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Dezetter M, Le Galliard JF, Leroux-Coyau M, Brischoux F, Angelier F, Lourdais O. Two stressors are worse than one: combined heatwave and drought affect hydration state and glucocorticoid levels in a temperate ectotherm. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274818. [PMID: 35319758 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Heatwaves and droughts are becoming more intense and frequent with climate change. These extreme weather events often occur simultaneously and may alter organismal physiology, yet their combined impacts remain largely unknown. Here, we experimentally investigated physiological responses of a temperate ectotherm, the asp viper (Vipera aspis), to a simulated heatwave and drought. We applied a two-by-two factorial design by manipulating the daily temperature cycle (control vs. heatwave) and the water availability (water available vs. water-deprived) over a month followed by exposure to standard thermal conditions with ad libium access to water. Simulated heatwave and water deprivation additively increased mass loss, while water deprivation led to greater plasma osmolality (dehydration). Mass gain from drinking after the treatment period was higher in vipers from the heatwave and water-deprived group suggesting that thirst was synergistically influenced by thermal and water constraints. Heatwave conditions and water deprivation also additively increased baseline corticosterone levels but did not influence basal metabolic rates and plasma markers of oxidative stress. Our results demonstrate that a short-term exposure to combined heatwave and drought can exacerbate physiological stress through additive effects, and interactively impact behavioral responses to dehydration. Considering combined effects of temperature and water availability is thus crucial to assess organismal responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Dezetter
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France.,Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France.,Ecole normale supérieure, PSL University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), 11 chemin de Busseau, 77140 Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Mathieu Leroux-Coyau
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Fréderic Angelier
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
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2
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Bessesen B, González‐Suárez M. Safe from sunburn: The divergent diel pattern of a Hydrophis sea snake. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8436. [PMID: 35127005 PMCID: PMC8796931 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Diel activity patterns are an important aspect of wildlife ecology and evolution and provide valuable information for conservation and monitoring, yet for many species, activity patterns remain unstudied and may be presumed to mirror related taxa. Here, we describe the distinct diel patterns of an endemic population of venomous sea snakes Hydrophis platurus xanthos inhabiting a narrow range (circa 320 km2) in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. To investigate, we conducted a systematic visual survey over five 24-h cycles and evaluated 339 h of previously obtained sighting data from different studies spanning a decade. While sporadic diurnal surfacing does occur, mostly for respiration, our observations revealed marked crepuscular peaks with regular surfacing through the night. We also report on observed surface behaviors that were also found to vary in frequency at different phases of the photoperiodic cycle. In particular, we show feeding as more common at night. Hydrophis platurus xanthos has developed a circadian rhythm that differs noticeably from its taxonomic parent (H. p. platurus is reported as diurnal across its Indo-Pacific range), and no congeners have been categorized as crepuscular. Our work thus contributes to the ecological knowledge of this evolutionarily distinct marine elapid and offers insights into the potential role of environmental conditions in shaping animal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke Bessesen
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
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3
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Motani R, Vermeij GJ. Ecophysiological steps of marine adaptation in extant and extinct non-avian tetrapods. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1769-1798. [PMID: 33904243 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Marine reptiles and mammals are phylogenetically so distant from each other that their marine adaptations are rarely compared directly. We reviewed ecophysiological features in extant non-avian marine tetrapods representing 31 marine colonizations to test whether there is a common pattern across higher taxonomic groups, such as mammals and reptiles. Marine adaptations in tetrapods can be roughly divided into aquatic and haline adaptations, each of which seems to follow a sequence of three steps. In combination, these six categories exhibit five steps of marine adaptation that apply across all clades except snakes: Step M1, incipient use of marine resources; Step M2, direct feeding in the saline sea; Step M3, water balance maintenance without terrestrial fresh water; Step M4, minimized terrestrial travel and loss of terrestrial feeding; and Step M5, loss of terrestrial thermoregulation and fur/plumage. Acquisition of viviparity is not included because there is no known case where viviparity evolved after a tetrapod lineage colonized the sea. A similar sequence is found in snakes but with the haline adaptation step (Step M3) lagging behind aquatic adaptation (haline adaptation is Step S5 in snakes), most likely because their unique method of water balance maintenance requires a supply of fresh water. The same constraint may limit the maximum body size of fully marine snakes. Steps M4 and M5 in all taxa except snakes are associated with skeletal adaptations that are mechanistically linked to relevant ecophysiological features, allowing assessment of marine adaptation steps in some fossil marine tetrapods. We identified four fossil clades containing members that reached Step M5 outside of stem whales, pinnipeds, sea cows and sea turtles, namely Eosauropterygia, Ichthyosauromorpha, Mosasauroidea, and Thalattosuchia, while five other clades reached Step M4: Saurosphargidae, Placodontia, Dinocephalosaurus, Desmostylia, and Odontochelys. Clades reaching Steps M4 and M5, both extant and extinct, appear to have higher species diversity than those only reaching Steps M1 to M3, while the total number of clades is higher for the earlier steps. This suggests that marine colonizers only diversified greatly after they minimized their use of terrestrial resources, with many lineages not reaching these advanced steps. Historical patterns suggest that a clade does not advance to Steps M4 and M5 unless these steps are reached early in the evolution of the clade. Intermediate forms before a clade reached Steps M4 and M5 tend to become extinct without leaving extant descendants or fossil evidence. This makes it difficult to reconstruct the evolutionary history of marine adaptation in many clades. Clades that reached Steps M4 and M5 tend to last longer than other marine tetrapod clades, sometimes for more than 100 million years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Motani
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
| | - Geerat J Vermeij
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
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4
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Edwards M, Sheehy CM, Fedler MT, Lillywhite HB. Thirst and drinking in North American watersnakes ( Nerodia spp.). J Exp Biol 2021; 224:224/5/jeb241414. [PMID: 33674397 PMCID: PMC7938798 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.241414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We quantified drinking behavior in three species of North American watersnakes: Nerodia clarkii, which is a marine or brackish water amphibious species, and Nerodiafasciata and Nerodiataxispilota, both freshwater amphibious species. All three species have relatively small and similar thresholds of dehydration (TH, approximately −4% loss of body mass) that elicit thirst and drinking of fresh water. These species have higher thirst sensitivity than several species of hydrophiine and laticaudine sea snakes, which are characterized by much lower TH (greater dehydration, −9% to <−20%). Nerodia clarkii, which is often found in coastal oceanic water, refused to drink seawater, but drank fresh water when dehydrated. In separate trials involving dehydration of N. clarkii and N. fasciata that were concurrently fed fish at regular intervals, snakes eventually refused to eat at TH of approximately −12% of original body mass, but resumed eating after they were allowed to drink fresh water and rehydrate. The drinking behaviors of Nerodia corroborate previous data on the importance of fresh water for drinking, and they complement growing evidence that dietary water does not itself mitigate dehydration in snakes. These new data increase understanding of water relationships in the context of evolutionary transitions from land to sea, and they emphasize the importance of fresh water resources in the conservation of coastal and marine species of reptiles. Summary: Relatively small levels of dehydration elicit drinking of fresh water in three species of North American watersnakes, including a semi-marine species in which moderate, progressive dehydration is also shown to inhibit feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Edwards
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Coleman M Sheehy
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Matthew T Fedler
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA.,Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA
| | - Harvey B Lillywhite
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
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5
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Rozen‐Rechels D, Rutschmann A, DupouÉ A, Blaimont P, Chauveau V, Miles DB, Guillon M, Richard M, Badiane A, Meylan S, Clobert J, Le Galliard J. Interaction of hydric and thermal conditions drive geographic variation in thermoregulation in a widespread lizard. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David Rozen‐Rechels
- Sorbonne Université CNRS IRD INRA Institut d’écologie et des sciences de l’environnement (IEES) 4 place Jussieu Paris 75005 France
| | - Alexis Rutschmann
- School of Biological Sciences University of Auckland 3A Symonds Street Auckland 1010 New Zealand
| | - AndrÉaz DupouÉ
- Sorbonne Université CNRS IRD INRA Institut d’écologie et des sciences de l’environnement (IEES) 4 place Jussieu Paris 75005 France
| | - Pauline Blaimont
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz 1156 High Street Santa Cruz California 95060 USA
- Department of Biology Rider University 2083 Lawrenceville Road Lawrenceville New Jersey08648 USA
| | - Victor Chauveau
- Sorbonne Université CNRS IRD INRA Institut d’écologie et des sciences de l’environnement (IEES) 4 place Jussieu Paris 75005 France
| | - Donald B. Miles
- Department of Biological Sciences Ohio University Athens Ohio 45701 USA
| | - Michael Guillon
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé CNRS La Rochelle Université 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière Villiers‐en‐Bois 79360 France
| | - Murielle Richard
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale (SETE) USR5321CNRS Moulis09200France
| | - Arnaud Badiane
- Sorbonne Université CNRS IRD INRA Institut d’écologie et des sciences de l’environnement (IEES) 4 place Jussieu Paris 75005 France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Sorbonne Université CNRS IRD INRA Institut d’écologie et des sciences de l’environnement (IEES) 4 place Jussieu Paris 75005 France
- Sorbonne Université ESPE de Paris 10 rue Molitor Paris 75016 France
| | - Jean Clobert
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale (SETE) USR5321CNRS Moulis09200France
| | - Jean‐François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne Université CNRS IRD INRA Institut d’écologie et des sciences de l’environnement (IEES) 4 place Jussieu Paris 75005 France
- Département de biologie Ecole normale supérieure Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP‐Ecotron IleDeFrance) CNRS PSL University Saint‐Pierre‐lès‐Nemours 77140 France
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6
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Dupoué A, Sorlin M, Richard M, Le Galliard JF, Lourdais O, Clobert J, Aubret F. Mother-offspring conflict for water and its mitigation in the oviparous form of the reproductively bimodal lizard, Zootoca vivipara. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AbstractParent-offspring conflicts are widespread given that resources are often limited. Recent evidence has shown that availability of water can trigger such conflict during pregnancy in viviparous squamate species (lizards and snakes) and thus questions the role of water in the evolution of reproductive modes. Here, we examined the impact of water restriction during gravidity in the oviparous form of the bimodal common lizard (Zootoca vivipara), using a protocol previously used on the viviparous form. Females were captured in early gravidity from six populations along a 600 m altitudinal gradient to investigate whether environmental conditions (altitude, water access and temperature) exacerbate responses to water restriction. Females were significantly dehydrated after water restriction, irrespective of their reproductive status (gravid vs. non-reproductive), relative reproductive effort (relative clutch mass), and treatment timing (embryonic development stage). Female dehydration, together with reproductive performance, varied with altitude, probably due to long term acclimation or local adaptation. This moderate water-based intergenerational conflict in gravid females contrasts sharply with previous findings for the viviparous form, with implications to the evolutionary reversion from viviparity to oviparity. It is likely that oviparity constitutes a water-saving reproductive mode which might help mitigate intensive temperature-driven population extinctions at low altitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréaz Dupoué
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS, UMR 5321, Saint Girons, France
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton campus, VIC, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mahaut Sorlin
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS, UMR 5321, Saint Girons, France
| | - Murielle Richard
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS, UMR 5321, Saint Girons, France
| | - Jean François Le Galliard
- iEES Paris, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7618, Tours 44–45, Paris, France
- Ecole normale supérieure, Département de biologie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université, CNRS, UMR, Beauvoir sur Niort, France
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jean Clobert
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS, UMR 5321, Saint Girons, France
| | - Fabien Aubret
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS, UMR 5321, Saint Girons, France
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
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7
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Rozen-Rechels D, Dupoué A, Meylan S, Qitout K, Decencière B, Agostini S, Le Galliard JF. Acclimation to Water Restriction Implies Different Paces for Behavioral and Physiological Responses in a Lizard Species. Physiol Biochem Zool 2020; 93:160-174. [PMID: 32031477 DOI: 10.1086/707409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Chronic changes in climate conditions may select for acclimation responses in terrestrial animals living in fluctuating environments, and beneficial acclimation responses may be key to the resilience of these species to global changes. Despite evidence that climate warming induces changes in water availability, acclimation responses to water restriction are understudied compared with thermal acclimation. In addition, acclimation responses may involve different modes, paces, and trade-offs between physiological and behavioral traits. Here, we tested the dynamical acclimation responses of a dry-skinned terrestrial ectotherm to chronic water restriction. Yearling common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) were exposed to sublethal water restriction during 2 mo of the summer season in laboratory conditions, then released in outdoor conditions for 10 additional months. Candidate behavioral (exploration, basking, and thermal preferences) and physiological (metabolism at rest and standard water loss rate) traits potentially involved in the acclimation response were measured repeatedly during and after water restriction. We observed a sequential acclimation response in water-restricted animals (yearlings spent less time basking during the first weeks of water deprivation) that was followed by delayed sex-specific physiological consequences of the water restriction during the following months (thermal depression in males and lower standard evaporative water loss rates in females). Despite short-term negative effects of water restriction on body growth, annual growth, survival, and reproduction were not significantly different between water-restricted and control yearlings. This demonstrates that beneficial acclimation responses to water restriction involve both short-term flexible behavioral responses and delayed changes in thermal and water biology traits.
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8
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Murphy MS, DeNardo DF. Rattlesnakes Must Drink: Meal Consumption Does Not Improve Hydration State. Physiol Biochem Zool 2019; 92:381-385. [DOI: 10.1086/704081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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9
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Sandfoss MR, Lillywhite HB. Water relations of an insular pit viper. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.204065. [PMID: 30975741 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.204065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Colonization of novel habitats often requires plasticity or adaptation to local conditions. There is a critical need to maintain hydration in terrestrial environments having limited water. Atypical populations of Florida cottonmouth snakes, Agkistrodon conanti, inhabit continental islands with no permanent sources of fresh water. Here, we report investigations related to how these insular snakes maintain water balance considering the mainland conspecifics are semi-aquatic and typically associate with freshwater mesic habitats. We tested three hypotheses related to water relations of insular populations of cottonmouth snakes compared with those on the mainland. (1) Voluntary drinking of fresh water in free-ranging insular snakes should reflect a relationship to recency of rainfall more strongly than in mainland snakes. (2) Insular snakes will tolerate greater dehydration before drinking than will mainland snakes. (3) Insular snakes will avoid drinking seawater more strongly than will those from the mainland. Between 2001 and 2018, we quantitatively estimated the hydration status of 337 individual cottonmouth snakes from insular populations and 30 cottonmouth snakes from mainland Florida, as judged by the tendency of wild-caught snakes to drink fresh water immediately following capture. We found that insular cottonmouth snakes had a higher incidence of dehydration than did mainland cottonmouth snakes (64% versus 23%), and the hydration status of the insular snakes correlated with patterns of precipitation. We also determined experimentally the dehydration threshold for drinking fresh water in insular (mean±s.d. -5.64±4.3%, n=34) and mainland cottonmouth snakes (-5.74±4.5%, n=21), and these were not significantly different. Discrimination tests for drinking serially from a graded series of brackish water showed that mainland snakes did not discriminate against the highest brackish value (10.5 ppt or 30% seawater), whereas insular snakes showed a preference for <15% seawater. Naive neonates from insular and mainland cohorts behaved similarly. The preference of insular snakes for fresh water represents an important aspect of the maintenance of water balance that differs from the mainland conspecifics and is likely a habituated or adaptive response to dependence on rainfall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Sandfoss
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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10
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Lillywhite HB, Menon GK. Structure and function of skin in the pelagic sea snake, Hydrophis platurus. J Morphol 2019; 280:544-554. [PMID: 30779371 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We describe and interpret the functional morphology of skin of the Yellow-bellied sea snake, Hydrophis platurus. This is the only pelagic sea snake, and its integument differs from what is known for other species of snakes. In gross appearance, the scales of H. platurus consist of non-overlapping, polygonal knobs with flattened outer surfaces bearing presumptive filamentous sensillae. The deep recesses between scales ('hinge') entrap and wick water over the body surface, with mean retention of 5.1 g/cm of skin surface, similar to that determined previously for the roughened, spiny skin of marine file snakes, Acrochordus granulatus. This feature possibly serves to maintain the skin wet when the dorsal body protrudes above water while floating on calm oceanic slicks where they forage. In contrast with other snakes, including three species of amphibious, semi-marine sea kraits (Laticauda spp.), the outer corneous β-protein layer consists of a syncytium that is thinner than seen in most other species. The subjacent α-layer is also thin, and lipid droplets and lamellar bodies are seen among the immature, cornifying α-cells. A characteristic mesos layer, comprising the water permeability barrier, is either absent or very thin. These features are possibly related to (1) permeability requirements for cutaneous gas exchange, (2) reduced gradient for water efflux compared with terrestrial environments, (3) less need for physical protection in water compared with terrestrial ground environments, and (4) increased frequency of ecdysis thought to be an anti-fouling mechanism. The lipogenic features of the α-layer possibly compensate for the reduced or absent mesos layer, or produce layers of cells that comprise what functionally might be termed a mesos layer, but where the organization of barrier lipids nonetheless appears less robust than what is characteristically seen in squamates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gopinathan K Menon
- Department of Ornithology and Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Franisco, California
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11
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Lillywhite HB, Sheehy CM, Sandfoss MR, Crowe-Riddell J, Grech A. Drinking by sea snakes from oceanic freshwater lenses at first rainfall ending seasonal drought. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212099. [PMID: 30730972 PMCID: PMC6366689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of fresh water (FW) is problematic for FW-dependent animals living in marine environments that are distant from sources of FW associated with land. Knowledge of how marine vertebrates respond to oceanic rainfall, and indeed the drinking responses of vertebrates generally following drought, is extremely scant. The Yellow-bellied Sea Snake (Hydrophis platurus) is the only pelagic species of squamate reptile and ranges across the Indo-Pacific oceans, having one of the largest geographic distributions of any vertebrate species. It requires FW and dehydrates at sea during periods of drought. Here we report drinking behaviors of sea snakes precisely at the transition from dry to wet season when rainfall first impacted the ocean following 6 months of seasonal drought. We show that the percentage of sea snakes that voluntarily drank FW in the laboratory when captured over eight successive days decreased from 80% to 13% before and after rainfall commenced, respectively. The percentage of snakes that drank immediately following capture exhibited a significant linear decline as the earliest rains of the wet season continued. Drinking by snakes indicates thirst related to dehydration, and thus thirsty snakes must have dehydrated during the previous six months of drought. Hence, the progressive decline in percentage of thirsty snakes indicates they were drinking from FW lenses associated with the first rainfall events of the wet season. These data reinforce the importance of accessing oceanic FW from precipitation, with implications for survival and distribution of pelagic populations that might be subjected to intensifying drought related to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harvey B. Lillywhite
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Coleman M. Sheehy
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mark R. Sandfoss
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jenna Crowe-Riddell
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Alana Grech
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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Durban J, Sasa M, Calvete JJ. Venom gland transcriptomics and microRNA profiling of juvenile and adult yellow-bellied sea snake, Hydrophis platurus, from Playa del Coco (Guanacaste, Costa Rica). Toxicon 2018; 153:96-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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13
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Lillywhite HB, Sheehy CM, Heatwole H, Brischoux F, Steadman DW. Why Are There No Sea Snakes in the Atlantic? Bioscience 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/bix132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
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14
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Brischoux F, Kornilev YV, Lillywhite HB. Physiological and behavioral responses to salinity in coastal Dice snakes. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2017; 214:13-18. [PMID: 28893666 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Secondarily marine tetrapods have evolved adaptations to maintain their osmotic balance in a hyperosmotic environment. During the transition to a marine habitat, the evolution of a euryhaline physiology likely encompassed successive changes in behavior and physiology that released organisms from regular access to fresh water. Deciphering these key steps is a complicated task. In this study, we investigated a species of freshwater natricine snake in which some populations are known to use marine environments. We experimentally subjected 30 adult Dice snakes (Natrix tessellata) from a population inhabiting the Black Sea coast to three salinities corresponding to freshwater (~0.1‰), brackish water (~15.0‰), and full-strength seawater (~34.0‰) in order to investigate their physiological (variation of body mass, osmolality) and behavioral (activity, drinking behavior) responses to salinity. Our results show that coastal Dice snakes from the study population are relatively tolerant to salinity close to that recorded in the Black Sea, but that prolonged exposure to full-strength seawater increases osmolality, stimulates thirst, decreases the activity of snakes and may ultimately jeopardize survival. Collectively with previously published data, our results strongly suggest specific physiological adaptations to withstand hyperosmolality rather than to reduce intake of salt, in coastal populations or species of semi-aquatic snakes. Future comparative investigations of Dice snakes from populations restricted to freshwater environment might reveal the functional traits and the behavioral and physiological responses of coastal N. tessellata to life in water with elevated salinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC-CNRS UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - Yurii V Kornilev
- National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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15
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Lillywhite HB. Feeding begets drinking: insights from intermittent feeding in snakes. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:3565-3570. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.163725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
An important question related to survival of dehydrating animals is whether feeding provides a net gain of water — contributing postprandial free water and metabolic water — or, alternatively, whether digestion and assimilation of ingested food incur a net loss of water because of requirements for digestion and the excretion of resulting metabolic wastes. Here I address the question whether voluntary drinking increases or decreases following the ingestion of food. Increased postprandial drinking implies that food consumption increases rather than decreases the requirement for free water, whereas decreased postprandial drinking suggests there is a net profit of water from food. Snakes are ideally suited for such inquiry because they feed intermittently, and the temporal separation of meals allows relatively clear examination of the associated patterns of pre- and postprandial drinking. Voluntary drinking associated with meal consumption was quantified during consecutive feeding trials in four species representing two families of snakes. Postprandial relative to preprandial drinking increased in all four species, indicating that eating increases the physiological requirement for water. These data add to a growing literature pointing to some generality that eating can have negative rather than positive consequences for fluid homeostasis in some dehydrating animals.
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Artificial Water Point for Livestock Influences Spatial Ecology of a Native Lizard Species. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147433. [PMID: 26800274 PMCID: PMC4723013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pastoralism is a major agricultural activity in drier environments, and can directly and indirectly impact native species in those areas. We investigated how the supply of an artificial watering point to support grazing livestock affected movement and activity patterns of the Australian sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) during a drought year. We observed 23 adult lizards; six had access to a dam, whereas 17 lizards did not. Lizards with access to the dam had larger home ranges, were substantially active on more days (days with >100 steps), and moved more steps per day compared to lizards that did not have access to the dam, both during the early and late period of our observation. Furthermore, while the two groups of lizards had similar body condition early in the season, they differed later in the season. Lizards with dam access retained, whereas lizards without access lost body condition. Local heterogeneity in access to an artificial water resource resulted in spatially dependent behavioural variation among sleepy lizard individuals. This suggests that sleepy lizards have flexible responses to changing climatic conditions, depending on the availability of water. Furthermore, while reducing activity appears a suitable short term strategy, if harsh conditions persist, then access to dams could be of substantial benefit and could support sustained lizard activity and movement and allow maintenance of body condition. Hence, artificial watering points, such as the dams constructed by pastoralists, may provide local higher quality refugia for sleepy lizards and other species during drought conditions.
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18
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Lillywhite HB, Heatwole H, Sheehy CM. Dehydration and drinking behavior in true sea snakes (Elapidae: Hydrophiinae: Hydrophiini). J Zool (1987) 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H. B. Lillywhite
- Earth and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Townsville Qld Australia
- Department of Biology; University of Florida; Gainesville FL USA
| | - H. Heatwole
- Earth and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Townsville Qld Australia
- Department of Biology; North Carolina State University; Raleigh NC USA
- Department of Zoology; The University of New England; Armidale NSW Australia
| | - C. M. Sheehy
- Earth and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Townsville Qld Australia
- Department of Biology; University of Florida; Gainesville FL USA
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Brischoux F, Lendvai ÁZ, Bókony V, Chastel O, Angelier F. Marine lifestyle is associated with higher baseline corticosterone levels in birds. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR 79360 Villiers en Bois France
| | - Ádám Z. Lendvai
- Department of Biology; Virginia Tech; 4102 Derring Hall Blacksburg VA USA
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology; University of Debrecen; Egyetem tér 1. Debrecen Hungary
| | - Veronika Bókony
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group; Plant Protection Institute; Centre for Agricultural Research; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Herman Ottó út 15 H-1022 Budapest Hungary
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR 79360 Villiers en Bois France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR 79360 Villiers en Bois France
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20
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An antemortem guide for the assessment of stranded Australian sea snakes (Hydrophiinae). J Zoo Wildl Med 2015; 45:755-65. [PMID: 25632660 DOI: 10.1638/2013-0265.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine snakes of the subfamily Hydrophiinae are obligate ocean dwellers, unlike their amphibious counterparts, the sea kraits (Laticaudinae), and as such they are often referred to as 'true' sea snakes. This specialization means that the presence of a true sea snake on a beach is atypical and likely indicates disease or injury. Traumatic injuries such as eye, jaw, and spinal lesions have been observed in stranded sea snakes and may present as acute injury or progress to chronic debilitation. Diseases, such as neoplasia, leukemia, and parasite overburden, have also been seen in wild sea snakes, and these animals may present similarly. Sick, moribund, or deceased sea snakes are intermittently found washed ashore along Australian beaches, and these specimens may prove valuable as bioindicators of marine health. This review is intended as a guide to the diagnostic investigation of sick or injured sea snakes by suitably qualified people.
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Brischoux F, Kornilev YV. Hypernatremia in Dice snakes (Natrix tessellata) from a coastal population: implications for osmoregulation in marine snake prototypes. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92617. [PMID: 24658047 PMCID: PMC3962449 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The widespread relationship between salt excreting structures (e.g., salt glands) and marine life strongly suggests that the ability to regulate salt balance has been crucial during the transition to marine life in tetrapods. Elevated natremia (plasma sodium) recorded in several marine snakes species suggests that the development of a tolerance toward hypernatremia, in addition to salt gland development, has been a critical feature in the evolution of marine snakes. However, data from intermediate stage (species lacking salt glands but occasionally using salty environments) are lacking to draw a comprehensive picture of the evolution of an euryhaline physiology in these organisms. In this study, we assessed natremia of free-ranging Dice snakes (Natrix tessellata, a predominantly fresh water natricine lacking salt glands) from a coastal population in Bulgaria. Our results show that coastal N. tessellata can display hypernatremia (up to 195.5 mmol x l(-1)) without any apparent effect on several physiological and behavioural traits (e.g., hematocrit, body condition, foraging). More generally, a review of natremia in species situated along a continuum of habitat use between fresh- and seawater shows that snake species display a concomitant tolerance toward hypernatremia, even in species lacking salt glands. Collectively, these data suggest that a physiological tolerance toward hypernatremia has been critical during the evolution of an euryhaline physiology, and may well have preceded the evolution of salt glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Yurii V. Kornilev
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, NCC “Poda”, Burgas, Bulgaria
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Lillywhite HB, Sheehy CM, Brischoux F, Grech A. Pelagic sea snakes dehydrate at sea. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20140119. [PMID: 24648228 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondarily marine vertebrates are thought to live independently of fresh water. Here, we demonstrate a paradigm shift for the widely distributed pelagic sea snake, Hydrophis (Pelamis) platurus, which dehydrates at sea and spends a significant part of its life in a dehydrated state corresponding to seasonal drought. Snakes that are captured following prolonged periods without rainfall have lower body water content, lower body condition and increased tendencies to drink fresh water than do snakes that are captured following seasonal periods of high rainfall. These animals do not drink seawater and must rehydrate by drinking from a freshwater lens that forms on the ocean surface during heavy precipitation. The new data based on field studies indicate unequivocally that this marine vertebrate dehydrates at sea where individuals may live in a dehydrated state for possibly six to seven months at a time. This information provides new insights for understanding water requirements of sea snakes, reasons for recent declines and extinctions of sea snakes and more accurate prediction for how changing patterns of precipitation might affect these and other secondarily marine vertebrates living in tropical oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harvey B Lillywhite
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, , Gainesville, FL 92611-8525, USA, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR, , 79360 Villiers en Bois, France, Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University, , New South Wales 2109, Australia
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Effect of water deprivation on baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels in the Children's python (Antaresia childreni). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2014; 168:11-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2013.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Revised: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Brischoux F, Briand MJ, Billy G, Bonnet X. Variations of natremia in sea kraits (Laticauda spp.) kept in seawater and fresh water. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2013; 166:333-7. [PMID: 23845707 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2013.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 07/03/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Lillywhite HB, Heatwole H, Sheehy CM. Dehydration and drinking behavior of the marine file snake Acrochordus granulatus. Physiol Biochem Zool 2013; 87:46-55. [PMID: 24457920 DOI: 10.1086/673375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Dehydration and drinking behaviors were investigated in the little file snake (Acrochordus granulatus) collected from marine populations in the Philippines and in Australia. File snakes dehydrate in seawater and do not drink seawater when dehydrated in air and offered seawater to drink. Dehydrated file snakes drink freshwater, and the threshold of dehydration for first drinking response is a deficit of -7.4% ± 2.73% (mean ± SD) of original body mass. The thirst mechanism in this species is more sensitive than that recently studied in sea snakes. The volume of water ingested increases with increasing dehydration. Mean plasma osmolality was 278.89 ± 33.17 mMol/kg, mean hematocrit was 59% ± 5.45%, and both decreased in snakes that drank freshwater following acclimation in seawater. Snakes always drank freshwater at the water's surface, testing water with tongue flicks between each swallowing of water. Some snakes ingested large volumes of freshwater, approaching 50% of body mass. Visual observations and measurements of osmolality in plasma and stomach fluids suggest that water is taken up from the gut and dilutes body fluids slowly over the course of 48 h or longer. Eighty percent of snakes that were collected during the dry season (following >4 mo of drought) in Australia drank freshwater immediately following their capture, indicating that snakes were dehydrated in their marine environment even when known to have been feeding at the time. Snakes kept in seawater maintained a higher state of body condition when freshwater was periodically available. These results support a growing conclusion that diverse taxa of marine snakes require environmental sources of freshwater to maintain water balance, contrary to earlier belief. Identifying the freshwater requirements of secondarily marine vertebrates is important for better understanding how they maintain water balance in marine habitats, especially with respect to conservation in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harvey B Lillywhite
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
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Wright CD, Jackson ML, DeNardo DF. Meal consumption is ineffective at maintaining or correcting water balance in a desert lizard, Heloderma suspectum. J Exp Biol 2013; 216:1439-47. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.080895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Many xeric organisms maintain water balance by relying on dietary and metabolic water rather than free water, even when free water may be available. For such organisms, hydric state may influence foraging decisions, since meal consumption is meeting both energy and water demands. To understand foraging decisions it is vital to understand the role of dietary water in maintaining water balance. We investigated whether meal consumption was sufficient to maintain water balance in captive Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum) at varying levels of dehydration. Gila monsters could not maintain water balance over long time scales through meal consumption alone. Animals fed a single meal took no longer to dehydrate than controls when both groups were deprived of free water. Additionally, meal consumption imparts an acute short-term hydric cost regardless of hydration state. Meal consumption typically resulted in a significant elevation in osmolality at 6 h post-feeding, and plasma osmolality never fell below pre-feeding levels despite high water content (~70%) of meals. These results failed to support our hypothesis that dietary water is valuable to Gila monsters during seasonal drought. When considered in conjunction with previous research, these results demonstrate that Gila monsters, unlike many xeric species, are heavily reliant on seasonal rainfall and the resulting free-standing water to maintain water balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian D. Wright
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4601, USA
| | - Marin L. Jackson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4601, USA
| | - Dale F. DeNardo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4601, USA
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Comparison of freshwater discrimination ability in three species of sea kraits (Laticauda semifasciata, L. laticaudata and L. colubrina). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2012; 199:191-5. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-012-0782-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Revised: 11/24/2012] [Accepted: 11/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Heatwole H, Grech A, Monahan JF, King S, Marsh H. Thermal Biology of Sea Snakes and Sea Kraits1. Integr Comp Biol 2012; 52:257-73. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/ics080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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