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Bury S, Kratochvíl L, Starostová Z. Scaling of erythrocyte shape and nucleus size among squamate reptiles: reanalysis points to constrained, proportional rather than adaptive changes. R Soc Open Sci 2023; 10:221513. [PMID: 37122952 PMCID: PMC10130710 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Small erythrocytes might be beneficial for blood rheology, as they contribute less to blood viscosity than large erythrocytes. We predicted that rheological disadvantages of larger erythrocytes could be alleviated by relatively smaller nucleus size in larger cells allowing higher flexibility and by more elongated shape. Across squamate reptiles, we found that species with larger erythrocytes tend to have smaller ratio of nucleus size to cell size (N : C ratio), but that larger erythrocytes tend to be rounder, not more elongated. Nevertheless, we document that in fact nucleus area changes with erythrocyte area more or less linearly, which is also true for the relationship between cell length and cell width. These linear relationships suggest that nucleus size and cell size, and cell width and cell length, might be constrained to largely proportional mutual changes. The shifts in widely used N : C ratio and elongation ratio (cell length/cell width) with cell size might be misleading, as they do not reflect adaptive or maladaptive changes of erythrocytes, but rather mathematically trivial scaling of the ratios of two variables with a linear relationship with non-zero intercepts. We warn that ratio scaling without analyses of underlying patterns of evolutionary changes can lead to misinterpretation of evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Starostová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
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Bury S. Corrigendum to "Intestinal upregulation and specific dynamic action in snakes - Implications for the 'pay before pumping' hypothesis", [Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A Volume 263, January (2022) 111080]. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2022; 271:111267. [PMID: 35810712 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
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Bury S, Kolanek A, Chylarecki P, Najbar B, Kurek K, Mazgajski TD. Climatic conditions and prevalence of melanistic snakes-contrasting effects of warm springs and mild winters. Int J Biometeorol 2022; 66:1329-1338. [PMID: 35396943 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-022-02279-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges that wildlife is facing. Rapid shifts in climatic conditions may accelerate evolutionary changes in populations as a result of strong selective pressure. Most studies focus on the impact of climatic conditions on phenologies and annual cycles, whereas there are fewer reports of empirical support for climate-driven changes in the phenotypic variability of free-living populations. We investigated whether climatic variables explain the prevalence of colour polymorphism in a population of the grass snake (Natrix natrix) with two morphotypes, the melanistic and non-melanistic ones, in the period 1981-2013. We found that the prevalence of the black phenotype was negatively related to spring temperature and winter harshness, expressed as the number of snow days. According to the thermal melanism hypothesis, a high predation rate during warmer springs may override relaxed thermal benefits and vice versa, i.e. black individuals may perform better than typical ones when thermal conditions in spring are unfavourable. In turn, because they are smaller, melanistic individuals may be exposed to a higher risk of winter mortality, particularly during longer winters. We highlight the need for more studies on the effects of climatic conditions on temporal variation in melanism prevalence in other populations and species as well as in various geographic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
- NATRIX Herpetological Association, Opolska 41/1, 52-010, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Aleksandra Kolanek
- NATRIX Herpetological Association, Opolska 41/1, 52-010, Wrocław, Poland
- Department of Geoinformatics and Cartography, Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroclaw, pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Przemysław Chylarecki
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Najbar
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65-516, Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kurek
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
| | - Tomasz D Mazgajski
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679, Warszawa, Poland
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Zając B, Bury S, Kuśmierek N, Okarma H. Frequent infection of urban grass snakes (Natrix natrix) oral cavity with Leptophallus nigrovenosus trematode. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:2167-2171. [PMID: 35460370 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07523-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Land disturbances caused by urban development modify and create novel habitats with novel ecological pressures, which in turn may negatively affect remaining wildlife populations, e.g. by altering interspecific interactions. However, it is not clear whether these modified interactions, e.g. parasitism, affect urban wildlife negatively. This is especially true for reptiles, as even parasitism under natural conditions is understudied in this group. We have observed that up to 35% of grass snakes (Natrix natrix) are infected with the trematode Leptophallus nigrovenosus in urban areas of Kraków, while none of snakes sampled in nearby suburban and non-urban forests exhibited this infection. As this trematode typically inhabits the intestine, we suggest that its occurrence in the oral cavity may be a sign of very high infection rates. However, we did not detect any negative effects of observed infection on body size, mass and body condition of affected individuals. On the other hand, competition with other parasite species in suburban and non-urban habitats may be responsible for not detecting L. nigrovenosus in grass snakes from these sites. Nevertheless, interpretation of our findings is difficult, as knowledge on L. nigrovenosus biology is very limited. Our study underlines the necessity to fill the research gap in reptile parasitology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartłomiej Zając
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.,NATRIX Herpetological Association, Opolska 41/1 52-010, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Natalia Kuśmierek
- Department of Parasitology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Henryk Okarma
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.,Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
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Bury S, Zając B, Okarma H, Kolanek A. Decline in body size and female fraction in the grass snake (Natrix natrix, Linnaeus 1758) population after 40 years (Southern Poland). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:8334-8340. [PMID: 34490556 PMCID: PMC8776665 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16128-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Depletion of free-living populations is often associated with changes in fitness-related traits, e.g., body size. Ongoing decrease in body size has been reported in most vertebrates, but reptiles remain understudied. Moreover, sexual size dimorphism, commonly observed in reptiles, indicates that environmental pressures on body size may appear sex-specific. This can also result in shifts in sex ratio, an aspect even less studied. We investigated body size and sex ratio in population of grass snake (Natrix natrix) surveyed over 40 years ago in comparison with the current state. We found that both sexes express similar magnitude in body size decline. The current sex ratio does not deviate from 1:1, while in the past, females outnumbered males. The observed changes are likely an outcome of several non-mutually exclusive factors. In the studied area, an increase in road traffic and human presence and a drop in prey availability have been documented. Both factors may exert higher pressure on larger individuals, particularly females, due to their high costs of reproduction. It is recorded here that increase in ambient temperatures and summer duration may additionally enhance the mortality risk and resource requirements. Shifts in body size and sex ratio can catalyze further declines in abundance and reproductive potential of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
- NATRIX Herpetological Association, Opolska 41/1, 52-010, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Zając
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Henryk Okarma
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Kolanek
- NATRIX Herpetological Association, Opolska 41/1, 52-010, Wrocław, Poland
- Department of Geoinformatics and Cartography, Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroclaw, pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137, Wrocław, Poland
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Bury S. Intestinal upregulation and specific dynamic action in snakes - Implications for the 'pay before pumping' hypothesis. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2021; 263:111080. [PMID: 34543726 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.111080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals which feed infrequently and on large prey, like many snake species, are characterized by a high magnitude of gut upregulation upon ingesting a meal. The intensity of intestinal upregulation was hypothesized to be proportional to the time and energy required for food processing (Specific-Dynamic-Action; SDA); hence, a positive correlation between the scope of intestinal growth and SDA response can be deduced. Such a correlation would support the so far not well established link between the intestinal and metabolic consequences of digestion. In this study I tested this prediction using an interspecific dataset on snakes gleaned from published sources. I found that SDAduration and SDAscope were positively correlated with post-feeding factorial increase in small intestine mass, but not with microvillar elongation. This indicates that a wide range of whole intestine remodelling (up- but potentially also downregulation) may temporarily prolong meal processing and that a greater magnitude of intestinal growth requires a stronger metabolic elevation. However, these effects do not seem large enough to drive the variation in the entire energetic costs of digestion, because SDAexpenditure was not affected either by intestinal or microvillar growth. I therefore propose that intestinal upregulation elicits non-negligible costs, but that these costs are a fairly small component of the whole SDAexpenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
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Bury S. Energy expenses on prey processing are comparable, but paid at a higher metabolic scope and for a longer time in ambush vs active predators: a multispecies study on snakes. Oecologia 2021; 197:61-70. [PMID: 34392416 PMCID: PMC8445871 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05014-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Snakes are characterized by distinct foraging strategies, from ambush to active hunting, which can be predicted to substantially affect the energy budget as a result of differential activity rates and feeding frequencies. Intense foraging activity and continuously upregulated viscera as a result of frequent feeding leads to a higher standard metabolic rate (SMR) in active than in ambush predators. Conversely, the costs of digestion (Specific Dynamic Action—SDA) are expected to be higher in ambush predators following the substantial remodelling of the gut upon ingestion of a meal after a long fasting period. This prediction was tested on an interspecific scale using a large multispecies dataset (> 40 species) obtained from published sources. I found that the metabolic scope and duration of SDA tended to reach higher values in ambush than in active predators, which probably reflects the greater magnitude of postprandial physiological upregulation in the former. In contrast, the SDA energy expenditure appeared to be unrelated to the foraging mode. The costs of visceral activation conceivably are not negligible, but represent a minor part of the total costs of digestion, possibly not large enough to elicit a foraging-mode driven variation in SDA energy expenditure. Non-mutually exclusive is that the higher costs of structural upregulation in ambush predators are balanced by the improved, thus potentially less expensive, functional performance of the more efficient intestines. I finally suggest that ambush predators may be less susceptible than active predators to the metabolic ‘meltdown effect’ driven by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
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Borczyk B, Paśko Ł, Kusznierz J, Bury S. Sexual dimorphism and skull size and shape in the highly specialized snake species, Aipysurus eydouxii (Elapidae: Hydrophiinae). PeerJ 2021; 9:e11311. [PMID: 33976986 PMCID: PMC8063874 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Snakes exhibit sexual dimorphism in both head size and shape. Such differences are often attributed to different reproductive roles and feeding habits. We aim to investigate how sexual dimorphism is displayed in the highly specialised fish-egg-eating snake, Aipysurus eydouxii, by analysing two complementary features: body size and skull morphology. Methods We used data on body length, weight, and skull shape from 27 measurements of 116 males and females of A. eydouxii. We investigated both sexual dimorphism and allometric (multivariate and bi-variate) properties of skull growth in the analysed data set. Results We found that although there was female-biased sexual size dimorphism in body length, females were not heavier than males, contrary to what is commonly observed pattern among snakes. Moreover, females tend to possess relatively smaller heads than males. However, we only found very subtle differences in skull shape reflected in nasal width, mandibular fossa, quadrate crest and quadrate length. Discussion We suggest that the feeding specialisation in A. eydouxii does not allow for an increase in body thickness and the size of the head above a certain threshold. Our results may be interpreted as support for prey-size divergence as a factor driving skull dimorphism since such species in which the sexes do not differ in prey size also shows very subtle or no differences in skull morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz Borczyk
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, University of Wroclaw, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz Paśko
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, University of Wroclaw, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Jan Kusznierz
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, University of Wroclaw, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Kolanek
- Department of Geoinformatics and Cartography, Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroclaw, pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Stanisław Bury
- NATRIX Herpetological Association, Opolska 41/1, 52-010 Wrocław, Poland
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Bury S. Sex-specific growth is mirrored in feeding rate but not moulting frequency in a sexually dimorphic snake. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:6. [PMID: 33415456 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01712-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism (SSD), commonly observed in snakes, may arise from a different growth rate between the sexes. This indicates a sex-specific resource intake that is in fact observable in free-living snakes. It is not so well known whether the sexes can express differential feeding rates under conditions unconstrained by spatial accessibility, competition, etc. Here, I studied sex-specific variation in growth, its correlate-moulting frequency, and feeding rate in a captive group of sexually dimorphic banded water snakes (Nerodia fasciata) with access to food unconstrained by predation, competition or space. I showed that the sexes did indeed differ in relative mass growth in that females grew faster than males (p = 0.02), but such differences were not apparent in the moulting rate (p = 0.19). Such differential growth was mirrored in the sex-specific feeding rate, with females ingesting a larger number of meals than males (p = 0.004). Such variation in feeding rate may be governed by an individual's energy expenditure and can be interpreted as a behavioural tendency that contributes to SSD development, independently of other behavioural characteristics. Sex-specific resource demands may drive the differential effects of increasing resource scarcity on both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland. .,Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland. .,NATRIX Herpetological Association, Legnicka 65, 54-206, Wrocław, Poland.
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Bury S, ZajĄc B. The loss of sexual size dimorphism in urban populations of a widespread reptile, the European grass snake Natrix natrix. Curr Zool 2020; 66:217-218. [PMID: 32440281 PMCID: PMC7233604 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, Kraków, 30-387, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej ZajĄc
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, Kraków, 30-387, Poland
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Pawlak A, Morka K, Bury S, Antoniewicz Z, Wzorek A, Cieniuch G, Korzeniowska-Kowal A, Cichoń M, Bugla-Płoskońska G. Cloacal Gram-Negative Microbiota in Free-Living Grass Snake Natrix natrix from Poland. Curr Microbiol 2020; 77:2166-2171. [PMID: 32424607 PMCID: PMC7415037 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-020-02021-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Reptiles appear to be an important vector for Gram-negative pathogens, therefore, they are epidemiologically relevant. However, the composition of reptilian microbiota has been poorly recognized so far. The majority of studies concern exotic reptiles as asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella serovars. Studies of other intestinal bacteria of reptiles are rare. Only recently, the microbiota of free-living European reptiles have been investigated, however, on the basis of small samples, mainly in protected areas. Here, we aim to investigate cloacal Gram-negative microbiota of free-living Natrix natrix. Snakes (N = 45) used in the study were collected in Kraków (Poland) and its vicinity. Nineteen species of Gram-negative bacteria were isolated. The most common species were: Aeromonas hydrophila, Morganella morganii, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella spp. The bacteria prevalent in N. natrix cloacal swabs are likely to represent the natural intestinal Gram-negative microbiota of the examined snakes. Importantly, the identified bacteria are pathogenic to humans, which clearly highlights the epidemiological potential of free-living N. natrix. The risk of infection is high for immunocompromised humans, children (under 5 years old), elderly persons, and pregnant women. Our study provides the largest dataset on intestinal Gram-negative microbiota of wild snakes. The presence of multiple human pathogens determined by us calls for the necessity of further studies on reptile-transmitted bacteria in anthropogenic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Pawlak
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Stanisława Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Morka
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Stanisława Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Antoniewicz
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Stanisława Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Anna Wzorek
- Department of Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Gabriela Cieniuch
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Stanisława Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Korzeniowska-Kowal
- Department of Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Gabriela Bugla-Płoskońska
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Stanisława Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148, Wrocław, Poland.
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Bury S, Mazgajski TD, Najbar B, Zając B, Kurek K. Melanism, body size, and sex ratio in snakes-new data on the grass snake (Natrix natrix) and synthesis. Naturwissenschaften 2020; 107:22. [PMID: 32399792 PMCID: PMC7217809 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01678-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
It is postulated that melanism in ectotherms is adaptive by enhancing thermoregulation, subsequent resource acquisition, and growth. Such effects may differ between the sexes as a result of the differential costs of self-maintenance and reproduction, but empirical support for the sex-specific consequences of melanism remains inconsistent. We studied the effects of melanism on body size and sex ratio in a population of the European grass snake (Natrix natrix) in SE Poland and also carried out a systematic review of the literature on the consequences of melanism in terrestrial snakes. Melanistic grass snakes of both sexes appeared to be smaller than the typical phenotype, which indicates higher predation pressure and minimal thermal benefits for black individuals. A female-biased sex ratio was observed in the typical phenotype, but not in melanistic snakes, suggesting that the costs for females and/or benefits for males are higher in melanistic individuals. In conjunction with earlier studies, our data indicate that the consequences of melanism may be related to the reproductive mode of species. In viviparous species, melanism tends to improve growth and/or body size and is more frequent in females, whereas the opposite holds for oviparous snakes. Further studies on melanism should examine a wider array of species with different reproductive strategies and traits beyond the usual thermal benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
- NATRIX Herpetological Association, Legnicka 65, 54-206, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Tomasz D Mazgajski
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Najbar
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65-516, Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Zając
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kurek
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, Kraków, 30-387, Poland.,NATRIX Herpetological Association, Legnicka 65, Wrocław, 54-206, Poland
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Bury S, Cierniak A, Jakóbik J, Sadowska ET, Cichoń M, Bauchinger U. Cellular Turnover: A Potential Metabolic Rate-Driven Mechanism to Mitigate Accumulation of DNA Damage. Physiol Biochem Zool 2020; 93:90-96. [PMID: 32011970 DOI: 10.1086/707506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress, the imbalance of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant capacity, may cause damage to biomolecules pivotal for cellular processes (e.g., DNA). This may impair physiological performance and, therefore, drive life-history variation and aging rate. Because aerobic metabolism is supposed to be the main source of such oxidative risk, the rate of oxygen consumption should be positively associated with the level of damage and/or antioxidants. Empirical support for such relationships remains unclear, and recent considerations suggest even a negative relationship between metabolic rate and oxidative stress. We investigated the relationship between standard metabolic rate (SMR), antioxidants, and damage in blood plasma and erythrocytes for 35 grass snakes (Natrix natrix). Reactive oxygen metabolites (dROMs) and nonenzymatic antioxidants were assessed in plasma, while two measures of DNA damage and the capacity to neutralize H2O2 were measured in erythrocytes. Plasma antioxidants showed no correlation to SMR, and the level of dROMs was positively related to SMR. A negative relationship between antioxidant capacity and SMR was found in erythrocytes, but no association of SMR with either measure of DNA damage was detected. No increase in DNA damage, despite lower antioxidant capacity at high SMR, indicates an upregulation in other defense mechanisms (e.g., damage repair and/or removal). Indeed, we observed a higher frequency of immature red blood cells in individuals with higher SMR, which indicates that highly metabolic individuals had increased erythrocyte turnover, a mechanism of damage removal. Such DNA protection through upregulated cellular turnover might explain the negligible senescence observed in some ectotherm taxa.
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Abstract
Abstract
Environment and lifestyle induce substantial variation in the mechanisms of locomotion in vertebrates. A spectrum of adaptations related to locomotion is also present in limbless taxa, especially snakes, which have radiated successfully into a wide range of habitats. The majority of studies concerning habitat-driven variation in locomotor mechanisms of snakes have focused on the musculoskeletal system. Far less recognized is the variation in the morphology of ventral scales, which are another pivotal component of the locomotor system in snakes. Here, we investigated patterns of interspecific variation in the width of ventral scales in terms of lifestyle (hunting mode) and habitat occupied in 55 species of snakes belonging to eight families. We found that increasing terrestriality was associated with enlarged ventral scales. Reduction instead of maintenance of the width of ventral scales was observed in aquatic species, suggesting that wide ventral scales set constraints on aquatic locomotion. In terrestrial species, no significant differences were observed in terms of arboreality or hunting mode, which suggests overall optimization in the size of ventral scales towards terrestrial locomotion. Association between the width of ventral scales and locomotion can result in a habitat-dependent costs of abnormalities in ventral scale morphology, commonly observed in snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, Kraków, Poland
| | - Bartosz Borczyk
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, University of Wroclaw, Sienkiewicza, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Skawiński
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, University of Wroclaw, Sienkiewicza, Wroclaw, Poland
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Bury S, Bury A, Sadowska ET, Cichoń M, Bauchinger U. More than just the numbers-contrasting response of snake erythrocytes to thermal acclimation. Naturwissenschaften 2019; 106:24. [PMID: 31069520 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1617-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Acclimation to lower temperatures decreases energy expenditure in ectotherms but increases oxygen consumption in most endotherms, when dropped below thermoneutrality. Such differences should be met by adjustments in oxygen transport through blood. Changes in hematological variables in correspondence to that in metabolic rates are, however, not fully understood, particularly in non-avian reptiles. We investigated the effect of thermal acclimation on a snake model, the grass snakes (Natrix natrix). After 6 months of acclimation to either 18 °C or 32 °C hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, erythrocyte number, and size were assessed. All variables revealed significantly lower values under warm compared to cold ambient temperature. Our data suggest that non-avian reptiles, similarly as birds, reduce erythrocyte fraction under energy-demanding temperatures. Due to low deformability of nucleated erythrocytes in sauropsids, such reduced fraction may be important in decreasing blood viscosity to optimize blood flow. Novel findings on flexible erythrocyte size provide an important contribution to this optimization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Cracow, Poland.
| | - Agata Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Cracow, Poland
| | - Edyta T Sadowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Cracow, Poland
| | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Cracow, Poland
| | - Ulf Bauchinger
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Cracow, Poland
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Kurek K, Ćmiel A, Bury S, Zając B, Najberek K, Babiasz R, Musilová R, Baś G, Najbar B. What has happened to the females? Population trends in the Aesculapian snake at its northern range limit. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Bury S, Cichoń M, Bauchinger U, Sadowska ET. High oxidative stress despite low energy metabolism and vice versa: Insights through temperature acclimation in an ectotherm. J Therm Biol 2018; 78:36-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Kurek K, Król W, Najberek K, Ćmiel AM, Solarz W, Bury S, Baś G, Najbar B, Okarma H. Habitat use of the Aesculapian snake at different spatial scales. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kurek
- Institute of Nature Conservation; Polish Academy of Sciences; al. A. Mickiewicza 33 31-120 Kraków Poland
| | - Wiesław Król
- Institute of Nature Conservation; Polish Academy of Sciences; al. A. Mickiewicza 33 31-120 Kraków Poland
| | - Kamil Najberek
- Institute of Nature Conservation; Polish Academy of Sciences; al. A. Mickiewicza 33 31-120 Kraków Poland
| | - Adam M. Ćmiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation; Polish Academy of Sciences; al. A. Mickiewicza 33 31-120 Kraków Poland
| | - Wojciech Solarz
- Institute of Nature Conservation; Polish Academy of Sciences; al. A. Mickiewicza 33 31-120 Kraków Poland
| | - Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University in Kraków; Gronostajowa 7 30-387 Kraków Poland
| | - Grzegorz Baś
- Institute of Nature Conservation; Polish Academy of Sciences; al. A. Mickiewicza 33 31-120 Kraków Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Najbar
- Faculty of Biological Sciences; University of Zielona Góra; prof. Z. Szafrana 1 65-516 Zielona Góra Poland
| | - Henryk Okarma
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University in Kraków; Gronostajowa 7 30-387 Kraków Poland
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Bury S, Cichoń M. Resemblance of a model species and its mimic: Reply to Valkonen and Mappes 2014. Conserv Biol 2018; 32:484-486. [PMID: 29377332 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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Kurek K, Najberek K, Zając B, Bury S, Ćmiel AM, Baś G, Najbar B. Changes in Distribution of Aesculapian Snake and Implications for Its Active Conservation in Poland. Polish Journal of Ecology 2017. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2017.65.4.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kurek
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31–120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Kamil Najberek
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31–120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Zając
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, 7 Gronostajowa St, 30–387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, 7 Gronostajowa St, 30–387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Adam M. Ćmiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31–120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Baś
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31–120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Najbar
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, 1 prof. Z. Szafrana St, 65–516 Zielona Góra, Poland
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Sztencel-Jabłonka A, Mazgajski TD, Bury S, Najbar B, Rybacki M, Bogdanowicz W, Mazgajska J. Phylogeography of the smooth snakeCoronella austriaca(Serpentes: Colubridae): evidence for a reduced gene pool and a genetic discontinuity in Central Europe. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sztencel-Jabłonka
- Museum and Institute of Zoology; Polish Academy of Sciences; ul. Wilcza 64 00-679 Warszawa Poland
| | - Tomasz D. Mazgajski
- Museum and Institute of Zoology; Polish Academy of Sciences; ul. Wilcza 64 00-679 Warszawa Poland
| | - Stanisław Bury
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; ul. Gronostajowa 7 30-387 Kraków Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Najbar
- Faculty of Biological Sciences; University of Zielona Góra; ul. Prof. Z. Szafrana 1 65-516 Zielona Góra Poland
| | - Mariusz Rybacki
- Department of Zoology; Kazimierz Wielki University; Al. Ossolińskich 12 85-067 Bydgoszcz Poland
| | - Wiesław Bogdanowicz
- Museum and Institute of Zoology; Polish Academy of Sciences; ul. Wilcza 64 00-679 Warszawa Poland
| | - Joanna Mazgajska
- Museum and Institute of Zoology; Polish Academy of Sciences; ul. Wilcza 64 00-679 Warszawa Poland
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Wisenden BD, Unruh A, Morantes A, Bury S, Curry B, Driscoll R, Hussein M, Markegard S. Functional constraints on nest characteristics of pebble mounds of breeding male hornyhead chub Nocomis biguttatus. J Fish Biol 2009; 75:1577-1585. [PMID: 20738634 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02384.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Breeding male hornyhead chub Nocomis biguttatus constructed nests in areas with relatively high but less than maximum flow rate and greater than average water depth. Nests comprised c. 3000 pebbles for a total mass of 11 kg. Males selected pebbles of smaller diameter but higher density than pebbles in the immediate vicinity. Thus, nests balanced the risk of mound erosion and energetic cost of nest construction with the benefits of protection from egg predators and a stable internal flow rate for oxygenation. These data help establish environmental management goals for the conservation of N. biguttatus and the lotic ecosystems dependent upon them.
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Affiliation(s)
- B D Wisenden
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.
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