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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Is rainfall seasonality important for reproductive strategies in viviparous Neotropical pit vipers? A case study with Bothrops leucurus from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Author(s):
Barros, Veronica Alberto [1, 2] ; Rojas, Claudio Augusto [1, 3] ; Almeida-Santos, Selma Maria [1, 2]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Inst Butantan, Lab Ecol & Evolucao, Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Programa Posgrad Biol Anim, Sao Paulo - Brazil
[3] Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Expt Neurol, Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 3
Document type: Journal article
Source: HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL; v. 24, n. 2, p. 69-77, APR 2014.
Web of Science Citations: 9
Abstract

Two populations of the Neotropical lancehead Bothrops leucurus were studied in two locations in Brazil (Espirito Santo, ES, and Bahia, BA) with different rainfall seasonality patterns. The timing of reproduction was very similar in both populations, with the mating season occurring in autumn (when spermatozoa were found in uteri) and births occurring in summer. In males, spermatogenesis peaked in autumn, with evidence for increased secretory activity in the epithelium of the ductus deferens during the mating season in both populations. Our results indicate that phylogenetic inertia plays a major role in determining the timing of reproductive events in B. leucurus. However, snout-vent length (SVL) and clutch size were larger in individuals from BA than ES, which may be a result of differences in rainfall seasonality or other proximate factors (e.g., differential prey availability). (AU)

FAPESP's process: 12/15037-4 - Evolution of reproductive strategies in the genus Bothrops (Serpentes, Viperidae)
Grantee:Verônica Alberto Barros
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate