A survey on Non-Venomous Snakes in Kashan (Central Iran)

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.