BODY DIMENSIONS IN SIMOSELAPS AND VERMICELLA (ELAPIDAE) A METHOD FOR DETERMINING SEX IN NATURAL POPULATIONS

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Abstract - A total of 736 museum specimens of 11 different species of Simoselaps and Vermicella were examined in the laboratory. Snout-vent lengths and tail-vent lengths were measured and each specimen was sexed by dissection. Within species, females had larger snout-vent lengths than males, but for tail-vent lengths the converse was the case. The tail-body ratio for each specimen was determined by dividing the tail-vent length by the snout-vent length. Males and females of each species had a range of tailbody ratios which did not overlap. Tail-body ratios provide a simple and accurate method for sexing live fossorial snakes.