Serpents on Coins

The following article was reduced in size by eliminating an introductory section. The whole article can be found by using the link on the title.

Snakes on a Plane? No, Snakes on a Coin
By Dennis G. Rainey, World Coin News
December 16, 2010
This article was originally printed in World Coin News.

The following coins depict elapids and vipers:
Armenia: 2007 100 drams, KM-154, depicts the Armenian Mountain Viper (Montivipera raddei). Australia: See Part 2 in the next issue of World Coin News. Cocos (Keeling) Islands: 2004 10 cents, X# 12, depicts the yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamis platurus); this coin is listed in Krause Publications’ Unusual World Coins, 5th edition. Fiji Islands: 1986 200 dollars, KM-56, depicts the ogmodon snake (Ogmodon vitianus). Russia: 1993 1 rouble, Y-374, and 1992 l0 roubles, Y309, both depict the Central Asian cobra (Naja oxiana); 1999 1 rouble, Y-642, depicts the Caucasian viper (Vipera kaznakovi). Turkmenistan: 1999 500 manat, KM-17, depicts the Central Asian cobra.

You will notice in the following discussions that little natural history is known about most species.

Armenian Mountain Viper
The Armenian mountain viper is a medium size viper also called the rock viper whose natural history is largely unknown. It occurs in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran and possibly Iraq. In Armenia it dwells in rocky habitats of oak trees and bushes at elevations of 4,000 to 10,000 feet. There is a sexual difference in length. The maximum length for males is 39 inches, and the maximum for females is 31 inches.

It has been declining seriously in Armenia due to habitat modification for agriculture, large numbers collected for the pet trade and human persecution. In the mid-1960s in their habitat, it was estimated that there were 20-50 per hectare, in the 1980s 10-25 per hectare and currently 3-9/hectare. (One hectare equals 2.47 acres.)

It eats mainly small rodents but also some lizards and ground nesting birds. They are active only six months a year.

The only protected habitat is in the Khosrov Nature Reserve, where in 2004 a preliminary radio-telemetry feasibility study was done, and it appeared that this method could be used to study at least movement. At this time the Armenian Viper Conservation Programme was formed. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as Near Threatened.

Yellow-Bellied Sea Snake
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It is an Australian Territory. There are about 600 inhabitants with 60 percent unemployed.

The yellow-bellied sea snake has the widest distribution of any sea snake. It dwells on both sides of the Pacific Ocean and is widespread in the Indian Ocean. It favors coastal waters and spends its entire life in water. Sometimes thousands congregate on the surface.

Its total length ranges from 28 inches for males to 35 inches for females. It has a black back and yellow or brown belly and the tail is oar-like. Its venom is mild but still can be lethal.

Ogmodon
The ogmodon, a small elapid that is a burrowing species, is also called the Fiji cobra. It is said to be the world’s rarest snake. It is endemic to the Fiji Islands, and nothing is known about its natural history. Although venomous, it is said to be reluctant to bite. I did find one statement that it apparently eats earthworms and beetles. One captured female with eggs measured 12 inches. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable.

Central Asian Cobra

Until the early ’90s the Asiatic Cobra was considered to be a single species, Naja naja, with many subspecies, but due to DNA analysis Naja naja has been split into 11 species. The name Naja naja now applies only to the Indian spectacled cobra, which is found only in India (except Assam), Pakistan (except most of Baluchistan), Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The Central Asian cobra is found in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Kyrgyzstan, northeast Iran, northern and eastern Afghanistan, northern half of Pakistan, Kashmir and east to Pradesh (India). It is sometimes called the Russian cobra.

It dwells in rocky foothills, sometimes up to 10,000 feet altitude. Published information on natural history was not found, except that it eats small mammals, birds and amphibians.

Caucasian Viper
I did not find any published natural history information about the Caucasian viper. It is found in southern Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey in forested slopes of mountains. The IUCN lists the species as Endangered due to over-collecting for the pet trade and habitat alteration.

Comments and questions are welcomed. Contact me at denrain@charter.net.