Elaphe Davidi repartition

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Ophis73
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Joined: January 21st, 2014, 1:39 am

Elaphe Davidi repartition

Post by Ophis73 »

Geographical repartition of Elaphe davidi:

Northern Mountains of Beijing District. Eastern Shanxi and Northern Hebei province. Shandong (Taishan area), Liaoning province, South-East of Jilin province, Northern Korea, South Korea (northern mountains area?).

Anybody have details on the South Korea repartition of Elaphe davidi?

Thanks for help
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Jeff
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Location: Louisiana

Re: Elaphe Davidi repartition

Post by Jeff »

Known provinces----

China (Hebei, Heilongjiang, Nei Monggol, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi)
North Korea (Kaesong, Kangwon, North Hwanghae, Pyongyang, South Hwanghae, South Pyongan)

I'm not aware of any South Korean records.

Jeff
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Scott Lupien
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Joined: June 15th, 2010, 5:15 am

Re: Elaphe Davidi repartition

Post by Scott Lupien »

Elaphe davidi is of particular interest to me, as I have found more of them (3 alive, 1 DOR and one assist with Kevin Messenger) than any westerner since Mao's revolution over 60 years ago and am the first to successfully hatch davidi eggs in captivity. And I know of several others found in Northern China recently through information from Chinese herper buddies. This species is much more common that people think and there is a very good chance that it inhabits South Korea. I lived there in the late 80's and there's plenty of davidi habitat throughout the Korean peninsula. That said, there are no records that I am aware of from South Korea. But then there are so few records here in China, despite the fact that there is plenty of suitable habitat and the species appears to be quite common in the right habitat. So I believe that lack of records means lack of studies and reported specimens.

This is a very beautiful and interesting species and, in my opinion, does not belong in the Elaphe genus. Here are the specimens that I have found (all on the Great Wall of China):

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Ophis73
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Re: Elaphe Davidi repartition

Post by Ophis73 »

Ok I see, thank you, I was as well in Beijing area for some years. Along the great wall and all the mountains. Especially Miyun area, Huairou etc...I have been herping there but I saw mainly dinodon rufozonatum, gloydius blomholfi, elaphe taeniura, rhabdophis tigrinus, elaphe dione and hierophis spinalis.

You are perheaps right as its repartition may be isolated here and there in dry-high type of mountains. The better example in China is Taishan in Shandong province. There is about the only place in that province that she can be found, and far from the Beijing and Hebei mountains areas (about 300 kilometers)....So I suspect as well in the Korean mountains (Great white mountains?) or perheaps in Jirisan mountainsas well that she may be sporadic in the Korean peninsula. I also agree on the diference with Elaphe genius. Davidi's head shape with its eye's scales seems different than a regular Elaphe type and the body scales seems different as well, slightly keeled. The color pattern is like an imitation of a Gloydius type and the back brown color is in perfect mimetism with that type of ground and stones.

However will be there this autumn and been actively hunting that spiece. I d'like to make some pics and researches on it.
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Ophis73
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Re: Elaphe Davidi repartition

Post by Ophis73 »

or maybe hemorrhois davidi? instead of elaphe davidi. I found it a bit similar to that genius.
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