DOCSLIB.ORG

Geographic Variation in the Bahamian Brown Racer, Alsophis Vudii A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Geographic Variation in the Bahamian Brown Racer, Alsophis Vudii A Geographic Variation in the Bahamian Brown Racer, Alsophis Vudii A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science Christina Wieg June 2009 © June 2009 Christina Wieg. All Rights Reserved. This thesis entitled Geographic Variation in the Bahamian Brown Racer, Alsophis Vudii by CHRISTINA WIEG has been approved for the Program of Environmental Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences by Matthew W. White Associate Professor of Biological Science Benjamin M. Ogles Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Abstract WIEG, CHRISTINA, M.S., June 2009, Environmental Studies GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN THE BAHAMIAN BROWN RACER, ALSOPHIS VUDII (48 pp.) Director of Thesis: Matthew M. White Nine meristic and fourteen morphometric characters were examined to determine geographic variation in the five subspecies of the insular snake species, Alsophis vudii. In addition, museum specimens from the closely derived species Alsophis cantherigerus were examined. Canonical discriminate analysis determined that, based on the morphological data, significant differences were observed among subspecies. However, significant differences were also observed between island populations. My results suggest that the current subspecies designations oversimplify the variation within the species and are not an adequate reflection of variation present among the island populations. Additional research is required in order to determine the causes of the observed variation within the species. Possible explanations for observed variation may include multiple colonization events or environmental variation among islands. Approved: Matthew M. White Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Dedication I dedicate this work to my husband, Rick Perkins. Without his constant support my goals would have never become a reality. I would also like to dedicate this work to my lovely daughter, Raven Perkins. I never knew unconditional love until I looked into her eyes. 5 Acknowledgments I would like to thank my committee members, Matthew W. White, Donald B. Miles, and James Dyer for their advice and assistance on this project. I would especially like to thank advisor Dr. White for his support, patience, and understanding during the development of this project. I would also like to thank committee member Dr. Miles for his assistance in the statistical analysis of the data and the use of his laboratory and Scott Moody for his guidance in the development of the methods. Special thanks to Gene Mapes and Cheryl Hanzel for their assistance. Funding for the project was provided by Masters in Environmental Studies Program, and a Graduate Student Senate Grant. Specimens were provided by the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas and the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. 6 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 Dedication .......................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. 5 List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... 7 List of Figures .................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 9 Systematics of Alsophis vudii ...................................................................................... 11 Materials and Methods ..................................................................................................... 14 Statistical Analysis ....................................................................................................... 15 Results .............................................................................................................................. 17 Morphological Variables ................................................................................................. 17 Meristic Variation ........................................................................................................ 23 Phylogenetic Analysis .................................................................................................. 27 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 31 References ........................................................................................................................ 36 Appendix A: Institutional Abbreviations ......................................................................... 39 Appendix B. Sample size (N), means, and standard deviations (SD) for 14 morphological characters by subspecies, island, and sex. ............................................... 41 Appendix C: Sample size (N), means, and standard deviations (SD) for 5 meristic characters by subspecies, island, and sex ......................................................................... 45 7 List of Tables Table Page 1. Description of and codes used for meristic and morphometric variables. .................. 14 2. Mahalanobis distance for squared distance to subspecies for morpholmetric data .... 18 3. Results from the CDA using subspecies as a grouping variable. ............................... 18 4. The five canonical correlation structures of the morphometric characteristics .......... 20 5. Mahalanobis distance for squared distance to subspecies of A. vudii for meristic characters.. ....................................................................................................................... 23 6. The canonical correlation structure of the meristic characteristics from subspecies designations of A. vudii .................................................................................................... 24 7. The canonical structures of the meristic characteristics ............................................. 26 8 List of Figures Figure Page 1. Distribution of the five subspecies of Alsophis vudii: 1) A.v. vudii 2) A. v. aterrimus 3) A. v. picticeps 4) A. v. raineyi 5) A. v. utowanae.. ......................................................12 2. CDA by of morphometric data by island populations ...............................................18 3. Cluster analysis based on class means from the Canonical Variates Analysis of morphological variables of the island populations. ........................................................21 4. Cluster Analysis based on shape variation from the Canonical Variates Analysis of morphological variables of the island populations .........................................................22 5. CDA by of meristic data by island populations. .........................................................25 6. Cluster analysis based on class means from the Canonical Variates Analysis of meristic variables of the island populations……………………………………………..27 7. Phylogenetic analysis using the continuous maximum likelihood based on means for the morphological variables of the island populations of A. vudii………………………………………………….………………………………….28 8. Phylogenetic Analyisis of the continous maximum likelihood using the means of the Meristic data from the island popultations………………………………………………30 9 Introduction Geographic variation within species has been the focus of many studies (Endler, 1977; Pearson et al., 2002). Patterns of variation associated with environmental heterogeneity can allow the grouping of local populations into systematic categories. More importantly, studies of geographic variation can provide insight into the process of differentiation and speciation. The presence of geographic variation can be a potential isolating mechanism which may further the separation between the two populations (Mayr, 1999). The isolation of insular species results in greater limitation in gene flow and is often the result of founder effect (MacArthur and Wilson, 1967). As a result, insular species often express a greater degree of geographic variation among populations and between island populations and mainland populations. As a result, biologists have long had an interest in studying the geographic variation among populations of island species. A wide variety of geographic variation has been observed among insular reptile species. Much of the observed variations have resulted in subspecies designations. However, the usefulness of subspecies designation in describing the actual variation observed among a species has been questioned (Barrowclough, 1982). The designation of a subspecies portrays a phenotypic uniformity across an area of distribution. However, a frequently observed pattern of variation consists of a lack of concordance of clines in different characters (independent geographic variation), reoccurrence of characters in several geographic areas (polytopic subspecies), and every population differing in some character (microgeographic races) (Wilson and Brown, 1953). Therefore, subspecies 10 designations do not tend to accurately reflect the geographic variation present within a species. In addition, subspecies designations were often based on observed variation in a single specimen or variation as a result
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Biological and Proteomic Analysis of Venom from the Puerto Rican Racer (Alsophis Portoricensis: Dipsadidae)
    Toxicon 55 (2010) 558–569 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Toxicon journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/toxicon Biological and proteomic analysis of venom from the Puerto Rican Racer (Alsophis portoricensis: Dipsadidae) Caroline L. Weldon, Stephen P. Mackessy* School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th Street, CB 92, Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA article info abstract Article history: The Puerto Rican Racer Alsophis portoricensis is known to use venom to subdue lizard prey, Received 12 August 2009 and extensive damage to specific lizard body tissues has been well documented. The Received in revised form toxicity and biochemistry of the venom, however, has not been explored extensively. We 27 September 2009 employed biological assays and proteomic techniques to characterize venom from Accepted 2 October 2009 A. portoricensis anegadae collected from Guana Island, British Virgin Islands. High metal- Available online 14 October 2009 loproteinase and gelatinase, as well as low acetylcholinesterase and phosphodiesterase activities were detected, and the venom hydrolyzed the a-subunit of human fibrinogen Keywords: Biological roles very rapidly. SDS-PAGE analysis of venoms revealed up to 22 protein bands, with masses of w Colubrid 5–160 kDa; very little variation among individual snakes or within one snake between CRISP venom extractions was observed. Most bands were approximately 25–62 kD, but MALDI- Enzymes TOF analysis of crude venom indicated considerable complexity in the 1.5–13 kD mass a-Fibrinogenase range, including low intensity peaks in the 6.2–8.8 kD mass range (potential three-finger Gland histology toxins). MALDI-TOF/TOF MS analysis of tryptic peptides confirmed that a 25 kDa band was Hemorrhage a venom cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRiSP) with sequence homology with tigrin, Mass spectrometry a CRiSP from the natricine colubrid Rhabdophis tigrinus.
    [Show full text]
  • Short Communication Non-Venomous Snakebites in the Western Brazilian
    Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Journal of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine Vol.:52:e20190120: 2019 doi: 10.1590/0037-8682-0120-2019 Short Communication Non-venomous snakebites in the Western Brazilian Amazon Ageane Mota da Silva[1],[2], Viviane Kici da Graça Mendes[3],[4], Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro[3],[4] and Paulo Sérgio Bernarde[5] [1]. Instituto Federal do Acre, Campus de Cruzeiro do Sul, Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brasil. [2]. Programa de Pós-Graduação Bionorte, Campus Universitário BR 364, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil. [3]. Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil. [4]. Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil. [5]. Laboratório de Herpetologia, Centro Multidisciplinar, Campus Floresta, Universidade Federal do Acre, Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brasil. Abstract Introduction: In this study, we examined the clinical manifestations, laboratory evidence, and the circumstances of snakebites caused by non-venomous snakes, which were treated at the Regional Hospital of Juruá in Cruzeiro do Sul. Methods: Data were collected through patient interviews, identification of the species that were taken to the hospital, and the clinical manifestations. Results: Eight confirmed and four probable cases of non-venomous snakebites were recorded. Conclusions: The symptoms produced by the snakes Helicops angulatus and Philodryas viridissima, combined with their coloration can be confused with venomous snakes (Bothrops atrox and Bothrops bilineatus), thus resulting in incorrect bothropic snakebite diagnosis. Keywords: Serpentes. Dipsadidae. Snakes. Ophidism. Envenomation. Snakes from the families Colubridae and Dipsadidae incidence of cases is recorded (56.1 per 100,000 inhabitants)2. Of are traditionally classified as non-poisonous, despite having these, bites by non-venomous snakes are also computed (Boidae, the Duvernoy's gland and the capacity for producing toxic Colubridae, and Dipsadidae) which, depending on the region, secretions, which eventually cause envenomations1.
    [Show full text]
  • Alsophis Rijgersmaei Cope, 1869 (Squamata: Dipsadidae) Sur L'île De
    Questel K. (2021). Alsophis rijgersmaei Cope, 1869 (Squamata: Dipsadidae) sur l’île de Saint-Barthélemy. Mise à jour : janvier 2021. Bulletin de l’ATE numéro 7. 8p. 1 Karl Questel Le Bulletin de l’ATE numéro 7 Mise à jour : Janvier 2021 Alsophis rijgersmaei Cope, 1869 (Squamata: Dipsadidae) sur l’île de Saint-Barthélemy Ceci est la version basse définition pour le web. Si vous souhaitez une version haute définition pour l'impression, veuillez demander à : [email protected] This is the low definition version for the web. If you want a high definition version for printing, please request to : [email protected] 2 Questel K. (2021). Alsophis rijgersmaei Cope, 1869 (Squamata: Dipsadidae) sur l’île de Saint-Barthélemy. Mise à jour : janvier 2021. Bulletin de l’ATE numéro 7. 8p. Alsophis rijgersmaei en bref / Alsophis rijgersmaei in short. La plus grande taille documentée. - 108 cm (du museau au cloaque (LV) - Snout to vent (SVL)) Largest documented size. - 138 cm (du museau au bout de la queue (LT) - Snout to the end of the tail (TL)). Une femelle. A female. Nombre d’écailles ventrales et ♀ -Ventrales, ventral : 197-206. sous-caudales par sexes identifiés (Min-Max). -Sous-caudales, sub-caudal : 93-102. Number of ventral and sub-caudal scales ♂ -Ventrales, ventral : 201-208. by identified sexes (Min-Max). -Sous-caudales, sub-caudal : 109-117. Moyennes générales de toutes les données ♀+♂+? -Ventrales, ventral : 197-208. disponibles: mâles, femelles et non sexés -Sous-caudales, sub-caudal : 93-122. (Min-Max). (Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Anguilla) General averages of all available data: males, females and not sexed (Min-Max).
    [Show full text]
  • The Antiguan Racer Alsophis Antiguae
    Oryx Vol 35 No 2 April 2001 Five years of conserving the 'world's rarest snake', the Antiguan racer Alsophis antiguae Jenny C. Daltry, Quentin Bloxam, Gillian Cooper, Mark L. Day, John Hartley, McRonnie Henry, Kevel Lindsay and Brian E. Smith Abstract The Critically Endangered Antiguan racer evidently benefited from the project's rat eradication Alsophis antiguae is confined to Great Bird Island, a 9.9- programme. The snakes are still seriously threatened by ha (24.5-acre) islet off the north-east coast of Antigua in other intrinsic and extrinsic factors, however, including the Lesser Antilles. This island represents well under inbreeding depression, frequent hurricanes, invasive 0.1 per cent of the species's historical distribution range. predators and deliberate killing by tourists, as well as During the past 5 years, the total number of racers aged the problem that Great Bird Island is too small to 1 year or more has fluctuated between 51 and 114, and support more than about 100 individuals. This paper currently stands at approximately 80. Since 1995, the describes the activities and impact of this project to date, Antiguan Racer Conservation Project (ARCP) has en- and outlines a series of conservation activities to deavoured to save this harmless snake from extinction safeguard the long-term future of the species, which by using a combination of education, conservation include reintroduction of the Antiguan racer to restored breeding, habitat restoration, local capacity building islands within its former distribution range. and applied research. The Antiguan racer's ecology and population dynamics have become well understood Keywords Alsophis, Antigua, Antiguan racer, conser- after 5 years of intensive study, and the species has vation, invasive species, reintroduction.
    [Show full text]
  • (Wiegmann, 1835) (Reptilia, Squamata, Dipsadidae) from Chile
    Herpetozoa 32: 203–209 (2019) DOI 10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e36705 Observations on reproduction in captivity of the endemic long-tailed snake Philodryas chamissonis (Wiegmann, 1835) (Reptilia, Squamata, Dipsadidae) from Chile Osvaldo Cabeza1, Eugenio Vargas1, Carolina Ibarra1, Félix A. Urra2,3 1 Zoológico Nacional, Pio Nono 450, Recoleta, Santiago, Chile 2 Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile 3 Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile http://zoobank.org/8167B841-8349-41A1-A5F0-D25D1350D461 Corresponding author: Osvaldo Cabeza ([email protected]); Félix A. Urra ([email protected]) Academic editor: Silke Schweiger ♦ Received 2 June 2019 ♦ Accepted 29 August 2019 ♦ Published 10 September 2019 Abstract The long-tailed snake Philodryas chamissonis is an oviparous rear-fanged species endemic to Chile, whose reproductive biology is currently based on anecdotic reports. The characteristics of the eggs, incubation time, and hatching are still unknown. This work describes for the first time the oviposition of 16 eggs by a female in captivity at Zoológico Nacional in Chile. After an incubation period of 59 days, seven neonates were born. We recorded data of biometry and ecdysis of these neonates for 9 months. In addition, a review about parameters of egg incubation and hatching for Philodryas species is provided. Key Words Chile, colubrids, eggs, hatching, oviposition, rear-fanged snake, reproduction Introduction Philodryas is a genus composed of twenty-three ovipa- especially P. aestiva (Fowler and Salomão 1995; Fowl- rous species widely distributed in South America (Grazzi- er et al. 1998), P. nattereri (Fowler and Salomão 1995; otinet al.
    [Show full text]
  • Zootaxa 2173
    Zootaxa 2173: 66–68 (2009) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Correspondence ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2009 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) On the status of the snake genera Erythrolamprus Boie, Liophis Wagler and Lygophis Fitzinger (Serpentes, Xenodontinae) FELIPE F. CURCIO1,2, VÍTOR DE Q. PIACENTINI1 & DANIEL S. FERNANDES3 1Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 11.461, CEP 05422-970, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. 2E-mail: [email protected] 3Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941–590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] The genus Erythrolamprus Boie (1826) comprises six species of Central and South American false coral snakes (Peters & Orejas-Miranda 1970; Zaher 1999; Curcio et al. 2009). It is traditionally allocated in the tribe Xenodontini (subfamily Xenodontinae), along with the genera Liophis, Lystrophis, Umbrivaga, Waglerophis and Xenodon (sensu Dixon 1980; Cadle 1984; Myers 1986; Ferrarezzi 1994; Zaher 1999). Although Xenodontini is supported by morphological and molecular evidence, phylogenetic relationships and classification within the tribe have been the subject of recent debate. Molecular phylogenetic studies have recovered clades with Erythrolamprus nested within some representatives of the genus Liophis (Vidal et al. 2000; Zaher et al. 2009), partly corroborating previous hypotheses based on morphology (e.g. Dixon 1980). Vidal et al.’s (2000) and Zaher et al.’s (2009) sampling of taxa of Erythrolamprus and Liophis is far from comprehensive, each including five species of traditional Liophis (only one of which is common to the two studies) and one species of Erythrolamprus.
    [Show full text]
  • (Leptophis Ahaetulla Marginatus): Characterization of Its Venom and Venom-Delivery System
    (This is a sample cover image for this issue. The actual cover is not yet available at this time.) This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the author's institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/authorsrights Author's Personal Copy Toxicon 148 (2018) 202e212 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Toxicon journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/toxicon Assessment of the potential toxicological hazard of the Green Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla marginatus): Characterization of its venom and venom-delivery system Matías N. Sanchez a, b, Gladys P. Teibler c, Carlos A. Lopez b, Stephen P. Mackessy d, * María E. Peichoto a, b, a Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas (CONICET), Ministerio de Ciencia Tecnología e Innovacion Productiva, Argentina b Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical (INMeT), Ministerio de Salud de la Nacion, Neuquen y Jujuy s/n, 3370, Puerto Iguazú, Argentina c Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (FCV),
    [Show full text]
  • Colubrid Venom Composition: an -Omics Perspective
    toxins Review Colubrid Venom Composition: An -Omics Perspective Inácio L. M. Junqueira-de-Azevedo 1,*, Pollyanna F. Campos 1, Ana T. C. Ching 2 and Stephen P. Mackessy 3 1 Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; [email protected] 2 Laboratório de Imunoquímica, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; [email protected] 3 School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +55-11-2627-9731 Academic Editor: Bryan Fry Received: 7 June 2016; Accepted: 8 July 2016; Published: 23 July 2016 Abstract: Snake venoms have been subjected to increasingly sensitive analyses for well over 100 years, but most research has been restricted to front-fanged snakes, which actually represent a relatively small proportion of extant species of advanced snakes. Because rear-fanged snakes are a diverse and distinct radiation of the advanced snakes, understanding venom composition among “colubrids” is critical to understanding the evolution of venom among snakes. Here we review the state of knowledge concerning rear-fanged snake venom composition, emphasizing those toxins for which protein or transcript sequences are available. We have also added new transcriptome-based data on venoms of three species of rear-fanged snakes. Based on this compilation, it is apparent that several components, including cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRiSPs), C-type lectins (CTLs), CTLs-like proteins and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), are broadly distributed among “colubrid” venoms, while others, notably three-finger toxins (3FTxs), appear nearly restricted to the Colubridae (sensu stricto).
    [Show full text]
  • Diet of Six Species of Galapagos Terrestrial Snakes (Pseudalsophis Spp.) Inferred from Faecal Samples
    Herpetology Notes, volume 12: 701-704 (2019) (published online on 02 July 2019) Diet of six species of Galapagos terrestrial snakes (Pseudalsophis spp.) inferred from faecal samples Luis Ortiz-Catedral1,*, Eli Christian1, Michael John Adam Skirrow1, Danny Rueda2, Christian Sevilla2, Kirtana Kumar1, Enzo M. R. Reyes1, and Jennifer C. Daltry3 The Galapagos terrestrial snakes, or ‘Galapagos Dialommus fuscus and Labrisomus denditricus) (Merlen racers’ (Pseudalsophis spp.) are a monophyletic group and Thomas, 2013). There are also unpublished reports of nine species within Dipsadidae, exclusively found of Galapagos racers ingesting large painted locusts in the Galapagos Islands (Zaher et al., 2018). A single (Schistocerca melanocera) (Jackson, 1993), and three continental species, P. elegans, is the closest relative of observers (park rangers from the Galapagos National these island species (Zaher et al., 2018), and is found Park) have witnessed P. dorsalis ingesting eggs of from Ecuador to Chile (Armendáriz, 1991; Carrillo de Galapagos doves (Zenaida galapagoensis) on Santa Espinoza and Icochea, 1995; Thomas, 1977). The group Fe Island (G. Quezada, M. Gavilanes and C. Gaona has been the subject of various taxonomic reviews pers. comm.). There is even an unconfirmed report of a since the early 1900s (Thomas, 1997). Although there terrestrial snake ingesting the fruit pulp of bitter melon have been significant advances in understanding the (Mormodica charantia) on Santa Cruz Island (Olesen evolutionary history of the group and their phylogenetic et al., 2018), but it is unknown whether the snake ate affinities (Grazziotin et al., 2012; Zaher et al., 2018), the bitter melon deliberately or by accident (e.g. while basic aspects of their biology have remained largely preying on a small vertebrate associated with the fruit).
    [Show full text]
  • PDF Files Before Requesting Examination of Original Lication (Table 2)
    often be ingested at night. A subsequent study on the acceptance of dead prey by snakes was undertaken by curator Edward George Boulenger in 1915 (Proc. Zool. POINTS OF VIEW Soc. London 1915:583–587). The situation at the London Zoo becomes clear when one refers to a quote by Mitchell in 1929: “My rule about no living prey being given except with special and direct authority is faithfully kept, and permission has to be given in only the rarest cases, these generally of very delicate or new- Herpetological Review, 2007, 38(3), 273–278. born snakes which are given new-born mice, creatures still blind and entirely un- © 2007 by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles conscious of their surroundings.” The Destabilization of North American Colubroid 7 Edward Horatio Girling, head keeper of the snake room in 1852 at the London Zoo, may have been the first zoo snakebite victim. After consuming alcohol in Snake Taxonomy prodigious quantities in the early morning with fellow workers at the Albert Public House on 29 October, he staggered back to the Zoo and announced that he was inspired to grab an Indian cobra a foot behind its head. It bit him on the nose. FRANK T. BURBRINK* Girling was taken to a nearby hospital where current remedies available at the time Biology Department, 2800 Victory Boulevard were tried: artificial respiration and galvanism; he died an hour later. Many re- College of Staten Island/City University of New York spondents to The Times newspaper articles suggested liberal quantities of gin and Staten Island, New York 10314, USA rum for treatment of snakebite but this had already been accomplished in Girling’s *Author for correspondence; e-mail: [email protected] case.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Species of Forest Snake of the Genus Rhadinaea from Tropical Montane Rainforest in the Sierra Madre Del Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico (Squamata, Dipsadidae)
    A peer-reviewed open-access journal ZooKeys A813: new 55–65 species (2019) of forest snake of the genus Rhadinaea from Tropical Montane Rainforest... 55 doi: 10.3897/zookeys.813.29617 RESEARCH ARTICLE http://zookeys.pensoft.net Launched to accelerate biodiversity research A new species of forest snake of the genus Rhadinaea from Tropical Montane Rainforest in the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico (Squamata, Dipsadidae) Vicente Mata-Silva1, Arturo Rocha2, Aurelio Ramírez-Bautista3, Christian Berriozabal-Islas3, Larry David Wilson4 1 Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas 79968-0500, USA2 Department of Biological Sciences, El Paso Community College, Texas 79968-0500, USA 3 Centro de Investigaciones Biológi- cas, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Carretera Pachuca- Tulancingo Km 4.5, Colonia Carboneras, C. P. 42184, Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo, Mexico 4 Centro Zamorano de Biodiversidad, Escuela Agrícola Panamericana Zamorano, Departamento de Francisco Morazán, Honduras; 16010 SW 207th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33187-1056, USA Corresponding author: Vicente Mata-Silva ([email protected]) Academic editor: R. Jadin | Received 9 September 2018 | Accepted 10 December 2018 | Published 7 January 2019 http://zoobank.org/418B781C-1AEE-45CC-ADF0-7B1778FE2179 Citation: Mata-Silva V, Rocha A, Ramírez-Bautista A, Berriozabal-Islas C, Wilson LD (2019) A new species of forest snake of the genus Rhadinaea from Tropical Montane Rainforest in the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico (Squamata, Dipsadidae). ZooKeys 813: 55–65. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.813.29617 Abstract Content of the dipsadid genus Rhadinaea has changed considerably since Myers’ 1974 revision.
    [Show full text]
  • Reproduction and Feeding of the Colubrid Snake Tomodon Dorsatus from South-Eastern Brazil
    Amphibia-Reptilia 26 (2005): 33-38 Reproduction and feeding of the colubrid snake Tomodon dorsatus from south-eastern Brazil Alessandra Bizerra1,2, Otavio A.V. Marques2,4, Ivan Sazima3 Abstract. Body size, sexual dimorphism, reproductive cycles, fecundity, diet and feeding behaviour of the colubrid snake Tomodon dorsatus from south-eastern Brazil were studied. Females of this viviparous species attained larger body sizes than males, the latter maturing with smaller body size than the former. Vitellogenesis occurred at the onset of rainy season, ovulation by mid rainy season, and parturition from late dry to early rainy season. Reproductive cycle was extended, maybe as a consequence of the low metabolism and food intake. Litter size ranged 4-26 offspring and was correlated with maternal body size. Relative clutch mass ranged 0.48-0.82, and neonates ranged 12-17 cm in snout-vent length. Tomodon dorsatus was shown to feed exclusively on veronicellid slugs quickly swallowed by long excursions of the specialized upper jaw units. Introduction Brazil, from São Paulo (23◦20S) south to Santa Catarina (27◦20S). This area lies within the Atlantic forest domain, The colubrid snake Tomodon dorsatus occurs and has a homogeneous climate characterized by high rain- along the Atlantic forest and surrounding ar- fall levels throughout the year (Nimer, 1989). Nonetheless, eas in south-eastern and southern Brazil (Biz- two “seasons” may be perceived: a rainy one (October-May) with higher rains incidence and temperature, and a dry one erra, 1998). This species belongs to the mono- (June-September) with less rainfall and lower temperatures phyletic Tachymenini, which includes seven (see Marques et al., 2001b).
    [Show full text]