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Holy Black Beauty


Holy Black Beauty
Photo Information
Copyright: Bayram Gocmen (boreocypriensis) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 740 W: 3 N: 2323] (8266)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-05-25
Categories: Nature
Camera: Nikon D-5000, AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, @ ISO 800, SIGMA 62MM EX DG MC UV Filter
Exposure: f/10.0, 1/640 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Snakes (Reptilia) of the Middle East [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-07-07 21:28
Viewed: 237
Points: 44
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Dolichophis jugularis (Black Whip Snake) (in Turk. Kara Yılan)

Another shot from our last herpetological trip, a really magnificent beauty:) from the around of Anavarza Castle (Tumlu, Ceyhan). It is accepted as "holy" by Cypriots, and many old people (like my Mum Ulfet) believe that each Black Whip snake represent "the spirit of the late son". Thus when they a black whip snake around their home, a dish fulled up with milk is put on the near of the threshold for its drinking.
Hope you can like this black beauty:)
TFL and Have a nice day!
Cheers,

©Bayram GÖÇMEN, Ege University, Faculty of Science. All Rights Reserved.

*****************************
Black Whip Snake, up to maximum 2.5 -even 3 m in Cyprus -total length, black when adult but grey peppered black and white when young (up to approx. 1 m), is an active diurnal snake with its ferocious, “relatively docile” behaviour. It is widespread in Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel with a vertical distribution up to 1400 m. and represented with three subspecies in known distribution area:

• D. j. jugularis, with red throat, in Anatolia and northern Syria,
• D. j. asianus, with black and white throat, in southern Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Mediterranean Israel, and
• D. j. cypriacus, with mostly black venter, anteriorly speckled with some red, which is an endemic subspecies of the island of Cyprus.

It lives in dry, open places, rocky river banks, rocky-stony slopes, fields and swamps; can also be seen in gardens, vineyards and cemeteries. It shelters under stones and in rodent galleries. It is known to feed mainly on rodents (especially mice and rats) and lizards; sometimes even on other snakes. Since it consumes crop-harming rodents, it was used in agricultural pest control in Cyprus.

This snake species is, despite of its virtual harmlessness, one of the most feared snakes by the natives, thanks to its large size, diurnal lifestyle, intense hissing and striking when cornered. Therefore, it is often confused with uniform black venomous snake, Walterinnesia morgani (=W. aegyptia) (Desert/Egyptian Cobra) in some distribution areas (such as SE Anatolia, Syria and Jordan) where they were found in sympatric. It can be distinguished by the presence of a loreal scale on the head and the only divided subcaudal plates, also bigger eyes, diurnal life and different striking behaviour. In Desert cobra the loreal plate is lacked on the head, there is the mixture of divided and undivided subcaudals. Also the later is mostly nocturnal with a smaller size around 1 meter, and in comparison with Black whip snake, it moves slowly and mostly strikes with closed mouth.

References:

1. Göçmen, B. (Unpub. results). The results of herpetological trips.
2. Budak, A. & Göçmen, B. (2005). Herpetology. Ege Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Kitaplar Serisi, No. 194, Ege Üniversitesi Basimevi, Bornova-Izmir, 226 pp. [2nd Edition, 2008].
3. Göçmen, B., Franzen, M., Yildiz, M. Z., Akman, B. & Yalçinkaya, D. (2009). New locality records of eremial snake species in southeastern Turkey (Ophidia: Colubridae, Elapidae, Typhlopidae, Leptotyphlopidae). Salamandra, 45 (2): 110-114.
4. Göçmen, B., Werner, Y. L. & Elbeyli, B. (2008). Cannibalism in Dolichophis jugularis (Serpentes: Colubridae): More than Random?. Current Herpetology, 27 (1): 1-7 [In English with English Summary].
5. Atatür, M. K. & Göçmen, B. (2001). Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern Cyprus [Kuzey Kibris'in Kurbaga ve Sürüngenleri], Ege Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Kitaplar Serisi, No. 170, Ege Üniversitesi Basimevi, Bornova-Izmir, 63 pp (ISBN 975-483-486-5) [In Turkish & English, 63 pp.].
horias, brunorsantana, shaukatmi, juyona, manujmehta, mesquens1, cunejo200, ayse51, tanburi, Fortuna, eungbong, jjanczyk, akg has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Great close up, my friend. We can see amazing details of the snake. Nice texture and colors. Congratulations and TFS!

Abração,
Bruno

  • Great 
  • horias Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 247 W: 56 N: 568] (3925)
  • [2009-07-07 21:33]

Hi Bairam,
Another very good capture! And your note is great.Congratulation!
Horia

Merhaba Bayram. Nice close up of the black snake with great details. The texture of the scales and the eye is very wel captured. a very informative note. I will stay from this one. Selamlar.

  • Great 
  • juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2642 W: 1 N: 1264] (15445)
  • [2009-07-07 22:01]

WOOW friend,
magnificent close.
atractive detail and texture,
nice pov.
saludos Bay.

Merhaba Hocam,
Nefis bir yılan portresi, netlik, detaylar ve pürüzsüz arka plan nefis.Eline sağlık.
Selamlarımla..

hAyAti

  • Great 
  • AndroK Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 1498 W: 23 N: 0] (11836)
  • [2009-07-08 0:07]

Merhaba my friend...
I dont like snake :-(((
but beautiful amazing details, colors...
Regards...
Andro

  • Great 
  • soe Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 402 W: 0 N: 107] (2461)
  • [2009-07-08 0:08]

Salam Bayram
Excellent micro shot.Wonderful detail and texture of black snake.Nice POV and great lighting with great note.
Tin Soe

hello Bayram
hope you are doing fine
great focus and sharpness
fine colours and great dof
nice contrast and exposure
regards
MAnuj Mehta

Bonjour Bayram
great shot as well as artistical and scientific ones: perfect pov sharpness colours and bg
Bonne journée
henri

hello Bayram,
Clear, sharp, rigorous and controlled composition.
Very, very good.
Saude,
Raimundo

Hello Bayram,
The diagonal composition, the shrap focus on the serpent's eye, the skin texture, and optimum tech settings make this a very successful posting. Your Note is academic and highly informative. Best regards...
Danilo

Merhaba Bayram Hocam
Çok güzel yılan portresi
Netlik ve renkler harika
Burak

  • Great 
  • ayse51 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1709 W: 124 N: 1465] (20644)
  • [2009-07-08 6:14]

Merhaba Bayram bey,
sanki yanımızdaymış gibi.Biraz ürkmedim dersem yalan olur.Nefis bir yakın plan çekim.Ellerinize sağlık.Necla.

Ciao Bayram, great portrait of splendid snake, wonderful colors, perfect focus, good blurry BG, fine details and excellent sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

Diğerleri gibi bu da harika.
Emeğine sağlık.

Merhaba Bayram hoca,
Muhteşem bir canlının olağanüstü çekimi ve
ustaca sunumu. Renkler detaylar çarpıcı.
Selam,sevgiler.
Dr.Seyfettin Güner

  • Great 
  • kanton Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 730 W: 5 N: 1300] (5414)
  • [2009-07-08 11:15]

Merhaba Hocam!
I do not like the snakes,but you captured
a great portrait of snake,with good colours,lighting,clarity and details!
Tfs Selamlar
Kostas

Selam Bayram Hocam,
Yine zirveyi zorlayan kalitede bir sürüngen portresi
ışık ve netlik konusunda ustalık örneği
Tebrikler
Selahattin E

Hello MDF Bayram,

Fantastic close, wonderful colors and details!
Excellent BG, light, contrast and sharpness!
Congratulations and TFS
Sergio

Hi Bayram,
I like the photo of this snake. The image is detailed.
the note is very exhaustive.
in September I will let my little students (photobychildren) will look at your interesting gallery.
My respects. Mari

  • Great 
  • akg Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 169 W: 0 N: 85] (1028)
  • [2009-08-28 21:16]

Hello Bairam,
superbly detailed shot of the Black Beauty! The eye appears very bright and the hexagonal scales on its body is so clearly visible. The notes you added are quite useful.
Thanks and regards, abhijit.

Super real parece que se pueda mover en cualquier momento
excelente
Buen trabajo
un saludo

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