Life Sciences Commons^™

Reassignment Of Some Caryospora Species (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) To Eumonospora (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) And A Summary, Donald W. Duszynski

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

This review was crafted to clear up some of the current confusion regarding the correct taxonomic placement of those apicomplexan coccidians that produce unique monosporocystic octosporozoic (1 sporocyst with 8 sporozoites) oocysts during the sexual phase of their life history in vertebrate hosts. Currently, such oocysts have been placed in 1 of 4 genera, Avispora, Caryospora, Karyospora, or Eumonospora, 2 of which are no longer accepted or useful (Avispora and Karyospora). My review suggests that to present (2023) there are 62 valid Caryospora and 26 valid Eumonospora species. Caryospora species are recorded from a bird …

Social Interaction, Social Cognition, And Personality In Gartersnakes And Ball Pythons, Morgan Skinner

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Snakes are often considered non-social animals. However, this is mostly an untested assumption and the limited research that has been done has shown that snakes interact socially when given the opportunity. Here, the complexity of snake social interactions was explored through a social cognition and personality lens. Group and individual behavioural assays were used to explore flexibility and consistency in social interactions. The results provide evidence that elucidate the function, development, and evolution of these behaviours in snakes. In the first experimental chapter, chapter 2, social network analysis was used to provide a detailed description of aggregation behaviour in 4 …

Toward Accelerometer Recording Of Pit Viper Foraging Behavior In Nature: Validation And Case Study With Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus), Morgan L. Thompson

Biology Theses

Accelerometer dataloggers are becoming increasingly common in field studies of animal behavior. Among the most difficult study subjects, and consequently, the most ideal candidates for accelerometer applications, are those for which simultaneous observation of key fitness-determining behaviors, such as foraging, across a sample of individuals in the wild is traditionally impossible or restricted to the use of proxy measures. This is the case for many solitary vertebrate predators, such as all pit vipers (Viperidae; Crotalinae). Large-bodied pit vipers are ambush (sit-and-wait) specialists that represent uniquely challenging and intriguing study subjects in predator ecology. Unlike many comparable avian or mammalian terrestrial …

The Danov Archive, Victor Fet, Alexander Kogan

Books Published by MU Libraries in MDS

This memorial volume compiles materials about Rostislav Dаnov (1941—1993) of St. Petersburg (Russia), a naturalist, artist, and snake-hunter, who worked for many years in Turkmenistan (West Kopetgagh Mts). The book celebrates Dаnov’s 80th birthday. It includes previously unpublished artwork and scientific illustrations by Dаnov as well as his texts, research papers, various memoirs, biographic information, and unique photographs. The book is intended for everyone who is interested in history of science and conservation in Central Asia and the USSR.

Фет В, Коган А, составители. Дановcкий архив. Библиотека Университета Маршалла, Хантингтон, Западная Виргиния, 2021. 494 с. Этот том содержит материалы о …

Can Providing Positive Interactions With Snakes Change A Person’S Perception Of Dangerous Wildlife Interactions?, Bethany Walker

Theses

Due to a long co-evolutionary history between placental mammals and reptiles, primates demonstrate aversive responses to snakes. In humans, this can result in ophidiophobia, or the fear of snakes which can arise due to cultural backgrounds, traumatic experiences, or fear instilled by others. However, these reptiles fill essential roles in ecosystems. Conservation and outreach efforts are important to help our population understand snakes’ role in our lives and the state’s broader biodiversity. Negative experiences or preconceptions about snakes can make this message hard to share with the public. Educators can help prevent intentional harm to some of these organisms through …

Brown Treesnake Mortality After Aerial Application Of Toxic Baits, Scott M. Goetz, Eric T. Hileman, Melia G. Nafus, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Amanda R. Bryant, Robert N. Reed, Shane R. Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Quantitative evaluation of control tools for managing invasive species is necessary to assess overall effectiveness and individual variation in treatment susceptibility. Invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam have caused severe ecological and economic effects, pose a risk of accidental introduction to other islands, and are the greatest impediment to the reestablishment of extirpated native fauna. An aerial delivery system for rodent‐based toxic baits can reduce brown treesnake abundance and heterogeneity among individuals may influence bait attraction or toxicant susceptibility. Previous baiting trials have either been simulated aerial treatments or relied on slightly different bait capsule compositions and the results …

Role Of Rescue 1122 In Wildlife Welfare In Punjab, Pakistan, Muhammad Sajid Rana, Fakhar -I-Abbas, Fakhra Nazir, Kainaat William

Journal of Bioresource Management

Rescue 1122 emergency services in Punjab (Pakistan) also responds to calls when residents feel threatened from wild animals. Emergency calls received between August 2015 and July 2016 recorded 16 arthropod, 25 mammal, 156 bird, 816 reptile and 264 un-identified cases from different parts of the Punjab, which were safely handled and in majority of cases animals were safely released back in nature.

Impacts Of Driving Factors On Annual Cicada Emergence In Relation To The Seasonal Abundance Of Eastern Copperheads (Agkistrodon Contortrix), Jesse Christian Sockman

Online Theses and Dissertations

For many species, life history events are cyclical and often correspond to specific environmental conditions. As a result of environmental variability, the optimal conditions that regulate the range and activity of highly regulated cyclical organisms, like cicadas, are subject to temporal change. Variability in cicada emergence and abundance has been shown to impact the species that rely on the rapid influx of nutrients. One such predator is the Eastern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) that has been noted feeding on emerging cicadas throughout their range. In eastern Kentucky, observations of copperheads congregating to feed on cicadas has been documented in recreational areas. …

A Survey Of The Reptiles And Amphibians At The University Of Georgia Costa Rica Field Station In San Luis De Monteverde, Costa Rica, John David Curlis, Elliot Convery Fisher, W. Kody Muhic, James Moy, Martha Garro-Cruz, José Joaquín Montero-Ramírez

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Reptiles and amphibians are experiencing declines across the globe. In Monteverde, Costa Rica, these declines and their underlying causes have been relatively well studied since the early 1990s, and many protected areas have been set aside to conserve these species. However, thorough surveys of the herpetofaunal diversity in these areas have been scarce over the last 20 years. We conducted a survey of all reptile and amphibian species at the University of Georgia Costa Rica (UGACR), a field station in San Luis de Monteverde. Herein, we present an annotated checklist of the 48 species (35 reptiles and 13 amphibians) that …

Endangered Danger: Christianity, Affect, And Harmless Snakes In Samoa, Ariel Abonizio G. S.

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Candoia bibroni (Pacific Boa), is a non-venomous Samoan snake that recently become an endangered species, possibly due to human killing on sight. This interdisciplinary research investigates how Pacific Boa came to be perceived as dangerous animals that need to be killed. Following snake tracks through the history of Samoa and into the present, this research suggests that the relationship between Samoans and the Pacific Boa questions the simple binaries of real/imagined, material/semiotic, subjective/objective, and material/immaterial. Particularly with the introduction of Christianity by missionaries in the early-1800s, the Pacific Boa snake came to inhabit the liminal space between these apparent …

Area And Distance From Mainland Affect In Different Ways Richness And Phylogenetic Diversity Of Snakes In Atlantic Forest Coastal Islands, José Thales Da Motta Portillo, Lilian Sayuri Ouchi-Melo, Lucas Batista Crivellari, Thiago Alves Lopes De Oliveira, Ricardo J. Sawaya, Leonardo Da Silva Duarte

Publications and Research

Aim: The Theory of Island Biogeography posits that ecological and evolutionary processes regulate species richness of isolated areas. We assessed the influences of an island area and distance from the mainland on species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and phylogenetic composition of snakes on coastal islands.

Location: Coastal islands of the megadiverse Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil.

Methods: We compiled the species composition of 17 coastal islands in southeastern Brazil. Species richness and phylogenetic diversity were calculated for each island. Phylogenetic composition was measured using principal coordinates of phylogenetic structure. We then employed generalized linear models to test the influence of …

Delineating Metrics Of Diversity For A Snake Community In A Rare Ecosystem, Zachary John Marcou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Snakes are among the least understood vertebrate groups despite their considerable diversity. A diverse community of snakes in an ecosystem can indicate a complex habitat structure that is capable of supporting a robust assemblage of other biota. I used remote photography arrays (RPA) to quantify metrics of diversity for the snake community occurring in a ~7,000–ha tract of contiguous Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) Savanna within the Angelina National Forest (ANF; Angelina and Jasper Cos., TX), over the course of two consecutive snake activity seasons. I quantified the snake species richness, Shannon diversity, and Shannon equitability for the snake community in …

Distribution Of Reptiles In Tolipir National Park, Pakistan, Abu Ul Hassan Faiz Dr., Mikhail F. Bagaturov, Mehboob Ul Hassan, Inayat Ullah Malik, Lariab Zahra Faiz

Journal of Bioresource Management

Reptiles are the most diverse group under the category of land vertebrates. The reptile population of Tolipir National Park was surveyed from February 2013 to September 2013. The topography of this area supports a diverse plethora of vegetation that provides an ideal habitat to a host of reptiles. Random sampling of 52 quadrates was carried out. Twelve species of reptiles were recorded. The recorded species included CITES listed (Appendix II) endangered species Naja oxiana and Laudakia agrorensis.

Arthropod Diets In Chihuahuan Desert Snakes, Victor Manuel Parga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Over the past century, studies in herpetology regarding snake diets have been commonly focused on those species that feed or specialize in vertebrate prey items. For those that feed primarily on invertebrates however, little work has been done in determining diet specializations and comparing diets within a community of species. This Thesis focuses on small species of snakes that feed primarily on arthropods in a Chihuahuan Desert community, and will investigate if these are diet generalists or specialists. To this end, stomach contents were examined from preserved specimens of the following species: Rena humilis and Rena dissecta (Leptotyphlopidae), Gyalopion canum …

Growth And Stress Response Mechanisms Underlying Post-Feeding Organ Regenerative Growth In Snakes, Audra Leann Andrew

Biology Dissertations

Snakes represent an emerging model in biological research and provide a valuable system for studying multiple extreme phenotypes unparallel to those seen in mammals. Recently, snakes have become increasingly used in studies of extreme organ regenerative growth due to the ability of some species to rapidly and reversibly upregulate organ form and function upon feeding. The predominant model used to study this feeding response has been the Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) because of the particulalry extreme nature of this post-feeding response in this species. Specifically, the wet masses of major organs increase by 50-100% within just 48 hours post-feeding …

Effective Population Size, Demography, And Viability Of Eastern Massasaugas (Sistrurus Catenatus) In Southwest Michigan, Danielle R. Bradke

Masters Theses

As humans increasingly exploit natural areas, wildlife populations face a growing number of threats that often result in population decline and isolation. Small, isolated populations are vulnerable to extirpation due to both genetic and demographic factors. Yet, low detectability of many imperiled species often precludes the collection of population-level data important for assessing population viability and implementing successful conservation. The eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) is a cryptic pitviper that has been extirpated throughout much of its historic range due to agricultural conversion of wetland habitat and other synergistic threats. Consequently, this species is federally listed as threatened in both the …

Molecular And Physiological Mechanisms Of Toxin Resistance In Toad-Eating Snakes, Shabnam Mohammadi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many plants and animals are defended by toxic compounds, and circumvention of those defenses often has involved the evolution of elaborate mechanisms for tolerance or resistance of the toxins. Toads synthesize potent cardiotonic steroids known as bufadienolides (BDs) from cholesterol and store those toxins in high concentrations in their cutaneous glands. Those toxins protect toads from the majority of predators, including most snakes that readily consume other species of frogs. BDs exert their effect by inhibiting ion transport by the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase (NKA). This ubiquitous transmembrane enzyme consists of a catalytic alpha-subunit, which carries out the enzyme's …

Systematics Of Collared Snakes And Burrowing Asps (Aparallactinae And Atractaspidinae) (Squamata: Lamprophiidae), Francisco Portillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Subfamilies Aparallactinae (collared snakes) and Atractaspidinae (burrowing asps) occur in multiple habitats throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and they include multiple poorly studied genera. The monophyly of these groups are well established, but relationships within the subfamilies are poorly known. My study contains samples from six of eight aparallactine genera, and both atractaspidine genera in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. I employed concatenated gene-tree analyses, divergence dating approaches, ancestral-area reconstructions, ancestral-state reconstructions, morphological analyses, and taxonomic assessments to infer phylogenies, biogeographic patterns, and evolutionary histories with a multi-locus data set consisting of three mitochondrial (16S, cyt b, and ND4) and …

Phylogenetic Relationships And Evolution Of Snakes, Alex Figueroa

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Snakes represent an impressive evolutionary radiation of over 3,500 widely-distributed species, categorized into 515 genera, encompassing a diverse range of morphologies and ecologies. This diversity is likely attributable to their distinctive morphology, which has allowed them to populate a wide range of habitat types within most major ecosystems. In my first chapter, I provide the largest-yet estimate of the snake tree of life using maximum likelihood on a supermatrix of 1745 taxa (1652 snake species + 7 outgroup taxa) and 9,523 base pairs from 10 loci (5 nuclear, 5 mitochondrial), including previously unsequenced genera (2) and species (61). I then …

Effects Of Mortality Risk And Growth On A Model Of Reproductive Effort: Why The Shine And Schwarzkopf Model Is Not General, Peter Niewiarowski, Arthur Dunham

Dr. Peter H. Niewiarowski

Using data and reanalysis of a model published by Shine and Schwarzkopf (1992), we reject the two unsubstantiated assertions made by Shine et al. (1996) about modeling the evolution of reproductive effort in squamate reptiles.

Evaporative Water Loss In Two Natricine Snakes, Nerodia Fasciata And Seminatrix Pygaea, Christopher Winne, Travis Ryan, Yale Leiden, Michael Dorcas

Travis J. Ryan

Shorter communication in Journal of Herpetology v. 35.

Assessing Multiple Endpoints Of Atrazine Ingestion On Gravid Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia Sipedon) And Their Offspring [Abstract], L. A. Neuman-Lee, K. F. Gaines, K. A. Baumgartner, J. R. Voorhees, J. M. Novak, Stephen J. Mullin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Envenoming Pandemic And The Misguided Views Of Snakes: Developing Sustainable Relationships Between Native Poisonous Snakes Of India And The Citizens Of Maharashtra Through The Use Of The Irula Model., Destiny Villanueva

Animal Science

Due to its vast population and general negative consensus regarding snakes, India is notorious for having more snakebite incidents than any other country. Snakes are simultaneously revered and feared in Indian religion and culture. This stigma is perpetuated through propaganda, family beliefs, and innate fears of snakes.These stigmas are more pronounced within rural areas, such as the region of Mahad within the state of Maharshtra. Envenoming is endemic in these areas, and others like them. The World Health Organization identified envenoming as one of the most neglected tropical diseases of the 21st century (Nature India, 2013). Additionally, both nonvenomous and …

Taking The Road Most Travelled: Understanding Patterns Of Snake (Colubridae; Storeria) Movement And Road Mortality In A State Park, Iwo P. Gross

Student Honors Theses

Roadways negatively affect their surrounding ecosystems through the contamination of air, water, and soil resources, the dissection of populations and habitat areas, and the direct mortality of several fauna. My study assessed the significance of a number of variables that might influence the temporal and spatial patterns of road mortality in a population of Midland Brownsnakes (Storeria dekayi wrightorum). I utilized passive sampling techniques and roadwalking surveys to collect individual snakes from a road during their biannual migrations from lowland activity areas to upland forests where they hibernate. I discovered that sexually biased behavioral and natural history traits impacted an …

Assessing Multiple Endpoints Of Atrazine Ingestion On Gravid Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia Sipedon) And Their Offspring, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Karen F. Gaines, Kyle A. Baumgartner, Jayme R. Voorhees, James M. Novak, Stephen J. Mullin

Karen F. Gaines

Ecotoxicological studies that focus on a single endpoint might not accurately and completely represent the true ecological effects of a contaminant. Exposure to atrazine, a widely used herbicide, disrupts endocrine function and sexual development in amphibians, but studies involving live-bearing reptiles are lacking. This study tracks several effects of atrazine ingestion from female Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) to their offspring exposed in utero. Twenty-five gravid N. sipedon were fed fish dosed with one of the four levels of atrazine (0, 2, 20, or 200 ppb) twice weekly for the entirety of their gestation period. Endpoints for the mothers included blood …

Differential Habitat Use By Common Watersnakes (Nerodia Sipedon), Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Andrew M. Durso, Nicholas M. Kiriazis, Melanie J. Olds, Stephen J. Mullin

Faculty Publications

Understanding intraspecific variation in habitat use is important for the management of any species. In many studies of reptiles, habitat use by juveniles is poorly understood when compared to their adult conspecifics because of capture biases and logistical constraints. We compared habitat use between sexes and age classes of Common Watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) at a reservoir in central Illinois. Juvenile N. sipedon occurred more frequently in habitat with high canopy cover, whereas adult N. sipedon, especially reproductive females, were found exclusively in habitat with no canopy cover. Adult males used both locations equally. We emphasize the need to investigate ontogenetic …

The Conservation Status Of The World’S Reptiles, Tony Gamble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Effective and targeted conservation action requires detailed information about species, their distribution, systematics and ecology as well as the distribution of threat processes which affect them. Knowledge of reptilian diversity remains surprisingly disparate, and innovative means of gaining rapid insight into the status of reptiles are needed in order to highlight urgent conservation cases and inform environmental policy with appropriate biodiversity information in a timely manner. We present the first ever global analysis of extinction risk in reptiles, based on a random representative sample of 1500 species (16% of all currently known species). To our knowledge, our results provide the …

Assessing Multiple Endpoints Of Atrazine Ingestion On Gravid Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia Sipedon) And Their Offspring, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Karen F. Gaines, Kyle A. Baumgartner, Jayme R. Voorhees, James M. Novak, Stephen J. Mullin

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Ecotoxicological studies that focus on a single endpoint might not accurately and completely represent the true ecological effects of a contaminant. Exposure to atrazine, a widely used herbicide, disrupts endocrine function and sexual development in amphibians, but studies involving live-bearing reptiles are lacking. This study tracks several effects of atrazine ingestion from female Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) to their offspring exposed in utero. Twenty-five gravid N. sipedon were fed fish dosed with one of the four levels of atrazine (0, 2, 20, or 200 ppb) twice weekly for the entirety of their gestation period. Endpoints for the mothers included blood …

Spatial Ecology Of The Trans-Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis Subocularis) In The Chihuahuan Desert Of Trans-Pecos Texas, Arturo Rocha

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Trans-Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis subocularis) is a medium to large rat snake that occurs from south-central New Mexico, south-central Texas, down into the north-central and northeastern states of Mexico. There is paucity in the ecology of B. subocularis to date. Some North American colubrid snakes, such as Thamnophis sirtalis, are the most represented species in thermal ecology and life history studies in all reptiles. There is nothing known on the winter ecological aspects of this species, and very little information regarding its overall ecology. The goal of this study is to determine home range, movement patterns, habitats and utilization …

A Comparison Of Adrenal In Toad-Eating And Nontoad-Eating Snakes, Shabnam Mohammadi

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Toads are chemically defended by bufadienolides, a class of cardiotonic steroids lethal to most predators, including many snakes. Bufadienolides bind to Na+K +-ATPase, inhibiting their ability to transport ions. In cardiocytes, this inhibition cause arrhythmia and severely increased contraction strength, which, if prolonged, lead to death. However, several snakes are resistant to bufadienolides and consume toads with no ill effects. Adrenal glands produce hormones that are important for the maintenance of Na+K +ATPase, and may therefore play an important role in countering the negative effects of bufadienolides. Indeed, the toad-eating specialist Heterodon platirhinos has been known to possess enlarged, and …