Coadapted Character Complexes Among Snakes: Fossoriality, Piscivory, and Durophagy

Savitzky, Alan H.

doi:10.1093/icb/23.2.397

Cited by 164 publications

(153 citation statements)

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“…4). These homoplastic characters likely reflect the specialized durophagous diet of these snakes (Savitzky, 1981(Savitzky, , 1983.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Sibynophis (Serpentes: Colubroidea)

Zaher¹,

Grazziotin²,

Graboski³

et al. 2012

Pap. Avulsos Zool. (São Paulo)

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We present the results of the first molecular analysis of the phylogenetic affinities of the Asian colubroid genus Sibynophis. We recovered a sister-group relationship between Sibynophis and the New World Scaphiodontophis. Although Liophidium sometimes is associated with these genera, the relationship is distant. Morphological characters that Liophidium shares with Sibynophis and Scaphiodontophis are resolved as homoplasies that probably reflect the similarities of their specialized feeding habits. The traditional subfamily Sibynophiinae is elevated to the family-level, and Scaphiodontophiinae is placed in its synonymy.

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“…4). These homoplastic characters likely reflect the specialized durophagous diet of these snakes (Savitzky, 1981(Savitzky, , 1983.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Sibynophis (Serpentes: Colubroidea)

Zaher¹,

Grazziotin²,

Graboski³

et al. 2012

Pap. Avulsos Zool. (São Paulo)

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“…The snakes grabbed the snails with needle-like teeth, which are suitable to hold sticky soft tissue but unsuitable to cut it off [30]. Snakes generally cannot cut prey into small pieces by biting them off [26]; but see [31].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cost of autotomy drives ontogenetic switching of anti-predator mechanisms under developmental constraints in a land snail

Hoso

2012

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Autotomy of body parts offers various prey animals immediate benefits of survival in compensation for considerable costs. I found that a land snail Satsuma caliginosa of populations coexisting with a snaileating snake Pareas iwasakii survived the snake predation by autotomizing its foot, whereas those out of the snake range rarely survived. Regeneration of a lost foot completed in a few weeks but imposed a delay of shell growth. Imprints of autotomy were found in greater than 10 per cent of S. caliginosa in the snake range but in only less than 1 per cent out of it, simultaneously demonstrating intense predation by the snakes and high efficiency of autotomy for surviving snake predation in the wild. However, in experiments, mature S. caliginosa performed autotomy less frequently. Instead of the costly autotomy, they can use defensive denticles on the inside of their shell apertures. Owing to the constraints from the additive growth of shells, most pulmonate snails can produce these denticles only when they have fully grown up. Thus, this developmental constraint limits the availability of the modified aperture, resulting in ontogenetic switching of the alternative defences. This study illustrates how costs of adaptation operate in the evolution of life-history strategies under developmental constraints

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“…Squamates have evolved many morphological adaptations to overcome the challenge of feeding on hard-bodied prey, such as skinks, calcareous eggs, shelled gastropod mollusks, and arthropods (Savitzky, 1983). Durophagy presents several problems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This allows the anterior half of the maxilla to bend downward independently of the posterior half, allowing cylindrical prey to be encircled as the snake bites down (Cundall and Irish, 1989). Savitzky (1983) proposes that the maxillary dentition of the colubroid, Psammodynastes, may represent an adaptation for durophagy. The maxillary morphology of Psammodynastes pulverulentus is described in detail by Jackson and Fritts (1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The anteriormost maxillary teeth of Psammodynastes are greatly enlarged relative to other teeth, followed posteriorly by a diastema, then a series of small teeth, and finally a grooved fang, approximately equal in length to the enlarged anterior teeth. Savitzky (1983) and Greene (1989) report an arched maxillary bone as an additional specialisation for durophagy in the genus Psammodynastes, but Jackson and Fritts (1996) find no evidence of arching in the maxilla of Psammodynastes pulverulentus. Savitzky (1983) proposes that the diastema encircles hard-bodied prey, which are prevented from slipping out of the mouth anteriorly by the enlarged anterior teeth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dentitional specialisations for durophagy in the Common Wolf snake, Lycodon aulicus capucinus

Jackson¹,

Fritts²

2004

Amphib Reptilia

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Abstract. The Common Wolf snake, Lycodon aulicus capucinus, is a species known to feed on durophagous prey such as skinks. Here we examine in detail the dentitional morphology of L. aulicus capucinus to see whether it possesses morphological specialisations for durophagy comparable to those found in other squamates. We find that L. aulicus capucinus has greatly enlarged anterior maxillary teeth, followed by a large diastema. At the diastema, the maxilla is significantly arched. The diastema is followed by a row of small, closely-packed teeth. Finally, after a short second diastema are enlarged, but ungrooved posterior maxillary fangs, with the posterior surfaces modified into blades. We propose that this dentition helps L. aulicus capucinus to ingest hard-bodied skinks in several ways: The enlarged anterior teeth and arched maxilla encircle the prey during biting, preventing it from being squeezed out of the mouth anteriorly, the short, spatulate teeth may catch under the scales of the prey, preventing escape during swallowing, and the bladelike posterior fang may slice through the hard, cycloid scales of the prey.

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Coadapted Character Complexes Among Snakes: Fossoriality, Piscivory, and Durophagy

Cited by 164 publications

References 0 publications

Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Sibynophis (Serpentes: Colubroidea)

Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Sibynophis (Serpentes: Colubroidea)

Cost of autotomy drives ontogenetic switching of anti-predator mechanisms under developmental constraints in a land snail

Dentitional specialisations for durophagy in the Common Wolf snake, Lycodon aulicus capucinus

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