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Topographic Anatomy and Sexual Dimorphism of Bothrops Erythromelas Amaral , 1923 (Squamata: Serpentes: Viperidae)

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Topographic Anatomy and Sexual Dimorphism of Bothrops Erythromelas Amaral , 1923 (Squamata: Serpentes: Viperidae) hg_PicturePortrait_gondim et al _topographical_anatomy_bothrops_erythromelas_herPetoZoA.qxd 11.02.2016 16:58 seite 1 herPetoZoA 28 (3/4): 133 - 140 133 wien, 30. Jänner 2016 topographic anatomy and sexual dimorphism of Bothrops erythromelas AMArAl , 1923 (squamata: serpentes: Viperidae) topographische Anatomie und geschlechtsdimorphismus von Bothrops erythromelas AMArAl , 1923 (squamata: serpentes: Viperidae) PAtríCiA de MeneZes gondiM & J oão FAbríCio MotA rodrigues & M AriA JuliAnA borges -l eite & d iVA MAriA borges -n oJosA KurZFAssung informationen über die innere Anatomie brasilianischer schlangen sind rar. Über Bothrops erythromelas AMArAl , 1923, eine endemische Art der Ökoregion Caatinga in nordostbrasilien, ist auch biologisch wenig bekan - nt. diese studie untersucht die topographische Anatomie und den geschlechtsdimorphismus bei dieser lanzen - otternart. die lage der inneren organe wurde in bezug auf die bauchschuppen beschrieben, indem angegeben wurde, auf höhe welcher schuppen sie beginnen und enden. Folgende Parameter der Körpergestalt wurden zur untersuchung des sexualdimorphismus ausgewertet: Anzahl der bauchschuppen, Kopf-rumpf-länge, schwanz - länge, Kopflänge, Kopfbreite, Kopfhöhe und Kopfvolumen. die topographische lage des herzens folgt dem für Viperidae typischen Muster, bei denen dieses organ vergleichsweise weit caudal positioniert ist. das Vorhandensein einer tracheallunge, ein für dieser gruppe typi - sches Merkmal, wurde bestätigt. die geschlechtsunterschiede in der Kopf-rumpf-länge waren nahezu sig - nifikant, mit höheren werten für weibchen, wahrscheinlich um Platz und nahrungsressourcen für große würfe zu gewährleisten. die werte für höhe und Volumen des Kopfes waren ebenfalls bei den weibchen größer. AbstrACt information on the internal anatomy of brazilian serpents is scarce. Bothrops erythromelas AMArAl , 1923, native to the northeast brazilian ecoregion called Caatinga, is also poorly known with regard to its biology. this study aimed to investigate the topographic anatomy and sexual dimorphism in B. erythromelas . the position of internal organs was characterized by the numbers of the ventral scales where they began and ended. to check for potential sexual dimorphism, the number of ventral scales, snout-vent length, tail length, head length, head width, head height and head volume was assessed. the topographic situation of the heart follows the pattern found in the family Viperidae, in which this organ is in a comparatively caudal position. the presence of tracheal lungs, a distinctive feature of this group was veri - fied. differences in snout-vent length were near significant, with higher values for females, probably to provide space and nutritional resources for large litter. Also, the values in height and volume of the head were higher for females. Key words squamata: serpentes: Viperidae; Bothrops erythromelas , ecomorphology, morphometry; topographic anatomy, organ position, sexual dimorphism, brazil introduCtion As in other species, morphology and tematics and evolution, and provides infor - physiology of snakes is determined by natu - mation for teaching, handling, and conserv - ral selection as a result of their interaction ing of species. thus, morphology and with the habitat ( Vitt & V Angilder 1983; anatomy of snakes adds to the understand - guyer & d onnelly 1990; C Adle & g reene ing of their phylogeny as well as functional 1993; l illywhite & h enderson 1993 ). anatomy, which establishes relationships Anatomy is an essential tool for several between form, function, and adaptation lines of research, such as comparative mor - (MAso 2002). topographic anatomy des - phology, veterinary medicine, ecology, sys - cribes the various anatomical structures in hg_PicturePortrait_gondim et al _topographical_anatomy_bothrops_erythromelas_herPetoZoA.qxd 11.02.2016 16:58 seite 2 134 P. M. g ondiM & J. F. M. r odrigues & M. J. b orges -l eite & d. M. b orges -n oJosA terms of their topography, i. e., extension, length ( JAneiro -C inquini et al. 1992; bon- location and orientation relative to each net et. al 1998; sAntos & r ibeiro 2005; other and the body surface. in snakes, in MAtiAs et al. 2011). particular, it studies the relationship between brazil has a very diverse snake fauna, the position and morphology of internal but anatomical studies of brazilian species organs and external points of reference or are scarce (e.g., nArChi 1973; g oMes et al. structures such as the ventral scales, thus, 1989; goMes & P uorto 1993; M esquitA & helping locate these organs ( AVeiro -l ins et brites 2003 ; AVeiro -l ins et al. 2006). al. 2006). the position of the organs in rela - Bothrops erythromelas AMArAl , 1923, com - tion to the ventral scales was depicted by monly known as Caatinga lancehead, is an Collins & C ArPenter (1970), rossMAn et endemic species of the Caatinga, a xeric al. (1982) and MArtineZ et al. (1985). the shrubland and thorn forest. the snake is heart is commonly positioned more anteri - found in the semiarid north-eastern brazil, orly in arboreal snakes than in terrestrial from the northern state of Piauí, in a species, reflecting adaptive strategies to southerly direction, to the northeast of the gravitational variations in those habitats state of Minas gerais ( VAnZolini et al. (lillywhite 1988; b Adeer 1998; r oChA - 1980; CAMPbell & l AMAr 1989; w AllACh bArbosA et al. 1999, 2000). besides facili - et al. 2014). this small (about 50 cm), ter - tating descriptions and intra- and interspecif - restrial, viviparous lancehead species feeds ic comparisons ( nAVegA -g onçAlVes 2009 ), when young mainly on centipedes, later knowledge of the topographic location of the gradually substituting them for anurans, organ of interest is useful for veterinary lizards and small mammals ( AMArAl 1977; treatment as well as dissections (e.g., MArtins et al. 2002). brAgdon 1953; C AMAZine et al. 1981). in this study, the authors aimed to topographic anatomy studies also led to investigate the gross topographic visceral ecomorphological studies of snakes ( AVei- anatomy of B. erythromelas , as well as ro -l ins et al. 2006; gArtner et al. 2010). assess whether or not there is sexual dimor - sexual dimorphism in body size and phism in selected traits of size and propor - shape is common in snakes ( shine 1993, tions. it was expected to find that the topo - 1994). in most species, females are larger graphic position of the internal organs of B. than males, probably an adaptation to erythromelas in relation to the ventral scales increase their reproductive output ( shine is similar to that of other terrestrial species 1981, 1988, 1989, 1994; MAdsen & s hine of the genus, specifically, that the heart is 1993). several studies found intersexual positioned more posteriorly than in arboreal differences in head shape, relative head size members of Viperidae and that females (CAMilleri & s hine 1990; l uiselli et al. would have a larger body size than males, 2002; MesquitA & b rites 2003; V inCent et following the general pattern for snake al. 2004; MAtiAs et al. 2011) as well as tail species without male combat. MAteriAls And Methods the topographic anatomy study com - (1993). An incision was made along the prised 27 specimens of Bothrops erythrome - medial line of the ventral scales from the las (15 males, 12 females), the sexual cloacal opening to the gular region. sex dimorphism study, 36 specimens (18 males determination was accomplished by and 18 females). the samples originated hemipenis observation. Ventral scales were from the Coleção de herpetologia da counted from the first (most cranial) that universidade Federal do Ceará (ChuFC), was wider than long to the scale before the and the instituto butantan (ibsP) (see cloacal plate ( dowling 1951). organs were Appendix i). positioned in relation to the consecutively the dissection procedures followed numbered ventral scales, i. e., at the level of goMes et al. (1989) and goMes & P uorto which scale they began and ended ( goMes hg_PicturePortrait_gondim et al _topographical_anatomy_bothrops_erythromelas_herPetoZoA.qxd 11.02.2016 16:58 seite 3 topographic anatomy and sexual dimorphism of Bothrops erythromelas 135 et al. 1989; goMes & P uorto 1993). Also, the pyramid and head width and height as cranial and caudal organ limits or positions the measures of its base. in this note, terms were expressed in percent of the total num - such as anterior, before, or beginning refer ber of ventral scales. the following viscer - to cranial, whereas posterior, behind and al organs were considered: liver, heart, lung, ending to caudal directions/positions. trachea, stomach, esophagus, kidneys, tes - All measured variables were log- tes, ovaries, reproductive ducts (oviducts transformed (log e) and showed normal dis - and vasa deferentia), gall bladder and intes - tribution according to shapiro-wilk tests. tine. Pancreas, thyroid, spleen, thymus, ad - the log-transformed sVls of the males renals and saccular portion of the right lung were compared to the females using the were not considered because they were dif - welch two samples t-test ( ZAr 2009). ficult to locate in many specimens. sexual dimorphism regarding the other For the study of sexual dimorphism, measured variables (hl, hw, hh, hV, tl the number of ventral scales (nVs), snout- and nVs) was assessed using generalised vent length (sVl), tail length (tl), head linear Models (glMs) with gaussian length (hl), head width (hw) and head errors and log-transformed sVl as a covari - height (hh) were recorded.
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