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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">102</journal-id>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="index">urn:lsid:arphahub.com:pub:73abe0ce-d97c-5d7c-bee5-b8e6e6fe6a17</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title xml:lang="en">ARPHA Preprints</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title xml:lang="en">preprints</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Pensoft Publishers</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.3897/arphapreprints.e94479</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">94479</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Research Article</subject>
        </subj-group>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="biological_taxon">
          <subject>Reptilia</subject>
        </subj-group>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="scientific_subject">
          <subject>Identification key</subject>
          <subject>Reptiles and Amphibians</subject>
          <subject>Taxonomy</subject>
        </subj-group>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="geographical_area">
          <subject>Asia</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>A contribution to taxonomy and biology of <italic>Spalerosophis diadema diadema</italic> Schlegel, 1837 along with new record of <italic>Spalerosophis atriceps</italic> Fisher, 1885 from district Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir, India (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae).</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group content-type="authors">
        <contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes">
          <name name-style="western">
            <surname>Hussain</surname>
            <given-names>Sarshad</given-names>
          </name>
          <email xlink:type="simple">sarshad2007@gmail.com</email>
          <uri content-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6830-4316</uri>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="A1">1</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="no">
          <name name-style="western">
            <surname>Shah</surname>
            <given-names>Asgar A.</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="A2">2</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="no">
          <name name-style="western">
            <surname>Ahmad</surname>
            <given-names>Khursheed</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="A3">3</xref>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="A1">
        <label>1</label>
        <addr-line content-type="verbatim">Govt Degree College, Surankote, India</addr-line>
        <institution>Govt Degree College</institution>
        <addr-line content-type="city">Surankote</addr-line>
        <country>India</country>
      </aff>
      <aff id="A2">
        <label>2</label>
        <addr-line content-type="verbatim">Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Jammu and Kashmir, India</addr-line>
        <institution>Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University</institution>
        <addr-line content-type="city">Jammu and Kashmir</addr-line>
        <country>India</country>
      </aff>
      <aff id="A3">
        <label>3</label>
        <addr-line content-type="verbatim">Sher-e Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir, India</addr-line>
        <institution>Sher-e Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology Kashmir</institution>
        <addr-line content-type="city">Jammu and Kashmir</addr-line>
        <country>India</country>
      </aff>
      <author-notes>
        <fn fn-type="corresp">
          <p>Corresponding author: Sarshad Hussain (<email xlink:type="simple">sarshad2007@gmail.com</email>).</p>
        </fn>
        <fn fn-type="edited-by">
          <p>Academic editor: </p>
        </fn>
      </author-notes>
      <pub-date pub-type="collection">
        <year>2022</year>
      </pub-date>
      <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day>05</day>
        <month>09</month>
        <year>2022</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>3</volume>
      <uri content-type="arpha" xlink:href="http://openbiodiv.net/A9C46B28-9ED0-5C81-8413-E4F2A5AA9B94">A9C46B28-9ED0-5C81-8413-E4F2A5AA9B94</uri>
      <history>
        <date date-type="received">
          <day>05</day>
          <month>09</month>
          <year>2022</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>05</day>
          <month>09</month>
          <year>2022</year>
        </date>
      </history>
      <permissions>
        <copyright-statement>Sarshad Hussain, Asgar A. Shah, Khursheed Ahmad</copyright-statement>
        <license license-type="creative-commons-attribution" xlink:href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" xlink:type="simple">
          <license-p>This is an open access preprint distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.</license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>
      <abstract>
        <label>Abstract</label>
        <p>Present studies aimed to validate the occurrence of two species of Diadem or Royal snakes of Genus <italic>Spalerosophis </italic>Jan, 1865 from district Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir, India along with the presentation of different colour morphs and diagnostic characters. A total of 56 number of individuals belonging to genus <italic>Spalerosophis </italic>have been reported from the study during the period 2019-2021 during their activity period falling between spring to fall (May to October). 56 individuals encompass 8 different colour morphs viz., 4 different colour morph of <italic>S. d. diadema </italic>Schlegel, 1837 (total 47 individuals)<italic>, </italic>2 colour morph of <italic>S. atriceps </italic>Fisher, 1885 (3 individuals), 1 colour morph of subadults (5 individuals) and 1 colour morph though resembles much with <italic>S. d. diadema</italic> but identification remain inconclusive on the basis of low numbers of sub-caudal scales which are hinting towards <italic>S.d.cliffordi</italic> Schlegel, 1837 (one specimen only) whose identity is subjected for further investigations. Distribution, activity, habitat and behaviour of the individuals has also been reported along with the morphological, morphometric and meristic characters. Among two identified species <italic>S. atriceps </italic>is a new report from Poonch district. Among the examined specimens only dead specimens have been preserved in Mendhar College Museum of Zoology (MCMZ) after taking due permission from Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Department. Reported specimens are mapped across the study area and are depicted here in distribution map. </p>
      </abstract>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
</article>
