Combat in Whip snakes - Tolfa Hills, Italy

Snake Combat - male Western Whip Snakes (Hierophis viridiflavus) entwined in combat over breeding privileges. Males of this species are able to track both male and female pheromone trails during the breeding season. From the Tolfa hills north of Rome, Italy. I was out birding when we spotted the snakes in the middle of the road. Shortly before we had seen a Short-toed snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) soaring across the valley. The snakes fighting out in the open would make easy prey, and it was good to see the snakes eventually finesse their way into the grass.
Ritualistic combat behavior in snake species is uncommon but present in several genera, indicating a convergent evolution that gives a reproductive advantage. Typically, females have a short or irregular breeding period, males are larger than females and have the ability to track males of the same species. For background ecology on this species, there is an excellent field study conducted over several years in the Tolfa hills by Capula M., et al (1997) HERPETOZOA 10: 65 -79. For pheromone trailing in males see Fornasiero, S. et al. (2007) Amphibia-Reptilia 28: 555-559.

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