1
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Tingle JL, Garner KL, Astley HC. Functional diversity of snake locomotor behaviors: A review of the biological literature for bioinspiration. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1533:16-37. [PMID: 38367220 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Organismal solutions to natural challenges can spark creative engineering applications. However, most engineers are not experts in organismal biology, creating a potential barrier to maximally effective bioinspired design. In this review, we aim to reduce that barrier with respect to a group of organisms that hold particular promise for a variety of applications: snakes. Representing >10% of tetrapod vertebrates, snakes inhabit nearly every imaginable terrestrial environment, moving with ease under many conditions that would thwart other animals. To do so, they employ over a dozen different types of locomotion (perhaps well over). Lacking limbs, they have evolved axial musculoskeletal features that enable their vast functional diversity, which can vary across species. Different species also have various skin features that provide numerous functional benefits, including frictional anisotropy or isotropy (as their locomotor habits demand), waterproofing, dirt shedding, antimicrobial properties, structural colors, and wear resistance. Snakes clearly have much to offer to the fields of robotics and materials science. We aim for this review to increase knowledge of snake functional diversity by facilitating access to the relevant literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelsey L Garner
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Henry C Astley
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
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2
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Tingle JL, Jurestovsky DJ, Astley HC. The relative contributions of multiarticular snake muscles to movement in different planes. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21591. [PMID: 37183497 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Muscles spanning multiple joints play important functional roles in a wide range of systems across tetrapods; however, their fundamental mechanics are poorly understood, particularly the consequences of anatomical position on mechanical advantage. Snakes provide an excellent study system for advancing this topic. They rely on the axial muscles for many activities, including striking, constriction, defensive displays, and locomotion. Moreover, those muscles span from one or a few vertebrae to over 30, and anatomy varies among muscles and among species. We characterized the anatomy of major epaxial muscles in a size series of corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) using diceCT scans, and then took several approaches to calculating contributions of each muscle to force and motion generated during body bending, starting from a highly simplistic model and moving to increasingly complex and realistic models. Only the most realistic model yielded equations that included the consequence of muscle span on torque-displacement trade-offs, as well as resolving ambiguities that arose from simpler models. We also tested whether muscle cross-sectional areas or lever arms (total magnitude or pitch/yaw/roll components) were related to snake mass, longitudinal body region (anterior, middle, posterior), and/or muscle group (semispinalis-spinalis, multifidus, longissimus dorsi, iliocostalis, and levator costae). Muscle cross-sectional areas generally scaled with positive allometry, and most lever arms did not depart significantly from geometric similarity (isometry). The levator costae had lower cross-sectional area than the four epaxial muscles, which did not differ significantly from each other in cross-sectional area. Lever arm total magnitudes and components differed among muscles. We found some evidence for regional variation, indicating that functional regionalization merits further investigation. Our results contribute to knowledge of snake muscles specifically and multiarticular muscle systems generally, providing a foundation for future comparisons across species and bioinspired multiarticular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Derek J Jurestovsky
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, Biomechanics Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Henry C Astley
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
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3
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Weedn V, Steinberg A, Speth P. Authors' response. J Forensic Sci 2023; 68:361-363. [PMID: 36308005 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Victor Weedn
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,University of Maryland, Baltimore, Graduate School, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,George Washington University, Department of Forensic Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Alon Steinberg
- Cardiology Associates Medical Group, Ventura, California, USA
| | - Pete Speth
- Retired Forensic Pathologist/Medical Examiner; Consultant, Wenonah, New Jersey, USA
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4
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Neuman T, Chan TC, Vilke GM. Commentary on: Prone restraint cardiac arrest in in-custody and arrest-related deaths. J Forensic Sci. 2022;67(5):1899-914. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.15101. J Forensic Sci 2023; 68:359-360. [PMID: 36308010 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Neuman
- San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Theodore C Chan
- San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Gary M Vilke
- San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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5
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Pittman M, Bell PR, Miller CV, Enriquez NJ, Wang X, Zheng X, Tsang LR, Tse YT, Landes M, Kaye TG. Exceptional preservation and foot structure reveal ecological transitions and lifestyles of early theropod flyers. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7684. [PMID: 36539437 PMCID: PMC9768147 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35039-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphology of keratinised toe pads and foot scales, hinging of foot joints and claw shape and size all inform the grasping ability, cursoriality and feeding mode of living birds. Presented here is morphological evidence from the fossil feet of early theropod flyers. Foot soft tissues and joint articulations are qualitatively assessed using laser-stimulated fluorescence. Pedal claw shape and size are quantitatively analysed using traditional morphometrics. We interpret these foot data among existing evidence to better understand the evolutionary ecology of early theropod flyers. Jurassic flyers like Anchiornis and Archaeopteryx show adaptations suggestive of relatively ground-dwelling lifestyles. Early Cretaceous flyers then diversify into more aerial lifestyles, including generalists like Confuciusornis and specialists like the climbing Fortunguavis. Some early birds, like the Late Jurassic Berlin Archaeopteryx and Early Cretaceous Sapeornis, show complex ecologies seemingly unique among sampled modern birds. As a non-bird flyer, finding affinities of Microraptor to a more specialised raptorial lifestyle is unexpected. Its hawk-like characteristics are rare among known theropod flyers of the time suggesting that some non-bird flyers perform specialised roles filled by birds today. We demonstrate diverse ecological profiles among early theropod flyers, changing as flight developed, and some non-bird flyers have more complex ecological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pittman
- grid.10784.3a0000 0004 1937 0482School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Phil R. Bell
- grid.1020.30000 0004 1936 7371School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 Australia
| | - Case Vincent Miller
- grid.194645.b0000000121742757Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Nathan J. Enriquez
- grid.1020.30000 0004 1936 7371School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 Australia
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- grid.410747.10000 0004 1763 3680Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong 276005 China ,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong 273300 China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- grid.410747.10000 0004 1763 3680Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong 276005 China ,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong 273300 China
| | - Leah R. Tsang
- grid.1020.30000 0004 1936 7371School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 Australia ,grid.438303.f0000 0004 0470 8815Ornithology Collection, Australian Museum, William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010 Australia
| | - Yuen Ting Tse
- grid.10784.3a0000 0004 1937 0482School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Michael Landes
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Thomas G. Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650 USA
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6
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Weedn V, Steinberg A, Speth P. Prone restraint cardiac arrest in in-custody and arrest-related deaths. J Forensic Sci 2022; 67:1899-1914. [PMID: 35869602 PMCID: PMC9546229 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15101] [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: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We postulate that most atraumatic deaths during police restraint of subjects in the prone position are due to prone restraint cardiac arrest (PRCA), rather than from restraint asphyxia or a stress-induced cardiac condition, such as excited delirium. The prone position restricts ventilation and diminishes pulmonary perfusion. In the setting of a police encounter, metabolic demand will be high from anxiety, stress, excitement, physical struggle, and/or stimulant drugs, leading to metabolic acidosis and requiring significant hyperventilation. Although oxygen levels may be maintained, prolonged restraint in the prone position may result in an inability to adequately blow off CO2 , causing blood pCO2 levels to rise rapidly. The uncompensated metabolic acidosis (low pH) will eventually result in loss of myocyte contractility. The initial electrocardiogram rhythm will generally be either pulseless electrical activity (PEA) or asystole, indicating a noncardiac etiology, more consistent with PRCA and inconsistent with a primary role of any underlying cardiac pathology or stress-induced cardiac etiology. We point to two animal models: in one model rats unable to breathe deeply due to an external restraint die when their metabolic demand is increased, and in the other model, pressure on the chest of rats results in decreased venous return and cardiac arrest rather than death from asphyxia. We present two cases of subjects restrained in the prone position who went into cardiac arrest and had low pHs and initial PEA cardiac rhythms. Our cases demonstrate the danger of prone restraint and serve as examples of PRCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Weedn
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, District of ColumbiaWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA,University of Maryland, Baltimore, Graduate SchoolBaltimoreMarylandUSA,Department of Forensic SciencesGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | | | - Pete Speth
- Forensic Pathology ConsultationsWenonahNew JerseyUSA
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7
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Ryerson WG, Sweesy B, Goulet C. Hang in there: comparative arboreal prey-handling in boa constrictors and ball pythons. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Snakes are a diverse group of reptiles, having colonized almost every environment on the planet. Multiple snake lineages have independently evolved semiarboreal or completely arboreal species. As snakes lack limbs, the challenges of moving and feeding in an arboreal environment are numerous. Here we compare the prey-handling ability of the semiarboreal boa constrictor to the terrestrial ball python in a simulated arboreal context. Snakes were allowed to strike at rodent prey and attempt to swallow that prey while suspended. Boa constrictors were successful in feeding, using a complex suite of behaviors to maintain their position and manipulate their prey. Boa constrictors positioned rats so that swallowing occurred in the direction of gravity, and would use loops of their body to support the rat during swallowing. Ball pythons were frequently not successful in feeding, lacking the complex behaviors that boa constrictors frequently employed. Ball pythons would attempt to swallow, but in the majority of feeding attempts were ultimately unsuccessful. These unsuccessful feeding attempts were typically characterized by the ball pythons hanging upside-down, trying to swallow the prey against the direction of gravity. We suggest that behavioral modifications to feeding encouraged successful invasion of arboreal habitats, but more sampling of snake diversity is needed to explore the range and types of feeding behaviors that arboreal snakes employ.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G. Ryerson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
| | - Ben Sweesy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
| | - Cassidy Goulet
- Department of Biological Sciences, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
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8
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Capano JG, Boback SM, Weller HI, Cieri RL, Zwemer CF, Brainerd EL. Modular lung ventilation in Boa constrictor. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274764. [PMID: 35325925 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of constriction and of large prey ingestion within snakes are key innovations that may explain the remarkable diversity, distribution and ecological scope of this clade, relative to other elongate vertebrates. However, these behaviors may have simultaneously hindered lung ventilation such that early snakes may have had to circumvent these mechanical constraints before those behaviors could evolve. Here, we demonstrate that Boa constrictor can modulate which specific segments of ribs are used to ventilate the lung in response to physically hindered body wall motions. We show that the modular actuation of specific segments of ribs likely results from active recruitment or quiescence of derived accessory musculature. We hypothesize that constriction and large prey ingestion were unlikely to have evolved without modular lung ventilation because of their interference with lung ventilation, high metabolic demands and reliance on sustained lung convection. This study provides a new perspective on snake evolution and suggests that modular lung ventilation evolved during or prior to constriction and large prey ingestion, facilitating snakes' remarkable radiation relative to other elongate vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Capano
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Scott M Boback
- Department of Biology, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013, USA
| | - Hannah I Weller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Robert L Cieri
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD 4558, Australia
| | - Charles F Zwemer
- Department of Biology, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Brainerd
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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9
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Ryerson WG, Van Valkenburg T. Linking Tooth Shape to Strike Mechanics in the Boa constrictor. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:759-771. [PMID: 33713127 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes, with the obvious exception of the fangs, are considered to lack the regional specialization of tooth shape and function which are exemplified by mammals. Recent work in fishes has suggested that the definition of homodont and heterodont are incomplete without a full understanding of the morphology, mechanics, and behavior of feeding. We investigated this idea further by examining changes in tooth shape along the jaw of Boa constrictor and integrating these data with the strike kinematics of boas feeding on rodent prey. We analyzed the shape of every tooth in the skull, from a combination of anesthetized individuals and CT scanned museum specimens. For strike kinematics, we filmed eight adult boas striking at previously killed rats. We determined the regions of the jaws that made first contact with the prey, and extrapolated the relative positions of those teeth at that moment. We further determined the roles of all the teeth throughout the prey capture process, from the initiation of the strike until constriction began. We found that the teeth in the anterior third of the mandible are the most upright, and that teeth become progressively more curved posteriorly. Teeth on the maxilla are more curved than on the mandible, and the anterior teeth are more linear or recurved than the posterior teeth. In a majority of strikes, boas primarily made contact with the anterior third of the mandible first. The momentum from the strike caused the upper jaws and skull to rotate over the rat. The more curved teeth of the upper jaw slid over the rat unimpeded until the snake began to close its jaws. In the remaining strikes, boas made contact with the posterior third of both jaws simultaneously, driving through the prey and quickly retracting, ensnaring the prey on the curved posterior teeth of both jaws. The curved teeth of the palatine and pterygoid bones assist in the process of swallowing.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Ryerson
- Department of Biology, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
| | - Tate Van Valkenburg
- Department of Biology, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
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10
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Arboreal Prey-Handling of Endothermic Prey by Captive Boa Constrictors. J HERPETOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1670/20-039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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11
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Matsuo T, Isosaka T, Tang L, Soga T, Kobayakawa R, Kobayakawa K. Artificial hibernation/life-protective state induced by thiazoline-related innate fear odors. Commun Biol 2021; 4:101. [PMID: 33483561 PMCID: PMC7822961 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01629-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate fear intimately connects to the life preservation in crises, although this relationships is not fully understood. Here, we report that presentation of a supernormal innate fear inducer 2-methyl-2-thiazoline (2MT), but not learned fear stimuli, induced robust systemic hypothermia/hypometabolism and suppressed aerobic metabolism via phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase, thereby enabling long-term survival in a lethal hypoxic environment. These responses exerted potent therapeutic effects in cutaneous and cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury models. In contrast to hibernation, 2MT stimulation accelerated glucose uptake in the brain and suppressed oxygen saturation in the blood. Whole-brain mapping and chemogenetic activation revealed that the sensory representation of 2MT orchestrates physiological responses via brain stem Sp5/NST to midbrain PBN pathway. 2MT, as a supernormal stimulus of innate fear, induced exaggerated, latent life-protective effects in mice. If this system is preserved in humans, it may be utilized to give rise to a new field: "sensory medicine."
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiko Matsuo
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, 573-1010, Japan
| | - Tomoko Isosaka
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, 573-1010, Japan
| | - Lijun Tang
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, 573-1010, Japan
| | - Tomoyoshi Soga
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0052, Japan
| | - Reiko Kobayakawa
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, 573-1010, Japan.
| | - Ko Kobayakawa
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, 573-1010, Japan.
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12
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Nolan JP, Soar J, Cary N, Cooper N, Crane J, Fegan-Earl A, Lawler W, Lumb P, Rutty G. Compression asphyxia and other clinicopathological findings from the Hillsborough Stadium disaster. Emerg Med J 2020; 38:798-802. [PMID: 32883753 DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2020-209627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Ninety-six people died following a crowd crush at the Hillsborough Football Stadium, Sheffield, UK in 1989. The cause of death in nearly all cases was compression asphyxia. The clinical and pathological features of deaths encountered in crowds are discussed with a particular focus on the Hillsborough disaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry P Nolan
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Jasmeet Soar
- Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | - Nathaniel Cary
- Forensic Pathology Services, Unit 12, The Quadrangle, Wantage, UK
| | - Nigel Cooper
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jack Crane
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | | | | | - Philip Lumb
- Pathology, Royal Oldham Hospital, Oldham, UK
| | - Guy Rutty
- East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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13
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Capano JG. Reaction Forces and Rib Function During Locomotion in Snakes. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:215-231. [PMID: 32396605 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion in most tetrapods involves coordinated efforts between appendicular and axial musculoskeletal systems, where interactions between the limbs and the ground generate vertical (GV), horizontal (GH), and mediolateral (GML) ground-reaction forces that are transmitted to the axial system. Snakes have a complete absence of external limbs and represent a fundamental shift from this perspective. The axial musculoskeletal system of snakes is their primary structure to exert, transmit, and resist all motive and reaction forces for propulsion. Their lack of limbs makes them particularly dependent on the mechanical interactions between their bodies and the environment to generate the net GH they need for forward locomotion. As organisms that locomote on their bellies, the forces that enable the various modes of snake locomotion involve two important structures: the integument and the ribs. Snakes use the integument to contact the substrate and produce a friction-reservoir that exceeds their muscle-induced propulsive forces through modulation of scale stiffness and orientation, enabling propulsion through variable environments. XROMM work and previous studies suggest that the serially repeated ribs of snakes change their cross-sectional body shape, deform to environmental irregularities, provide synergistic stabilization for other muscles, and differentially exert and transmit forces to control propulsion. The costovertebral joints of snakes have a biarticular morphology, relative to the unicapitate costovertebral joints of other squamates, that appears derived and not homologous with the ancestral bicapitate ribs of Amniota. Evidence suggests that the biarticular joints of snakes may function to buttress locomotor forces, similar to other amniotes, and provide a passive mechanism for resisting reaction forces during snake locomotion. Future comparisons with other limbless lizard taxa are necessary to tease apart the mechanics and mechanisms that produced the locomotor versatility observed within Serpentes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Capano
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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14
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Cabral SDO, Freitas IDS, Morlanes V, Katzenberger M, Calabuig C. Potential seed dispersers: a new facet of the ecological role of Boa constrictor constrictor Linnaeus 1758. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: The boa (Boa constrictor) is considered a top predator and its diet includes a wide variety of birds, mammals, and other reptiles, all related directly to their availability in the environment inhabited by the snake. Seven boas were found roadkilled on highways adjacent to conservation units in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte state, in northeastern Brazil. Their digestive tract was analyzed to identify food items and classify them according to their orientation in the tract. Among the food items found, the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) and the black-and-white tegu (Salvator merianae) were ingested head-first, while teeth of a punaré (Thrichomys laurentius) and a Spix's yellow-toothed cavy (Galea spixii) and hairs of an unidentified rodent were found in the intestinal tract. In addition, two novel items were identified: the plain-breasted ground-dove (Columbina minuta), which were ingested tail-first, and carnauba palm seeds (Copernicia prunifera). The orientation of the prey (head-first or tail-first) followed what was expected for each type of prey. In addition, the presence of carnauba palm seeds indicates that, while being a top predator, the boa may also be a potential disperser of seeds, which would constitute a previously unrecorded ecological role for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Marco Katzenberger
- Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Brasil; Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brasil
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15
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Moon BR, Penning DA, Segall M, Herrel A. Feeding in Snakes: Form, Function, and Evolution of the Feeding System. FEEDING IN VERTEBRATES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-13739-7_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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16
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Penning DA, Moon BR. The king of snakes: performance and morphology of intraguild predators (Lampropeltis) and their prey (Pantherophis). J Exp Biol 2017; 220:1154-1161. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.147082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Across ecosystems and trophic levels, predators are usually larger than their prey, and when trophic morphology converges, predators typically avoid predation on intraguild competitors unless the prey is notably smaller in size. However, a currently unexplained exception occurs in kingsnakes in the genus Lampropeltis. Kingsnakes are able to capture, constrict and consume other snakes that are not only larger than themselves but that are also powerful constrictors (such as ratsnakes in the genus Pantherophis). Their mechanisms of success as intraguild predators on other constrictors remain unknown. To begin addressing these mechanisms, we studied the scaling of muscle cross-sectional area, pulling force and constriction pressure across the ontogeny of six species of snakes (Lampropeltis californiae, L. getula, L. holbrooki, Pantherophis alleghaniensis, P. guttatus and P. obsoletus). Muscle cross-sectional area is an indicator of potential force production, pulling force is an indicator of escape performance, and constriction pressure is a measure of prey-handling performance. Muscle cross-sectional area scaled similarly for all snakes, and there was no significant difference in maximum pulling force among species. However, kingsnakes exerted significantly higher pressures on their prey than ratsnakes. The similar escape performance among species indicates that kingsnakes win in predatory encounters because of their superior constriction performance, not because ratsnakes have inferior escape performance. The superior constriction performance by kingsnakes results from their consistent and distinctive coil posture and perhaps from additional aspects of muscle structure and function that need to be tested in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Penning
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504-43602, USA
- Department of Biology and Environmental Health, Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO 64801, USA
| | - Brad R. Moon
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504-43602, USA
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PENNING DA. The scaling of bite force and constriction pressure in kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula): Proximate determinants and correlated performance. Integr Zool 2017; 12:121-131. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A. PENNING
- Department of Biology; University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Lafayette Louisiana USA
- Department of Biology & Environmental Health; Missouri Southern State University; Joplin Missouri USA
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Issa SF, Field WE, Schwab CV, Issa FS, Nauman EA. Contributing Causes of Injury or Death in Grain Entrapment, Engulfment, and Extrication. J Agromedicine 2017; 22:159-169. [PMID: 28129077 DOI: 10.1080/1059924x.2017.1283277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Grain entrapments and engulfments are one of most common hazards associated with grain storage facilities, with over 1,140 such entrapments/engulfments documented since the 1970s. The objective of the study was to determine the factors that contribute to injury or death in grain entrapment, engulfment, and extrication cases. METHODS A literature review, including data contained in the Purdue Agricultural Confined Spaces Incident Database (PACSID), was conducted to determine the conditions that the body experiences during an entrapment or engulfment in grains and during extrication efforts. RESULTS Based on the review, the conditions a human body faces during an entrapment, engulfment, or extraction can be split into two broad categories-environmental and physiological/psychological. The environmental factors depend on the grain's properties, depth of entrapment or engulfment, position of the victim's body, and characteristics of the storage unit, which include the grain's lateral pressure, vertical pressure, and weight, as well as friction, oxygen availability and diffusion rate, and grain temperature. The physiological and psychological factors are related to the individual's age and physical and psychological conditions, and manifest themselves in terms of oxygen consumption, asphyxiation (including aspiration, lack of oxygen, compression or splinting of the thorax), blood flow, and heart rate. CONCLUSION Of all the above factors, a review of fatality data contained in the PACSID indicate that aspiration, asphyxiation, grain weight, and lateral pressure are most likely the primary cause of death for most entrapment victims. Research gaps found by this study include an understanding of the impact of lateral pressure on lung expansion and oxygen availability and consumption rate, and the need for more case studies to accurately determine cause of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salah Fuad Issa
- a Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, College of Agriculture , Purdue University , West Lafayette , Indiana , USA
| | - William E Field
- a Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, College of Agriculture , Purdue University , West Lafayette , Indiana , USA
| | - Charles V Schwab
- b Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering , Iowa State University , Ames , Iowa , USA
| | - Fadi S Issa
- c Department of Emergency Medicine , King Faisal Hospital and Research Centre , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia
| | - Eric A Nauman
- d School of Mechanical Engineering , Purdue University , West Lafayette , Indiana , USA
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Penning DA. The gluttonous king: the effects of prey size and repeated feeding on predatory performance in kingsnakes. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. A. Penning
- Department of Biology and Environmental Health; Missouri Southern State University; Joplin MO USA
- Department of Biology; University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Lafayette LA USA
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Penning DA, Dartez SF. Size, but not experience, affects the ontogeny of constriction performance in ball pythons (Python regius). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 325:194-9. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 01/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A. Penning
- Department of Biology; University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Lafayette Louisiana
| | - Schuyler F. Dartez
- Department of Biology; University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Lafayette Louisiana
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How boa constrictors really kill. Nature 2015. [DOI: 10.1038/523504a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Penning DA, Dartez SF, Moon BR. The big squeeze: scaling of constriction pressure in two of the world's largest snakes, Python reticulatus and P. molurus bivittatus. J Exp Biol 2015; 218:3364-7. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.127449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Snakes are important predators that have radiated throughout many ecosystems, and constriction was important in their radiation. Constrictors immobilize and kill prey by using body loops to exert pressure on their prey. Despite its importance, little is known about constriction performance or its full effects on prey. We studied the scaling of constriction performance in two species of giant pythons (Python reticulatus Schneider 1801 and Python molurus bivittatus Kuhl 1820) and propose a new mechanism of prey death by constriction. In both species, peak constriction pressure increased significantly with snake diameter. These and other constrictors can exert pressures dramatically higher than their prey's blood pressure, suggesting that constriction can stop circulatory function and perhaps kill prey rapidly by over-pressurizing the brain and disrupting neural function. We propose the latter “red-out effect” as another possible mechanism of prey death from constriction. These effects may be important to recognize and treat properly in rare cases when constrictors injure humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Penning
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA 70504-43602
| | - Schuyler F. Dartez
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA 70504-43602
- Present address: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area, Gueydan, Louisiana, USA 70542
| | - Brad R. Moon
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA 70504-43602
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