Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment (생태와환경)

The Korean Society of Limnology (한국수생태학회)
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The Comparison of Size and Morphology of Scales in Nine Korean Snake Species (6 in Colubridae, 3 in Viperidae)

국내 뱀류 9종의 비늘 크기와 형태 비교

  • Koo, Kyo Soung (Department of Biology, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Park, So Hyun (Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University) ;
  • Kim, Jong Sun (Department of Biology, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Kwon, Sera (Department of Biology, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Choi, Woo Jin (Department of Biology, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Park, Il Kook (Department of Biology, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Cho, Han Na (Department of Biology, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Park, Jae Jin (Department of Biology, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Oh, Hong Shik (Department of Science Education, Jeju National University) ;
  • Park, Daesik (Division of Science Education, Kangwon National University)
  • Received : 2017.03.03
  • Accepted : 2017.06.21
  • Published : 2017.06.30
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Abstract

Body scales directly exposed to external environments can be an important factor to understand various characteristics of a species such as habitat features, life history and basic ecology. In this study, we compared size and morphology of dorsal, outermost dorsal, keeled dorsal and ventral scales of total nine snake species in Korea; Oocatochus rufodorsatus, Elaphe dione, Rhabdophis tigrinus, Amphiesma vibakari, Dinodon rufozonatum, Hierophis spinalis in the Colubridae and Gloydius ussuriensis, G. brevicaudus, G. saxatilis in the Viperidae. The morphological characteristics of the scales seem to well reflect foraging modes and moving activity of both families. Uniquely D. rufozonatum had a diamond shape dorsal scale and had the greatest and smallest value of the ratio of width/length of dorsal and ventral scales, respectively. O. rufodorsatus, D. rufozonatum and H. spinalis did not have keeled dorsal scales and E. dione had keel on the few of dorsal scales. In addition, morphological characteristics of scales of three viper species were closely consistent with previously known phylogenetic relationships.

환경에 직접적으로 노출된 파충류의 비늘 (scale)은 생물의 서식환경, 생활사, 기초생태 등을 잘 반영하기 때문에 종의 특징을 이해하는 중요한 요소가 된다. 이에 본 연구에서는 한국에 서식하는 뱀류의 외부 형태에 따른 종적 차이를 밝히기 위해 국내 서식하는 뱀과(Colubridae) 내 6종(무자치 Oocatochus rufodorsatus, 누룩뱀 Elaphe dione, 유혈목이 Rhabdophis tigrinus, 대륙유혈목이 Amphiesma vibakari, 능구렁이 Dinodon rufozonatum, 실뱀 Hierophis spinalis)과 살모사과(Viperidae) 내 3종(쇠살모사 Gloydius ussuriensis, 살모사 G. brevicaudus, 까치살모사 G. saxatilis) 총 9종을 대상으로 등비늘, 배비늘과 인접한 최외각 등비늘, 등비늘에 형성된 용골(keel) 그리고 배비늘에 대한 크기와 형태를 비교분석하였다. 연구결과, 뱀과와 살모사과 내 뱀들 사이 비늘의 형태적인 차이는 뚜렷했으며, 이들의 섭식 유형 및 이동성을 잘 반영하는 것으로 나타났다. 능구렁이는 다른 종들과 다르게 독특한 마름모형의 등비늘을 가지고 있었으며, 배비늘의 너비/길이 비도 다른 종들과 구분되었다. 용골의 경우 무자치, 능구렁이, 실뱀에서는 발견되지 않았으며, 누룩뱀은 등비늘의 일부에서만 확인되었다. 살모사 3종 간 비늘의 형태적 차이는 기존에 알려진 3종 간 유전적인 관계와도 부합되게 나타났다.

Keywords

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