Dolichophis jugularis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Ma‛ayan Lev, Dani Nadel, Mina Weinstein-Evron & Reuven Yeshurun, 2022, Squamates and amphibians from the Natufian cemetery of Raqefet Cave, Israel: taphonomy, paleoenvironments and paleoclimate, An International Journal of Paleobiology 34 (12), pp. 2394-2414 : 2404-2405

Dolichophis jugularis (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Large Whip Snake was the most commonly identified species at the site (NISP = 168, 16% of the total assemblage) and was identified solely by trunk vertebrae ( Figure 6 (c)). Their centrum length measurements range between 4.1 and 8.1 mm and thus we assign them to large-sized ‘colubrines’; specimens with centrum lengths smaller than 5 mm most probably representing young individuals. The cotyle is rounded and flattened ventrally. The condyle is slightly oval and is flattened dorsoventrally. The neural arch is vaulted. In dorsal view the vertebra is longer than wide with a well-marked interzygapophyseal constriction. The neural spine is relatively strong, high and long. The zygosphene is wide, its anterior border has a straight line and slightly protrude laterally. The prezygapophyseal articular facets are elongated and oval shaped that narrow posteromedially (almond shaped). The prezygapophyses are long and pointed laterally. In ventral view, the centrum is triangular and convex. The haemal keel is well-defined. It is thin and sharp and protrudes from the vertebral centrum, slightly expanding to a triangular shape posteriorly. The thin, sharp and well-defined haemal keel differentiates the Large Whip Snake from other large-sized ‘colubrines’. In anterior view, the prezygapophyseal accessory processes project laterally, and they are long and pointed. The zygophene is wide and slightly convex dorsally. In lateral view, the neural spine starts to rise dorsally close to the anterior edge. The diapophyses are round and the parapophyses protrude anteriorly. The hypapophysis is long and straight, and it protrudes past the condyle in a posteroventral direction.

The species inhabits all Mediterranean habitats and is mostly common in the Mediterranean maquis and Mediterranean alluvial valleys. The species can also be found in the semi-arid/arid habitat around Be’er Sheva (and northward) and the open forest of Mount Hermon (supplementary Figure S2 (g)). This species was identified at two Natufian sites in Israel: EWT ( Lev et al. 2020) and Eynan ( Biton et al. 2021).

Figures

Figure 2. Plan of Raqefet Cave (a) provenance of the faunal samples, with the different contexts presented in this study labelled in red (b).

Figure 6. Snake bones from Raqefet Cave. Eryx jaculus (a) trunk vertebra, dorsal, ventral, anterior, posterior and lateral views; Hemorrhois nummifer (b) trunk vertebra, dorsal, ventral,anterior,posterior and lateral views; Dolichophis jugularis (c) trunk vertebra dorsal,ventral, anterior, posterior and lateral views; Malpolon insignitus (d) trunk vertebra dorsal, ventral, anterior, posterior and lateral views; Daboia cf. palaestinae (e) vertebra dorsal, ventral, anterior, posterior and lateral views.