Studies on Colour Morphs in Different Snake Species of District Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Colour Morphs in Snakes of Poonch
Abstract
Colour polymorphism is a widespread phenomenon in snakes and contributes significantly to understanding their ecology, evolution, and adaptive strategies. During herpetological surveys conducted in the Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, multiple colour morphs were documented in seven snake species. These included two species belonging to the family Viperidae, namely Daboia russelii (Shaw & Nodder, 1797) and Gloydius himalayanus (Günther, 1864), and five species belonging to the family Colubridae, namely Coelognathus helena helena (Daudin, 1803), Lycodon bicolor (Nikolsky, 1903), Fowlea piscator (Schneider, 1799), Herpetoreas platyceps (Blyth, 1854), and Platyceps r. rhodorachis (Jan, 1863). Distinct colour morphs were recorded through field observations and photographic documentation, highlighting considerable intraspecific variation in external coloration. This study represents the first report of colour morph diversity in snakes from the Poonch district. These observations provide baseline information on the occurrence of colour polymorphism in the region and contribute to the understanding of the local snake fauna. The findings emphasize the importance of continued herpetofaunal surveys and long-term monitoring to document phenotypic variation and evaluate its ecological and evolutionary significance.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sarshad Hussain, Khursheed Ahmad, Ali Asghar Shah, Rahul Kait, Sanjay Kotwal, Saafia Jabeen Choudhary
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