Influence of climatic and ecophysiological parameters in the distribution of snakes of the genusBothrops

• 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.

Scientific publications

(6)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TIMPONE, LUA T.; GAVIRA, RODRIGO S. B.; ANDRADE, V, DENIS. Effects of temperature and meal size on the postprandial metabolic response of Leptodactylus latrans (Anura, Leptodactylidae). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, OCT 2019. (18/05839-2, 12/15697-4, 13/04190-9)

CLEMENTE, AMANDA C.; SENZANO, LUIS M.; GAVIRA, RODRIGO S. B.; ANDRADE, V, DENIS. Feeding alters the preferred body temperature of Cururu toads, Rhinella diptycha (Anura, Bufonidae). COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, v. 249, NOV 2020. (12/15697-4, 18/05839-2, 13/04190-9)

FABRICIO-NETO, AILTON; BUENO GAVIRA, RODRIGO SAMUEL; ANDRADE, DENIS VIEIRA. Thermal regime effects on the resting metabolic rate of rattlesnakes depend on temperature range. Journal of Thermal Biology, v. 83, p. 199-205, JUL 2019. (13/04190-9, 12/15697-4)

GAVIRA, RODRIGO S. B.; SARTORI, MARINA R.; GONTERO-FOURCADE, MANUEL N.; GOMES, BRUNA F.; ABE, AUGUSTO S.; ANDRADE, DENIS V.. The consequences of seasonal fasting during the dormancy of tegu lizards (Salvator merianae) on their postprandial metabolic response. Journal of Experimental Biology, v. 221, n. 8, APR 2018. (11/09647-1, 12/15697-4, 08/57712-4, 13/04190-9, 12/16537-0)

BUENO GAVIRA, RODRIGO SAMUEL. Another case of Rhinella schneideri (WERNER, 1894), devoured by Salvator merianae DUMERIL & BIBRON, 1839. HERPETOZOA, v. 31, n. 1-2, p. 2-pg., 2018-08-30. (12/15697-4)

TIMPONE, LUA T.; GAVIRA, RODRIGO S. B.; ANDRADE, DENIS, V. Effects of temperature and meal size on the postprandial metabolic response of Leptodactylus latrans (Anura, Leptodactylidae). OURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOG, v. 333, n. 2, p. 9-pg., 2019-10-15. (12/15697-4, 13/04190-9, 18/05839-2)