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Hirst SR, Rautsaw RM, VanHorn CM, Beer MA, McDonald PJ, Rosales García RA, Rodriguez Lopez B, Rubio Rincón A, Franz Chávez H, Vásquez-Cruz V, Kelly Hernández A, Storfer A, Borja M, Castañeda-Gaytán G, Frandsen PB, Parkinson CL, Strickland JL, Margres MJ. Where the "ruber" Meets the Road: Using the Genome of the Red Diamond Rattlesnake to Unravel the Evolutionary Processes Driving Venom Evolution. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae198. [PMID: 39255072 PMCID: PMC11440179 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae198] [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] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the proximate and ultimate causes of phenotypic variation is fundamental in evolutionary research, as such variation provides the substrate for selection to act upon. Although trait variation can arise due to selection, the importance of neutral processes is sometimes understudied. We presented the first reference-quality genome of the Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) and used range-wide 'omic data to estimate the degree to which neutral and adaptive evolutionary processes shaped venom evolution. We characterized population structure and found substantial genetic differentiation across two populations, each with distinct demographic histories. We identified significant differentiation in venom expression across age classes with substantially reduced but discernible differentiation across populations. We then used conditional redundancy analysis to test whether venom expression variation was best predicted by neutral divergence patterns or geographically variable (a)biotic factors. Snake size was the most significant predictor of venom variation, with environment, prey availability, and neutral sequence variation also identified as significant factors, though to a lesser degree. By directly including neutrality in the model, our results confidently highlight the predominant, yet not singular, role of life history in shaping venom evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel R Hirst
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Rhett M Rautsaw
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Cameron M VanHorn
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Marc A Beer
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Preston J McDonald
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | - Bruno Rodriguez Lopez
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico
| | - Alexandra Rubio Rincón
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico
| | | | - Víctor Vásquez-Cruz
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
- PIMVS Herpetario Palancoatl, Veracruz, Mexico
| | | | - Andrew Storfer
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Miguel Borja
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico
| | | | - Paul B Frandsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | | | | | - Mark J Margres
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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2
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Nava RA, Sigala‐Rodríguez JJ, Redetzke N, Villalobos‐Juarez I, Franco‐Servin‐de‐la‐Mora C, Rosales‐García R, Clark RW. The tale of the rattle: Using rattle size to understand growth and sexual dimorphism in an insular population of rattlesnakes ( Crotalus oreganus caliginis). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70005. [PMID: 38988347 PMCID: PMC11236481 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Islands have played a key role in our understanding of rapid evolution. A large body of literature has examined morphological changes in response to insularity and isolation, which has yielded useful generalizations about how animals can adapt to live in very small geographic areas. However, understanding the evolution of morphological variation in insular populations often requires detailed data sets on longitudinal patterns of growth and development, and such studies typically necessitate long-term mark-recapture on a large sample of individuals. Rattlesnakes provide a unique opportunity to address some of these difficulties because the addition of rattle segments to the rattle string occurs with regular periodicity and their size directly correlates with the body size of the snake at the time of the ecdysis cycle generating the segment. Here, we used a large database of rattle segment sizes recorded from island (Isla Coronado Sur, Baja California, Mexico) and mainland (Camp Pendleton, California, United States) populations of Western Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus and C. o. caliginis) that separated approximately 10,000 years ago to compare body sizes at different ecdysis cycles, which allowed us to assess differences in growth rates and patterns of sexual size dimorphism. Our results show that rattlesnakes on Isla Coronado Sur appear to be born smaller and grow more slowly than their mainland counterparts, resulting in a "dwarfed" island population. However, despite significant differences in body size, both populations exhibited the same degree of sexual dimorphism. Our study demonstrates the potential to use rattle characteristics to recover detailed estimates of fundamental demographic parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman A. Nava
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Moffett Federal AirfieldMountain ViewCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Nathaniel Redetzke
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Environmental Security ‐ Uplands Management SectionMarine Corps Base Camp PendletonCamp PendletonCaliforniaUSA
| | | | | | - Ramses Rosales‐García
- Departamento de BiologíaUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesAguascalientesMexico
- Department of Biological SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Rulon W. Clark
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
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3
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Balchan NR, Smith CF, Mackessy SP. A plethora of rodents: Rattlesnake predators generate unanticipated patterns of venom resistance in a grassland ecosystem. Toxicon X 2024; 21:100179. [PMID: 38144228 PMCID: PMC10746501 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2023.100179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Predation has the potential to impart strong selective pressures on organisms within their environments, resulting in adaptive changes in prey that minimize risk of predation. Pressures from venomous snakes present an exceptional challenge to prey, as venom represents a unique chemical arsenal evolutionarily tailored to incapacitate prey. In response, venom resistance has been detected in various snake prey species, and to varying degrees. This study analyzes venom resistance in an eastern Colorado grassland habitat, where the Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) and Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsii) co-occur with a suite of grassland rodents. We test for venom resistance across rodent and snake pairings using two geographically distant field sites to determine the role of 1) predation pressure and trophic ecology, and 2) sympatric and allopatric patterns of venom resistance. Resistance was measured using serum-based metalloproteinase inhibition assays to determine potential inhibition of proteolytic activity, augmented by median lethal dose (LD50) assays on rodent species to assess toxicity of crude venoms. Resistance is present in several rodent species, with strong resistance present in populations of Eastern Woodrat (Neotoma floridana), Ord's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ordii), and Northern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys leucogaster). Resistance is less developed in other species, including the House Mouse (Mus musculus) and Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavescens). An unexpected differential is present, where Lincoln County Kangaroo Rats are highly resistant to venom of co-occurring Prairie Rattlesnakes yet are sensitive to an allopatric population of Prairie Rattlesnakes in Weld County. Lincoln Co. Northern Grasshopper Mice also demonstrate extremely elevated resistance to Weld Co. Prairie Rattlesnake venoms, and they may possess resistance mechanisms for myotoxin a, an abundant component of Weld Co. C. v viridis venoms. This study illustrates the complexity of venom resistance in biological communities that can exist when incorporating multiple species interactions. Future studies aimed at characterizing resistance mechanisms at the molecular level will provide a more detailed physiological context for understanding mechanisms by which resistance to venoms occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil R. Balchan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - Cara F. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, 12801 East 17th Avenue, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Stephen P. Mackessy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
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4
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Ortiz-Medina JA, Cedeño-Vázquez JR, González-Solís D, Mata-Silva V. Intraspecific Variation in Diet Composition and Morphology of Yucatecan Cantils (Agkistrodon russeolus Gloyd 1972 [Serpentes: Viperidae]). HERPETOLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-21-00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Javier A. Ortiz-Medina
- Departamento de Sistemática y Ecología Acuática, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Chetumal, Avenida Centenario km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México
| | - J. Rogelio Cedeño-Vázquez
- Departamento de Sistemática y Ecología Acuática, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Chetumal, Avenida Centenario km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México
| | - David González-Solís
- Departamento de Sistemática y Ecología Acuática, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Chetumal, Avenida Centenario km 5.5, 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México
| | - Vicente Mata-Silva
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968-0500, USA
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5
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Robinson KE, Holding ML, Whitford MD, Saviola AJ, Yates JR, Clark RW. Phenotypic and functional variation in venom and venom resistance of two sympatric rattlesnakes and their prey. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1447-1465. [PMID: 34322920 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions often lead to the coevolution of adaptations associated with avoiding predation and, for predators, overcoming those defences. Antagonistic coevolutionary relationships are often not simple interactions between a single predator and prey but rather a complex web of interactions between multiple coexisting species. Coevolution between venomous rattlesnakes and small mammals has led to physiological venom resistance in several mammalian taxa. In general, viperid venoms contain large quantities of snake venom metalloproteinase toxins (SVMPs), which are inactivated by SVMP inhibitors expressed in resistant mammals. We explored variation in venom chemistry, SVMP expression, and SVMP resistance across four co-distributed species (California Ground Squirrels, Bryant's Woodrats, Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes, and Red Diamond Rattlesnakes) collected from four different populations in Southern California. Our aim was to understand phenotypic and functional variation in venom and venom resistance in order to compare coevolutionary dynamics of a system involving two sympatric predator-prey pairs to past studies that have focused on single pairs. Proteomic analysis of venoms indicated that these rattlesnakes express different phenotypes when in sympatry, with Red Diamonds expressing more typical viperid venom (with a diversity of SVMPs) and Southern Pacifics expressing a more atypical venom with a broader range of non-enzymatic toxins. We also found that although blood sera from both mammals were generally able to inhibit SVMPs from both rattlesnake species, inhibition depended strongly on the snake population, with snakes from one geographic site expressing SVMPs to which few mammals were resistant. Additionally, we found that Red Diamond venom, rather than woodrat resistance, was locally adapted. Our findings highlight the complexity of coevolutionary relationships between multiple predators and prey that exhibit similar offensive and defensive strategies in sympatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Robinson
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Matthew L Holding
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA.,Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Malachi D Whitford
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Ecology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Anthony J Saviola
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rulon W Clark
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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6
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Diet and Feeding Frequency in the Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus): Ontogenetic, Sexual, Geographic, and Seasonal Variation. J HERPETOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1670/19-144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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7
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Hatakeyama DM, Tasima LJ, Bravo-Tobar CA, Serino-Silva C, Tashima AK, Rodrigues CFB, Aguiar WDS, Galizio NDC, de Lima EOV, Kavazoi VK, Gutierrez-Marín JD, de Farias IB, Sant’Anna SS, Grego KF, de Morais-Zani K, Tanaka-Azevedo AM. Venom complexity of Bothrops atrox (common lancehead) siblings. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2020; 26:e20200018. [PMID: 33101399 PMCID: PMC7553035 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Variability in snake venoms is a well-studied phenomenon. However, sex-based variation of Bothrops atrox snake venom using siblings is poorly investigated. Bothrops atrox is responsible for the majority of snakebite accidents in the Brazilian Amazon region. Differences in the venom composition of Bothrops genus have been linked to several factors such as ontogeny, geographical distribution, prey preferences and sex. Thus, in the current study, venom samples of Bothrops atrox male and female siblings were analyzed in order to compare their biochemical and biological characteristics. METHODS Venoms were collected from five females and four males born from a snake captured from the wild in São Bento (Maranhão, Brazil), and kept in the Laboratory of Herpetology of Butantan Intitute. The venoms were analyzed individually and as a pool of each gender. The assays consisted in protein quantification, 1-DE, mass spectrometry, proteolytic, phospholipase A2, L-amino acid oxidase activities, minimum coagulant dose upon plasma, minimum hemorrhagic dose and lethal dose 50%. RESULTS Electrophoretic profiles of male's and female's venom pools were quite similar, with minor sex-based variation. Male venom showed higher LAAO, PLA2 and hemorrhagic activities, while female venom showed higher coagulant activity. On the other hand, the proteolytic activities did not show statistical differences between pools, although some individual variations were observed. Meanwhile, proteomic profile revealed 112 different protein compounds; of which 105 were common proteins of female's and male's venom pools and seven were unique to females. Despite individual variations, lethality of both pools showed similar values. CONCLUSION Although differences between female and male venoms were observed, our results show that individual variations are significant even between siblings, highlighting that biological activities of venoms and its composition are influenced by other factors beyond gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Miki Hatakeyama
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Lídia Jorge Tasima
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Cesar Adolfo Bravo-Tobar
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Caroline Serino-Silva
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Keiji Tashima
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Caroline Fabri Bittencourt Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Weslei da Silva Aguiar
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Nathália da Costa Galizio
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Victor Koiti Kavazoi
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juan David Gutierrez-Marín
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Iasmim Baptista de Farias
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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8
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Whitford MD, Freymiller GA, Higham TE, Clark RW. The Effects of Temperature on the Kinematics of Rattlesnake Predatory Strikes in Both Captive and Field Environments. Integr Org Biol 2020; 2:obaa025. [PMID: 33791566 PMCID: PMC7671150 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The outcomes of predator-prey interactions between endotherms and ectotherms can be heavily influenced by environmental temperature, owing to the difference in how body temperature affects locomotor performance. However, as elastic energy storage mechanisms can allow ectotherms to maintain high levels of performance at cooler body temperatures, detailed analyses of kinematics are necessary to fully understand how changes in temperature might alter endotherm-ectotherm predator-prey interactions. Viperid snakes are widely distributed ectothermic mesopredators that interact with endotherms both as predator and prey. Although there are numerous studies on the kinematics of viper strikes, surprisingly few have analyzed how this rapid movement is affected by temperature. Here we studied the effects of temperature on the predatory strike performance of rattlesnakes (Crotalus spp.), abundant new world vipers, using both field and captive experimental contexts. We found that the effects of temperature on predatory strike performance are limited, with warmer snakes achieving slightly higher maximum strike acceleration, but similar maximum velocity. Our results suggest that, unlike defensive strikes to predators, rattlesnakes may not attempt to maximize strike speed when attacking prey, and thus the outcomes of predatory strikes may not be heavily influenced by changes in temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Whitford
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Ecology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - G A Freymiller
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - T E Higham
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - R W Clark
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA
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9
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Carbajal-Márquez RA, Cedeño-Vázquez JR, González-Solís D, Martins M. Diet and Feeding Ecology of Crotalus tzabcan (Serpentes: Viperidae). SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2994/sajh-d-17-00081.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rubén A. Carbajal-Márquez
- Departamento de Sistemática y Ecología Acuática, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, unidad Chetumal, Av. Centenario km 5.5, Chetumal, 77014, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - J. Rogelio Cedeño-Vázquez
- Departamento de Sistemática y Ecología Acuática, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, unidad Chetumal, Av. Centenario km 5.5, Chetumal, 77014, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - David González-Solís
- Departamento de Sistemática y Ecología Acuática, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, unidad Chetumal, Av. Centenario km 5.5, Chetumal, 77014, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Marcio Martins
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, CEP 05508‑090, São Paulo 1146, Brazil
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10
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Mizsei E, Boros Z, Lovas‐Kiss Á, Szepesváry C, Szabolcs M, Rák G, Ujszegi J, Gál Z, Lengyel S, Puskás G. A trait‐based framework for understanding predator–prey relationships: Trait matching between a specialist snake and its insect prey. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edvárd Mizsei
- Department of Tisza River Research Danube Research Institute Centre for Ecological Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences Debrecen Hungary
- Department of Ecology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | | | - Ádám Lovas‐Kiss
- Department of Tisza River Research Danube Research Institute Centre for Ecological Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences Debrecen Hungary
| | - Csaba Szepesváry
- Department of Tisza River Research Danube Research Institute Centre for Ecological Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences Debrecen Hungary
- GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group Centre for Ecological Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences Tihany Hungary
| | - Márton Szabolcs
- Department of Tisza River Research Danube Research Institute Centre for Ecological Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences Debrecen Hungary
- GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group Centre for Ecological Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences Tihany Hungary
| | - Gergő Rák
- Department of Ecology University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest Hungary
| | - János Ujszegi
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group Plant Protection Institute Centre for Agricultural Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest Hungary
| | - Zoltán Gál
- NARIC Agricultural Biotechnology Institute Gödöllő Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Lengyel
- Department of Tisza River Research Danube Research Institute Centre for Ecological Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences Debrecen Hungary
- GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group Centre for Ecological Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences Tihany Hungary
| | - Gellért Puskás
- Department of Zoology Hungarian Natural History Museum Budapest Hungary
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11
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Reiserer RS, Schuett GW, Greene HW. Seed ingestion and germination in rattlesnakes: overlooked agents of rescue and secondary dispersal. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2017.2755. [PMID: 29436500 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal is a key evolutionary process and a central theme in the population ecology of terrestrial plants. The primary producers of most land-based ecosystems are propagated by and maintained through various mechanisms of seed dispersal that involve both abiotic and biotic modes of transportation. By far the most common biotic seed transport mechanism is zoochory, whereby seeds, or fruits containing them, are dispersed through the activities of animals. Rodents are one group of mammals that commonly prey on seeds (granivores) and play a critical, often destructive, role in primary dispersal and the dynamics of plant communities. In North America, geomyid, heteromyid and some sciurid rodents have specialized cheek pouches for transporting seeds from plant source to larder, where they are often eliminated from the pool of plant propagules by consumption. These seed-laden rodents are commonly consumed by snakes as they forage, but unlike raptors, coyotes, bobcats, and other endothermic predators which eat rodents and are known or implicated to be secondary seed dispersers, the role of snakes in seed dispersal remains unexplored. Here, using museum-preserved specimens, we show that in nature three desert-dwelling rattlesnake species consumed heteromyids with seeds in their cheek pouches. By examining the entire gut we discovered, furthermore, that secondarily ingested seeds can germinate in rattlesnake colons. In terms of secondary dispersal, rattlesnakes are best described as diplochorous. Because seed rescue and secondary dispersal in snakes has yet to be investigated, and because numerous other snake species consume granivorous and frugivorous birds and mammals, our observations offer direction for further empirical studies of this unusual but potentially important channel for seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall S Reiserer
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA .,Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA
| | - Gordon W Schuett
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA.,Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Harry W Greene
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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12
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Heres BM, Welch SM, Waldron JL. The Effect of Mast Availability on Crotalus adamanteus (Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake) Ambush-site Selection. SOUTHEAST NAT 2018. [DOI: 10.1656/058.017.0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Berlynna M. Heres
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469
- Current address - West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Romney, WV 26757
| | - Shane M. Welch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755
| | - Jayme L. Waldron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755
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Venomics: integrative venom proteomics and beyond*. Biochem J 2017; 474:611-634. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Venoms are integrated phenotypes that evolved independently in, and are used for predatory and defensive purposes by, a wide phylogenetic range of organisms. The same principles that contribute to the evolutionary success of venoms, contribute to making the study of venoms of great interest in such diverse fields as evolutionary ecology and biotechnology. Evolution is profoundly contingent, and nature also reinvents itself continuosly. Changes in a complex phenotypic trait, such as venom, reflect the influences of prior evolutionary history, chance events, and selection. Reconstructing the natural history of venoms, particularly those of snakes, which will be dealt with in more detail in this review, requires the integration of different levels of knowledge into a meaningful and comprehensive evolutionary framework for separating stochastic changes from adaptive evolution. The application of omics technologies and other disciplines have contributed to a qualitative and quantitative advance in the road map towards this goal. In this review we will make a foray into the world of animal venoms, discuss synergies and complementarities of the different approaches used in their study, and identify current bottlenecks that prevent inferring the evolutionary mechanisms and ecological constraints that molded snake venoms to their present-day variability landscape.
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Webber MM, Jezkova T, Rodríguez-Robles JA. Feeding Ecology of Sidewinder Rattlesnakes, Crotalus cerastes (Viperidae). HERPETOLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-15-00031.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael M. Webber
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - Tereza Jezkova
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - Javier A. Rodríguez-Robles
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
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Sunagar K, Undheim EAB, Scheib H, Gren ECK, Cochran C, Person CE, Koludarov I, Kelln W, Hayes WK, King GF, Antunes A, Fry BG. Intraspecific venom variation in the medically significant Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus helleri): biodiscovery, clinical and evolutionary implications. J Proteomics 2014; 99:68-83. [PMID: 24463169 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Revised: 01/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Due to the extreme variation of venom, which consequently results in drastically variable degrees of neutralization by CroFab antivenom, the management and treatment of envenoming by Crotalus oreganus helleri (the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake), one of the most medically significant snake species in all of North America, has been a clinician's nightmare. This snake has also been the subject of sensational news stories regarding supposed rapid (within the last few decades) evolution of its venom. This research demonstrates for the first time that variable evolutionary selection pressures sculpt the intraspecific molecular diversity of venom components in C. o. helleri. We show that myotoxic β-defensin peptides (aka: crotamines/small basic myotoxic peptides) are secreted in large amounts by all populations. However, the mature toxin-encoding nucleotide regions evolve under the constraints of negative selection, likely as a result of their non-specific mode of action which doesn't enforce them to follow the regime of the classic predator-prey chemical arms race. The hemorrhagic and tissue destroying snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) were secreted in larger amounts by the Catalina Island and Phelan rattlesnake populations, in moderate amounts in the Loma Linda population and in only trace levels by the Idyllwild population. Only the Idyllwild population in the San Jacinto Mountains contained potent presynaptic neurotoxic phospholipase A2 complex characteristic of Mohave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) and Neotropical Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus). The derived heterodimeric lectin toxins characteristic of viper venoms, which exhibit a diversity of biological activities, including anticoagulation, agonism/antagonism of platelet activation, or procoagulation, appear to have evolved under extremely variable selection pressures. While most lectin α- and β-chains evolved rapidly under the influence of positive Darwinian selection, the β-chain lectin of the Catalina Island population appears to have evolved under the constraint of negative selection. Both lectin chains were conspicuously absent in both the proteomics and transcriptomics of the Idyllwild population. Thus, we not only highlight the tremendous biochemical diversity in C. o. helleri's venom-arsenal, but we also show that they experience remarkably variable strengths of evolutionary selection pressures, within each toxin class among populations and among toxin classes within each population. The mapping of geographical venom variation not only provides additional information regarding venom evolution, but also has direct medical implications by allowing prediction of the clinical effects of rattlesnake bites from different regions. Such information, however, also points to these highly variable venoms as being a rich source of novel toxins which may ultimately prove to be useful in drug design and development. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE These results have direct implications for the treatment of envenomed patients. The variable venom profile of Crotalus oreganus helleri underscores the biodiscovery potential of novel snake venoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartik Sunagar
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, P 4050-123 Porto, Portugal
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Holger Scheib
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Eric C K Gren
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Chip Cochran
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Carl E Person
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Ivan Koludarov
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Wayne Kelln
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - William K Hayes
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Agosthino Antunes
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, P 4050-123 Porto, Portugal
| | - Bryan Grieg Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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Corbit AG, Person C, Hayes WK. Constipation associated with brumation? Intestinal obstruction caused by a fecalith in a wild red diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber). J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2013; 98:96-9. [PMID: 23398054 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.12040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This report describes the fecalith-induced intestinal obstruction of a free-ranging red diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) and the snake's subsequent history following surgical removal of the fecalith. The captured snake exhibited an abnormally distended abdomen and an extremely hard mass, detected via palpation, near its vent. Coeliotomy yielded a 2.5-cm, 5-g fecalith from the large intestine. Microscopic dissection of the fecalith revealed no evidence of gastrointestinal parasitic worms. Subsequently, we implanted a radio-transmitter that allowed us to track the snake's movements for 7 months (until the radio signal vanished), indicating normal behaviour, complete recovery and good health apart from the obstruction. This observation suggests that fecalith development and intestinal obstruction represent potential risks of long-term faecal retention, an unusual physiological trait well documented among rattlesnakes and other stout, heavy-bodied terrestrial viperid snakes. Dehydration and decreased gut motility associated with brumation (≈hibernation) may predispose temperate snakes to fecalith formation. Regional drought and a small mammal diet with indigestible hairs might have also promoted fecalith formation in this specimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- A G Corbit
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA
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