Reproductive biology of mudsnakes (Homalopsidae) in West Java, Indonesia

Homalopsid snakes are diverse and abundant along the muddy edges of waterbodies in tropical Asia, but are understudied. We examined carcasses of 287 snakes (58 Fordonia leucobalia, 229 Hypsiscopus plumbeus) collected for the commercial leather industry in Cirebon, West Java. In both species females attained larger sizes than males, were heavier-bodied and had relatively shorter tails. Females outnumbered males in our samples. Both species are viviparous, with litter sizes increasing with maternal body size. Reproduction occurs over much of the year, but with seasonal variation in follicle sizes, testis volumes and the proportions of gravid individuals. In combination with studies on three other homalopsid species in the Cirebon area, our data reveal interspecific similarities in some traits (such as viviparity and female-larger sexual dimorphism) but divergence in others (e.g. reproduction was more seasonal in H. plumbeus than in F. leucobalia). High rates of reproduction buffer these species against commercial offtake.