Xerotyphlops vermicularis (MERREM,1820), in the west Bulgarian

Rhodope Mountains: rediscoveryafter more than 100 years

The Eurasian Blind Snake, Xerotyph -lops vermicularis (MERREM, 1820), the onlyrepresentative of the snake family Typhlo -pidae (Scolecophidia) in Europe (gRil -liTSCH & gRilliTSCH 1993), is found in thesouthern parts of the Balkan Peninsula,specifically in former yugoslavia (Croatia,FyR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia),Albania, Bul garia, greece and Turkey(gRilliTSCH & gRilliTSCH 1993; gASC etal. 1997; gRilliTSCH et al. 1999) where itrepresents a chorotype element of theTurano-Mediterranean fauna (JABlONSki etal. 2012). However, the recent moleculardata show that this traditionally acceptedspecies is probably a species complex, sincesome populations from the Middle Eastshow deep genetic divergences indicatingtheir separate evolution since the end ofMiddle and late Miocene (kORNiliOS et al.2012). This species prefers xerothermichabitats with deep, dry and soft (sandy) soilwhere it can burrow, typically rocky slopeswith low, sparse bush vegetation, open areaswith stones as well as cultivated fields(gRil liTSCH & gRilliTSCH 1993).

The known edge of its distribution inthe east of the Balkans is formed by severallocalities on Bulgarian territory (see BESH -kOv & NANEv 2006; STOJANOv et al. 2011),from where it was originally published onlyat the beginning of the 20th century (kOvA -CHEv 1912; CHiCHkOFF 1914). in Bul garia,this species has a scattered distribution ataltitudes below 500 m above sea level. it isfound only in the southern parts of the coun-try where it persisted from an earlier moreextended distribution. Here it is found inwarm valleys of the Struma River (south-western Bulgaria), the lower Maritsa River(Harmanli region), the Arda River (easternRhodope Mts.) and the Tundja River (Der -ventski Highlands, south-eastern Bulgaria),in which the Mediterranean climatic influ-ence is strongest (BESHkOv 1998; STOJANOvet al. 2013). The center of distribution inBulgaria is the Struma River valley, wherethe highest number of recent record localities

200 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 27 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2015 SHORT NOTE

All_Short_Notes_159-208_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 21.01.2015 13:44 Seite 42

is known (BESHkOv & NANEv 2006; STO -JANOv et al. 2011). Besides, there are his-torical records of Xerotyphlops from isolat-ed localities south of Burgas (near Sozopol,Ropotamo) and the western RhodopeMountains (near varvara village) (DOBREv& DiMiTROv 1997; STO JANOv et al. 2011).in the latter case, the species is probablyextinct due to complete biotope destructioncaused by intensive building activities suchas asphalting of the vicinity of the hot min-eral springs and urbanization (BESHkOv1998; PETROv et al. 2006; BESHkOv & NA -NEv 2006; STOJANOv et al. 2011).

During a visit to the western RhodopeMts., Eurasian Blind Snakes were discov-ered by the second author of this paper (PB),about five kilometers from the village ofvarvara (province Pazardzhik), between thevillages of varvara and Marko Nikolov inthe Chepinska River valley. in total, threeadult specimens, probably killed by a vehi-cle, were found on the road in two locationsof the valley. One specimen (Fig. 1A) at42.14038N/24.12875E (habitats Figs. 1D,1E) and two specimens (Figs. 1B, 1C) at42.13509N/24.12487E (habitat Fig. 1F),between 340-360 m a.s.l., on May 20, 2013.The location of the first finding was a newlyreconstructed asphalt road, extending acrossthe valley, and two specimens were foundtogether near a place called “Banja i”. Thepart of valley where the specimens werefound has very steep walls. Suitable habi-tats between the walls of the valley and theriver were available only in patches. Thevalley is xerothermic with short grass andbush cover on a rocky substratum. Five syn-topic species of reptiles were found in thislocality: Lacerta viridis (lAuRENTi, 1768),Podarcis muralis (lAuRENTi, 1768), Anguisfragilis liNNAE uS, 1758 complex, Natrixtessellata (lAu RENTi, 1768) and Vipera am -modytes (liN NAEuS, 1758).

in the past, only one specimen of X.vermicularis was found in this locality: ”..atthe second thermal spring, 6 km in Eli-Deregorge (now Chepinska River gorge), May1908“ (kOvACHEv 1912; PETROv et al. 2006).According to PETROv et al. (2006), the orig-inal locality of finding was almost fullydestroyed by intensive building activities, inthe middle of the 20th century. That is whythe potential current occurrence of the

species was doubtful (BESHkOv 1998;BESHkOv & NANEv 2006) but not impossi-ble, considering to the low research effortsthere (see PETROv et al. 2006). During theauthors’ visit to the valley, the anthropo -genic interventions were obvious, includingenlargement and reconstruction of roads andthe local buildings. The presented findingof three specimens, after more than 100years, substantiates the persistent occur-rence of this species in the region of thewestern Rhodopes in spite of clear interfer-ences into the surrounding landscape. Eventhough, only dead specimens were found, aviable population in the western Rhodopesis likely to occur. The Chepinska River val-ley is extended and hardly accessible, whichboth complicates the detection of the spe -cies and probably protects the populationagainst deleterious human influences.

On the basis of the current chorologi-cal knowledge (STOJANOv et al. 2011), itseems that the population at varvara villageis isolated from other Bulgarian populationsof this species. Maybe the individuals in thewestern Rhodope Mts. are remnants of aformerly continuous population, that hadextended through the Maritsa River valleyinto the upper Thracian Plain. The speciescould have spread along the northern slopesof the Rhodope Mts., a belt of habitats thatwas fragmented by agricultural landscapetransformation only in historical times.Still unanswered is the question whether ornot X. vermicularis is present in other rivervalleys of the northern and north-westernRhodope Mts. where similar xerothermichabitats are available, e.g., the valleys ofthe Stara River (south of the town ofPeshtera), vacha River (near krichim) orChepelarska River (south of Asenovgrad).Another burrowing snake species, Eryx ja -culus (liN NAEuS, 1758), was recorded inthe region of these valleys (see PETROv etal. 2006; STO JANOv et al. 2011).

unintentional introduction of theEurasian Blind Snake into the ChepinskaRiver valley due to human activities (e.g.,transport of construction material), howev-er, cannot fully be excluded. The occur-rence of the snake at varvara was debatedwith regard to mineral hot water springs,which were considered the main factor ofthe species’ presence on the isolated locali-

SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 27 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2015 SHORT NOTE 201

All_Short_Notes_159-208_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 21.01.2015 13:44 Seite 43

ty in the western Rhodopes (BESHkOv1998). Such hot springs, which could besuited to improve the geo-climatic condi-tions in their vicinity, occur also at otherplaces of western Bulgaria, e. g., gorna Brest -nitsa, kozuch Hill near Rupite, Sandanski,Stara kresna, and vlahi. They representlocalities where this species is known to oc -cur (e.g., kresna and Sandanski; see STOJA -

NOv et al. 2011) or, potentially, still unrec-ognized habitats of the species.

The present finding shows that thisspecies escaped recent mapping activities inwestern Bulgaria (see WESTERSTRöM 2005;PETROv et al. 2006; STOJANOv et al. 2011).May seems to be the main period of thesesnakes’ supraterrestrial activities, when theymigrate at night in search of mates for re -

202 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 27 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2015 SHORT NOTE

Fig. 1: Three roadkill specimens (A-C) of Xerotyphlops vermicularis (MERREM, 1820), found between the villages of varvara and Marko Nikolov in the Chepinska River valley at 340-360 m a. s. l., on May 20, 2013(province Pazardzhik, western Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria) and the corresponding record localities (D-F).

A – Specimen from the first locality outside the thermal springs resort; B and C – specimens found at the thermal spring “Banja i”; D and E – habitat at the first locality; F – place of finding at the spring “Banja i”.

All_Short_Notes_159-208_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 21.01.2015 13:45 Seite 44

production (e. g., gRilliTSCH & gRil liTSCH1993; vAlAkOS et al. 2008; STOJA NOv et al.2011). Attempts to cross roads can be fatalto these slow animals which was probablythe case of the found specimens. Successfulfuture mapping of this secretive speciesshould take into account these habits as wellas the above considerations.

ACkNOWlEDgMENTS: The authors are verygrateful to v. BAlÁž (Brno) for his comments on a firstversion of the manuscript.

REFERENCES: BESHkOv, v. (1998): Bulgaria’samphibians and reptiles; pp. 395-409. in: MEiNE, C.(ed.): Bulgaria’s biological diversity: Conservation sta-tus and needs assessment; vol. i, ii. Sofia & Moskva(Pensoft). BESHkOv, v. & NANEv, k. (2006): Amphibi -ans and reptiles in Bulgaria. Sofia & Moskva (Pensoft),pp. 120. CHiCHkOFF, g. (1914): [Two new species forthe Bulgarian herpetology].- godishnik na Sofiiskiyauniversitet: Fiziko-matematicheski fakultet (Annuairede l’université de Sofia. Faculté physico-mathéma-tique); 8/9 (2): 1-9 [in Bulgarian]. DOBREv, S. & Di -MiTROv, M. (1997): Ropotamo. Bourgas (The Ministryof the Environment SvS National Natural ProtectionService, SDC-Swiss Agency for Development andCooperation), pp. 163. gASC, J.-P. & CABElA, A. &CRNOBRNJA-iSAilOvić, J. & DOlMEN, D. & gROSSEN -BACHER, k. & HAFFNER, P. & lESCuRE, J. & MARTENS,H. & MARTiNEZ RiCA, J. P. & MAuRiN, H. & OlivEiRA,M. E. & SOFiANiDOu, T. S. & vEiTH, M. & ZuiDERR -WiJk, A. (eds.) (1997): Atlas of amphibians and reptilesin Europe; Paris (Societas Europaea Herpetologica,Museum National d’histoire Naturelle & Service duPatrimoine Naturel), pp. 496. gRilliTSCH, B. & gRil -liTSCH, H. (1993): Typhlops vermicularis MERREM,1820 - Wurmschlange oder Blödauge; pp. 15-32. in:BöHME, W. (ed.): Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphi -bien Europas; vol. 3/1, Schlangen (Serpentes) i; Wies -baden (Aula). gRilliTSCH, H. & WEiSH, P. & TiEDE -MANN, F. (1999): Typhlops vermicularis MERREM, 1820in the Dalmatian island of Dugi Otok (Croatia)(Squamata: Serpentes: Typhlopidae).- Herpetozoa,Wien; 12 (3/4): 161-162. JABlONSki, D. & JANDZik,D. & gvOžDík, v. (2012): New records and zoogeo-graphic classification of amphibians and reptiles fromBosnia and Her zegovina.- North-Western Journal ofZoology, Oradea; 8: 324-337. kORNiliOS, P. & ilgAZ,ç. & kuMluTAş, y. & lyMBERAkiS, P. & MORAvEC, J.& SiNDACO, R. & RASTEgAR-POuyANi, N. &AFROOSHEH, M. & giOkAS, S. & FRAguEDAkiS-TSOliS,S. & CHONDROPOulOS, B. (2012): Neogene climaticoscillations shape the biogeography and evolutionaryhistory of the Eurasian blindsnake.- MolecularPhylogenetics and Evolution, San Diego; 62: 856-873.kOvACHEv, v. (1912): Herpetologichnata fauna naBalgariya (vlechugi i zemnovodni) [The herpetologicalfauna of Bulgaria (reptiles and amphibians)]. Plovdiv(Hr. g. Danov), pp. 90. PETROv B. & TZANkOv, N. &STRiJBOSCH, H. & POPgEORgiEv, g. & BESHkOv, v.(2006): The herpetofauna (Amphibia & Reptilia) of theWestern Rhodopes mountain (Bulgaria and greece);pp. 863-913. in: BERON, P. (ed.): Biodiversity of Bul -garia; 3. Biodiversity of Western Rhodopes (Bulgariaand greece); Sofia (Pensoft & National Museum ofNatural History). STOJANOv, A. & TZANkOv, N &

NAuMOv, B. (2011): Die Amphibien und ReptilienBulgariens; Frankfurt am Main (Edition Chimaira), pp.582. vAlAkOS, E. D. & PAFiliS, P. & SOTiROPOulOS, k.& lyMBERAkiS, P. & MARAgOu, P & FOuFOPOulOS, J.(2008): The amphibians and reptiles of greece;Frankfurt am Main (Edition Chimaira), pp. 463.WESTERSTRöM, A. (2005): Some notes on the herpeto-fauna of western Bulgaria; pp. 241-244. in: ANANJEvA,N. & TSiNENkO, O. (eds.): Herpetologia Petropolitana;Proceedings of the 12th Ordinary general Meeting ofthe Societas Europaea Herpetologica, St. Petersburg.

kEy WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Serpentes:Xerotyphlops vermicularis; rediscovery, species distri-bution, mapping, European Worm Snake, Bulgaria,Balkan Peninsula

SuBMiTTED: September 12, 2013

AuTHORS: Daniel JABlONSki (Correspondingauthor < daniel.jablonski@balcanica.cz >) - Depart -ment of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comeniusuniversity, Mlynská dolina B-1, 842 15, Bratislava,Slovakia; Petr BAlEJ - Zdeňka Bára 114/4, 700 30Ostrava, Czech Republic.

SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 27 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2015 SHORT NOTE 203

All_Short_Notes_159-208_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 21.01.2015 13:45 Seite 45