Female Reproduction in the Rainbow Water Snake, Enhydris enhydris (Serpentes, Colubridae, Homalopsinae)
Keywords:
Enhydris enhydris, Homalopsinae, aquatic snake reproduction, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Tonle SapAbstract
One hundred and thirteen female Enhydris enhydris from three
locations (Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand) were examined for eggs and
embryos. In the sample of 32 gravid females from Cambodia the mean
snout-vent length was 564 mm and the clutch size ranged from six to 39 with
a mean of 20.3. Eight gravid females from Myanmar had an average snoutvent
length of 428 mm and the clutch size ranged from six to 11 with a mean
of 7.8. In the sample of 18 gravid females from Thailand the mean snoutvent
length was 426 mm and the clutch size ranged from five to 16 with a
mean of 8.1. On average the gravid female snakes in the Cambodian sample
were larger in body size, clutch size, and relative clutch mass than the
female snakes from the Myanmar and Thailand localities. Female mass was
significantly correlated with clutch size. Females synchronize reproduction
within populations and in Cambodia it appears that there are two seasons
when snakes reproduce. A comparison of E. enhydris clutch sizes at Tonle
Sap, Cambodia in 1971 and 2000 suggests that clutch size has increased
markedly, which may be an indirect result of human fishing activities.
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