High helmintic infection of the European grass snake, Natrix natrix and the dice snake, Natrix tessellate (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Iran

Study of Blood Parasites of the Three Snake Species in Iran: Natrix natrix, Natrix tessellata and Zamenis longissimus (Colubridae)

Infections with blood parasites are common phenomenon in reptiles from all over the world. Apicomplexan are the majority of blood parasites that frequently occur with high levels of parasitaemia in the snakes. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of blood parasites in some snakes Guilan province in the North of Iran. A total of 51 specimens of three snake species were captured in...

Nesting ecology of the grass snake (Natrix natrix) and its implications for conservation

Morphological and Histochemical Studies of the Chromatoid Body in the Grass-snake, Natrix natrix By BHUPINDER N. SUD

The chromatoid body in the spermatogenesis of the grass-snake, Natrix natrix, has been studied by the use of phase-contrast microscopy, vital dyes, and histochemical tests. It first appears during the growth of the primary spermatocyte and is also seen in the secondary spermatocyte and late spermatid, but is absent at metaphases of both the maturation divisions, in the early spermatid, and duri...

Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Acetylcholinesterase Activity in the Blood of Grass Snake (Natrix natrix L.) during Prehibernation and Posthibernation Periods

This work examined the enzymatic (superoxide dismutase-CuZn SOD, catalase-CAT, glutathione peroxidase-GSHPx, glutathione reductase-GR, and the biotransformation phase II enzyme glutathione-S-transferase-GST) and nonenzymatic (total glutathione-GSH and lipid peroxides-TBARS concentrations) biomarkers of oxidative stress and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the blood of the grass snake (Na...

Hypernatremia in Dice Snakes (Natrix tessellata) from a Coastal Population: Implications for Osmoregulation in Marine Snake Prototypes

The widespread relationship between salt excreting structures (e.g., salt glands) and marine life strongly suggests that the ability to regulate salt balance has been crucial during the transition to marine life in tetrapods. Elevated natremia (plasma sodium) recorded in several marine snakes species suggests that the development of a tolerance toward hypernatremia, in addition to salt gland de...