| Grant number: | 12/15697-4 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| Start date: | February 01, 2013 |
| End date: | January 31, 2017 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Zoology - Physiology of Recent Groups |
| Principal Investigator: | Denis Otavio Vieira de Andrade |
| Grantee: | Rodrigo Samuel Bueno Gavira |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil |
Abstract Global climate data show that the last decade have been the warmest in 200 years and climate forecasts for the start of the next century also suggest an increase of approximately 2-4°C in global average temperature. Such temperature changes can bring direct and indirect implications on the world's fauna, especially in ectotermic species that rely on external sources of heat to thermoregulation. Thus, changes in body temperature of reptiles and amphibians may, for example, affect multiple physiological processes such as metabolism, digestion, evaporative water loss, among others. Since then, some researchers have been trying to find a relationship between the geographic distribution of these animals and the bioclimatic characteristics of the environment where they live, assuming that temperature and humidity are important factors for the occupation of different habitats. Thus, in this study, we aim trying to understand the distribution and habitat occupancy by Bothrops (B. alternatus, B. jararaca, and B. moojeni) as a function of the macro-climatic regions where the different species are found and see if these distribution patterns may be associated with variations in physiological parameters. We will also include, as an outgroup of Bothrops, a fourth species, the rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus). For this study, we will retrieve data of the bioclimatic areas of occurrence of snakes through WORLDCLIM database, using the program DIVA-GIS. The geographical distribution of snakes will be compiled from the literature. Then, using the appropriated bioclimatic models, we will seek to distinguish possible relevant factors that may be associated with differences in the distribution pattern of snakes. Finally, in a second step, we will evaluate the following physiological parameters of the different species: energetics metabolism, thermal physiology and water balance, where we have, for each snake, the standard metabolic rate (15; 25; and 35°C), preferred body temperature, minimum and maximum temperature tolerance and the rate of evaporative water loss. | |
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