Differences among Populations of the Mekong Mud Snake (Enhydris subtaeniata: Serpentes: Homalopsidae) in Indochina

Authors

  • HAROLD K. VORIS Department of Zoology, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
  • JOHN C. MURPHY Department of Zoology, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
  • DARYL R. KARNS Department of Zoology, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
  • ERICA KREMER Department of Biology and Rivers Institute, Hanover College, Hanover, IN 47243, USA
  • KATHARINE O’CONNELL Department of Biology and Rivers Institute, Hanover College, Hanover, IN 47243, USA

Keywords:

Freshwater snake, biogeography, sea levels, Mekong River, Chao Phraya River, Khorat Basin

Abstract

This study examines between-population variation of the Mekong Mud Snake, Enhydris subtaeniata (Bourret, 1934) in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam, and relates the observed patterns to previously published patterns based on molecular data. Enhydris subtaeniata were collected from six representative locations throughout its range that encompassed three important river drainage basins: the Chao Phraya, the Middle Mekong and the Lower Mekong. Data on size, sexual size dimorphism, scalation, reproductive biology and diet were used to explore biogeographical patterns revealed by a previously published phylogenetic and population genetic analysis. In several cases the size and reproductive characteristics mirrored the genetic differences and habitat differences associated with the sampled locations.

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Published

2012-10-01

How to Cite

[1]
VORIS, H.K., MURPHY, J.C., KARNS, D.R., KREMER, E. and O’CONNELL, K. 2012. Differences among Populations of the Mekong Mud Snake (Enhydris subtaeniata: Serpentes: Homalopsidae) in Indochina. Tropical Natural History. 12, 2 (Oct. 2012), 175–188.

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2012): October

Section

Original Articles

License

Chulalongkorn University. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher