Reproductive ecology of the horseshoe whip snake (Coluber hippocrepis) in the Iberian Peninsula

Data on the reproductive ecology of the Horseshoe whip snake (Coluber hippo crepis) are scarce and largely anecdotal in northern Mediterranean populati ons of this species. Dissections of preserved specimens from the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, together with held observations, provided informa tion on size at sexual maturity reproductive and fat body cycling, clutch s ize, hatching period, and feeding frequency. Males attain sexual maturity a t about 500 mm snout-vent length (SVL) and females at 680 mm SVL. As with p opulations from Northern Africa, males exhibit a prenuptial spermatogenic c ycle The complete reproductive cycle (spermatogenesis, vitellogenesis, mati ng, shelling, oviposition, incubation, and hatching) occurs within the same calendar year. The northern limit of this spermatogenic cycle also coincid es with the northern limit of the distribution of the species. The female r eproductive cycle is seasonal, and most sexually mature females reproduce a nnually. Vitellogenesis is associated with a decline in the fat body level. Oviposition occurs in late lune to early July, the mean clutch size is 6.8 eggs,and there isa significant correlation between female size and fecundi ty. Females feed rarely when gravid. The hatching period begins in late Aug ust and lasts to mid-September. Offspring size was 237 to 308 mm SVL, and o ffspring mass 6.1 to 9.0 g.