Effects of venom of the olive sea snake, Aipysurus laevis, on the behaviour and ventilation of three species of prey fish

Zimmerman, K.D.; Gates, G. Richard; Heatwole, Harold

doi:10.1016/0041-0101(90)90160-9

Cited by 12 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Testing adaptive hypotheses requires careful analysis of phenotypic characters whose variation has clear functional consequences. Venoms directly affect the ability of an individual snake to immobilize and kill its prey [31,[34][35][36][37]. For B. atrox, a snake with a generalist diet that includes arthropods, frogs, lizards, birds, and small mammals [38,39], the functional diversity of the venoms could represent a local adaptation of individual venoms in each population to different sets of prey.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Variability in Bothrops atrox Snakes Collected from Different Habitats in the Brazilian Amazon: New Findings on Venom Composition and Functionality

Sousa

Holding

Del-Rei

et al. 2021

Toxins

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Differences in snake venom composition occur across all taxonomic levels and it has been argued that this variation represents an adaptation that has evolved to facilitate the capture and digestion of prey and evasion of predators. Bothrops atrox is a terrestrial pitviper that is distributed across the Amazon region, where it occupies different habitats. Using statistical analyses and functional assays that incorporate individual variation, we analyzed the individual venom variability in B. atrox snakes from four different habitats (forest, pasture, degraded area, and floodplain) in and around the Amazon River in Brazil. We observed venom differentiation between spatially distinct B. atrox individuals from the different habitats, with venom variation due to both common (high abundance) and rare (low abundance) proteins. Moreover, differences in the composition of the venoms resulted in individual variability in functionality and heterogeneity in the lethality to mammals and birds, particularly among the floodplain snakes. Taken together, the data obtained from individual venoms of B. atrox snakes, captured in different habitats from the Brazilian Amazon, support the hypothesis that the differential distribution of protein isoforms results in functional distinctiveness and the ability of snakes with different venoms to have variable toxic effects on different prey.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Variability in Bothrops atrox Snakes Collected from Different Habitats in the Brazilian Amazon: New Findings on Venom Composition and Functionality

Sousa

Holding

Del-Rei

et al. 2021

Toxins

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“…We have a preliminary understanding of the effect of venoms (Zimmerman K.D. et al, 1992) and specific components of venoms (Zimmerman et al, 1993) of true sea snakes on various species of fish, but much more needs to be done before the mechanism of the action of venoms, or how venoms evolved, is fully known. For example, little is currently known about the role, if any, of the nephrotoxic component of marine snakes' venom.…”

Section: What Is the Evolutionary Function Of Venom In Marine Snakes?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Future Directions in the Research and Management of Marine Snakes

et al. 2018

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Marine snakes represent the most speciose group of marine reptiles and are a significant component of reef and coastal ecosystems in tropical oceans. Research on this group has historically been challenging due to the difficulty in capturing, handling, and keeping these animals for field-and lab-based research. Inexplicable declines in marine snake populations across global hotspots have highlighted the lack of basic information on this group and elevated multiple species as conservation priorities. With the increased interest in research on marine snakes, we conducted a systematic survey of experts to identify twenty key questions that can direct future research. These questions are framed across a wide array of scientific fields to produce much-needed information relevant to the conservation and management of marine snakes.

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Evaluating local adaptation of a complex phenotype: reciprocal tests of pigmy rattlesnake venoms on treefrog prey

2017

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Theory predicts that predator-prey interactions can generate reciprocal selection pressures on species pairs, which can result in local adaptation, yet the presence and pattern of local adaptation is poorly studied in vertebrate predator-prey systems. Here, we used a reciprocal common garden (laboratory) experimental design involving comparisons between local and foreign populations to determine if local adaptation was present between a generalist predator-the pigmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius)-and a co-occurring prey-the squirrel treefrog (Hyla squirella). We conducted toxicity trials using snake venom from two populations separated by 340 km tested on prey from sympatric and allopatric populations, resulting in data from four venom origin-frog origin combinations. We assessed venom effectiveness using two measures (frog mortality at 24 h and time to frog death) and then used regression analyses to look for a signal of local adaptation with either measure. We found evidence for local adaptation for one measure (time to death), but not the other (frog mortality). We argue that in this system, the time to death of a prey item is a more ecologically relevant measure of venom effectiveness than is frog mortality at 24 h. Our results document an example of local adaptation between two interacting vertebrates using a whole-organism assay and a local versus foreign criteria and provide evidence that population-level variation in snake venom is adaptive.

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Effects of venom of the olive sea snake, Aipysurus laevis, on the behaviour and ventilation of three species of prey fish

Cited by 12 publications

References 17 publications

Individual Variability in Bothrops atrox Snakes Collected from Different Habitats in the Brazilian Amazon: New Findings on Venom Composition and Functionality

Individual Variability in Bothrops atrox Snakes Collected from Different Habitats in the Brazilian Amazon: New Findings on Venom Composition and Functionality

Future Directions in the Research and Management of Marine Snakes

Evaluating local adaptation of a complex phenotype: reciprocal tests of pigmy rattlesnake venoms on treefrog prey

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