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A case of envenoming by a Persian false-horned viper Pseudocerastes persicus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) (Serpentes: Viperidae) in Southeastern Iran. Toxicon 2023; 223:107009. [PMID: 36586490 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.107009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Despite the wide distribution of the Persian false-horned viper (Pseudocerastes persicus) in the Middle East, few identified bites have been reported. A 33-year-old herpetologist bitten on the hand by Pseudocerastes persicus in Kerman Province, Southeastern Iran, developed local pain and extensive swelling with mild non-specific systemic symptoms and minimal laboratory evidence of systemic envenoming.
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op den Brouw B, Coimbra FCP, Bourke LA, Huynh TM, Vlecken DHW, Ghezellou P, Visser JC, Dobson JS, Fernandez-Rojo MA, Ikonomopoulou MP, Casewell NR, Ali SA, Fathinia B, Hodgson WC, Fry BG. Extensive Variation in the Activities of Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis Viper Venoms Suggests Divergent Envenoming Strategies Are Used for Prey Capture. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:112. [PMID: 33540884 PMCID: PMC7913145 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes of the genera Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis (Viperidae: Viperinae) are known as the desert vipers due to their association with the arid environments of the Middle East. These species have received limited research attention and little is known about their venom or ecology. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of desert viper venoms was conducted by visualising the venom proteomes via gel electrophoresis and assessing the crude venoms for their cytotoxic, haemotoxic, and neurotoxic properties. Plasmas sourced from human, toad, and chicken were used as models to assess possible prey-linked venom activity. The venoms demonstrated substantial divergence in composition and bioactivity across all experiments. Pseudocerastes urarachnoides venom activated human coagulation factors X and prothrombin and demonstrated potent procoagulant activity in human, toad, and chicken plasmas, in stark contrast to the potent neurotoxic venom of P. fieldi. The venom of E. macmahonii also induced coagulation, though this did not appear to be via the activation of factor X or prothrombin. The coagulant properties of P. fieldi and P. persicus venoms varied among plasmas, demonstrating strong anticoagulant activity in the amphibian and human plasmas but no significant effect in that of bird. This is conjectured to reflect prey-specific toxin activity, though further ecological studies are required to confirm any dietary associations. This study reinforces the notion that phylogenetic relatedness of snakes cannot readily predict venom protein composition or function. The significant venom variation between these species raises serious concerns regarding antivenom paraspecificity. Future assessment of antivenom is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca op den Brouw
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Francisco C. P. Coimbra
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Lachlan A. Bourke
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Tam Minh Huynh
- Monash Venom Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (T.M.H.); (W.C.H.)
| | - Danielle H. W. Vlecken
- Department of Animal Science and Health, Institute of Biology Leiden, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Parviz Ghezellou
- Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran;
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jeroen C. Visser
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - James S. Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Manuel A. Fernandez-Rojo
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.A.F.-R.); (M.P.I.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Maria P. Ikonomopoulou
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.A.F.-R.); (M.P.I.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK;
| | - Syed A. Ali
- HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan;
| | - Behzad Fathinia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yasouj University, 75914 Yasouj, Iran;
| | - Wayne C. Hodgson
- Monash Venom Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (T.M.H.); (W.C.H.)
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
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Tamar K, Els J, Kornilios P, Soorae P, Tarroso P, Thanou E, Pereira J, Shah JN, Elhassan EEM, Aguhob JC, Badaam SF, Eltayeb MM, Pusey R, Papenfuss TJ, Macey JR, Carranza S. The demise of a wonder: Evolutionary history and conservation assessments of the Wonder Gecko Teratoscincus keyserlingii (Gekkota, Sphaerodactylidae) in Arabia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244150. [PMID: 33411750 PMCID: PMC7790289 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective biodiversity conservation planning starts with genetic characterization within and among focal populations, in order to understand the likely impact of threats for ensuring the long-term viability of a species. The Wonder Gecko, Teratoscincus keyserlingii, is one of nine members of the genus. This species is distributed in Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, with a small isolated population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where it is classified nationally as Critically Endangered. Within its Arabian range, anthropogenic activity is directly linked to the species’ decline, with highly localised and severely fragmented populations. Here we describe the evolutionary history of Teratoscincus, by reconstructing its phylogenetic relationships and estimating its divergence times and ancestral biogeography. For conservation implications of T. keyserlingii we evaluate the genetic structure of the Arabian population using genomic data. This study supports the monophyly of most species and reveals considerable intraspecific variability in T. microlepis and T. keyserlingii, which necessitate broad systematic revisions. The UAE population of T. keyserlingii likely arrived from southern Iran during the Pleistocene and no internal structure was recovered within, implying a single population status. Regional conservation of T. keyserlingii requires improved land management and natural habitat restoration in the species’ present distribution, and expansion of current protected areas, or establishment of new areas with suitable habitat for the species, mostly in northern Abu Dhabi Emirate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Tamar
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail: (KT); (SC)
| | - Johannes Els
- Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Panagiotis Kornilios
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- The Molecular Ecology Backshop, G. Lekka, Loutraki, Greece
| | | | - Pedro Tarroso
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBIO/InBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Evanthia Thanou
- The Molecular Ecology Backshop, G. Lekka, Loutraki, Greece
- Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - John Pereira
- Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Junid Nazeer Shah
- Natural Resource Conservation Section, Environment Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Jeruel Cabadonga Aguhob
- Natural Resource Conservation Section, Environment Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saoud Faisal Badaam
- Natural Resource Conservation Section, Environment Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed Mustafa Eltayeb
- Natural Resource Conservation Section, Environment Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Theodore J. Papenfuss
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - J. Robert Macey
- Peralta Genomics Institute, Chancellor’s Office, Peralta Community College District, Oakland, CA, United States of America
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail: (KT); (SC)
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Dispersal beyond geographic barriers: a contribution to the phylogeny and demographic history of Pristurus rupestris Blanford, 1874 (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) from southern Iran. ZOOLOGY 2019; 134:8-15. [PMID: 31146909 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Pristurus rupestris is a member of Semaphore geckos with a wide distribution range. Recently, 14 candidate species of P. rupestris rupestris have been identified in the Hajar Mountains (Arabia), yet the knowledge on the Iranian counterparts is limited. The present study elucidates the phylogenetic position of the Iranian P. rupestris and investigates the hypothesis on its historical colonization from Oman to Iran and the associated islands. Therefore, 20 Iranian specimens along with 115 individuals from Oman were examined using two mitochondrial genes including the Cytochrome b and the 12S ribosomal RNA. The molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the individuals collected from Iran are well nested within the candidate Species 3 of P. r. rupestris, demonstrating a single population with high gene flow. Additionally, the molecular analyses showed that the genetic diversity within the Iranian Blanford's Semaphore geckos is low and that the candidate Species 3 experienced a recent expansion approximately 17 thousand years ago (Kya). The historical demographic analyses (BSP) showed a mild increase in the effective population size between 15-20 Kya. These time estimations coincide with the Last Glacial Maximum, when the Persian Gulf was almost dry, reinforcing the hypothesis that the species might have colonized southern Iran from Oman through the Persian Gulf. In addition, we propose P. r. iranicus to be synonymized with P. r. rupestris.
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Fathinia B, Rastegar-Pouyani N, Rastegar-Pouyani E. Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of genera Eristicophis
and Pseudocerastes
(Ophidia, Viperidae). ZOOL SCR 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Fathinia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science; Yasouj University; Yasouj Iran
| | - Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science; Razi University; Kermanshah Iran
- Iranian Plateau Herpetology Research Group (IPHRG), Faculty of Science; Razi University; Kermanshah Iran
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SimÓ-Riudalbas M, Tarroso P, Papenfuss T, Al-Sariri T, Carranza S. Systematics, biogeography and evolution of Asaccus gallagheri (Squamata, Phyllodactylidae) with the description of a new endemic species from Oman. SYST BIODIVERS 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2017.1403496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marc SimÓ-Riudalbas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Tarroso
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBIO/InBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Theodore Papenfuss
- Department of Integrative Biology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Thuraya Al-Sariri
- Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Thaqafah Street, 100, Muscat, Oman
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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