallystandardized sampling units. Consistency in sampling design allows the detection probabilities to be compared among taxa, and sampling effort and associated cost to be evaluated. The cost effectiveness of detecting snakes has received no attention in Amazonia. Here we tested the effects of reducing sampling effort on estimates of species densities and assemblage composition. We identified snakes in seven plot systems, each standardised with 14 plots. The 250 m long centre line of each plot followed an altitudinal contour. Surveys were repeated four times in each plot and detection probabilities were estimated for the 41 species encountered. Reducing the number of observations, or the size of the sampling modules, caused significant loss of information on species densities and local patterns of variation in assemblage composition. We estimated the cost to find a snake as $ 120 U.S., but general linear models indicated the possibility of identifying differences in assemblage composition for half the overall survey costs. Decisions to reduce sampling effort depend on the importance of lost information to target-issues, and may not be the preferred option if there is the potential for identifying individual snake species requiring specific conservation actions. However, in most studies of human disturbance on species assemblages, it is likely to be more cost-effective to focus on other groups of organisms with higher detection probabilities.

The snake Oxyrhopus clathratus, which has a restricted distribution within the Atlantic Forest Domain, exhibits great variability in color pattern, shape of the hemipenis, and scalation. The extent of variation has resulted in substantial taxonomic confusion. To date, identification and recognition are problematic, and this is reflected in the synonymy of the species. We examine the type series and specimens from throughout the species’ distribution to assess intraspecific morphological variation. Morphological variability is correlated with geographical distribution and elevation. Further, we explore whether the morphological data support recognition of more than one species or not. The results suggest that O. clathratus is a single species that exhibits considerable variation in morphology, including three distinct patterns of coloration (melanistic, melanistic with inconspicuous narrow light bands, and with conspicuous dark and light bands alternating along the body) that overlap geographically. The morphology of the ornamented hemipenes varies between "T-shape” and "Y-shape" forms, which occur without geographical or elevational structuring. The loreals are usually absent. Based on our results we designate a lectotype for the species.

(Forthcoming Routledge 2020) During the days of the British Empire, colonial officers and civil servants enjoyed hunting wild animals: tigers, lions, bears, and elephants found themselves on the end of a bullet. To hunt such an animal was an exciting experience but these hunts were about more than simply 'the thrill of the chase'; the hunting of big game promoted camaraderie and fostered a spirit of fair play among the participants that was integral to the late-Victorian and Edwardian imperialist 'games ethic'. Like their counterparts in real life, the heroes of popular literature were always good hunters, and their targets were usually lions. Lions have traditionally been thought of as the 'king of the jungle', and so they were in a number of 'five shilling' works such as those by the arch-imperialist, G. A. Henty. Yet in a number of penny periodicals or 'dreadfuls', the serpent was the most fearsome animal. This chapter analyses the portrayals of snakes in late-Victorian boys' magazines. It contextualises these stories alongside newspaper reports of encounters with serpents and develops what might be called a typology of snakes. This will help us to further understand the various ways in which Victorians viewed these enigmatic yet fearful animals because younger readers would have received their understanding of animals from penny magazines and novels, much as many people's knowledge of snakes today might come from sensationalised snake documentaries. They would not have bought the latest scientific paper on snakes published in journals such as the newly-founded Nature (established in 1869) or the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (founded in 1834). As I will show here, there are three ways in which snakes were portrayed in popular literary works: the first is that the snake was represented as a tool of natives' orientalist treachery; the second manner in which snakes were used was as invaders of the human realm; finally, that the serpent was the real 'king of the jungle', as snakes always appeared when colonial adventurers strayed too far into the jungle.

Os Cerrados sul-americanos abrigam alta diversidade de répteis, incluindo elevado número de endemismos. No entanto, o conhecimento desta diversidade é ainda incompleto frente à acelerada transformação das paisagens naturais no Brasil central. Constituem, portanto, uma das regiões prioritárias para estudo e conservação da biodiversidade mundial. Estudos intensivos sobre a fauna de répteis do Cerrado são necessários e urgentes para melhor compreensão dos processos que levaram à sua origem e distribuição e para subsidiar ações de conservação. Por meio de métodos padronizados, amostramos duas regiões ainda inexploradas da Estação Ecológica Serra Geral do Tocantins, situada na região do Jalapão. Registramos 45 espécies de répteis para a EESGT e entorno, o que representa uma riqueza alta e comparável à de outras regiões bem amostradas do Cerrado. Curvas de acumulação e estimadores indicam que a riqueza local de lagartos e anfisbenídeos aproxima-se da riqueza real enquanto a de serpentes é...