Theoretical and empirical studies of habitat selection suggest that reptiles should use ‘‘fixed’’ structural features (perch diameter, vegetation) or light intensity (sun and shade) to select thermally suitable microhabitats. But how do nocturnal species select thermally suitable diurnal retreat sites at night in the absence of visual cues? To investigate this question, we studied habitat selec...

The roles played by nonfatal secretions of adult anurans in the avoidance of predation remain unknown. The adult Wrinkled frog (Rana rugosa) has warty skin with the odorous mucus secretion that is not fatal to the snake Elaphe quadrivirgata. We fed R. rugosa or Fejervarya limnocharis, which resembles R. rugosa in appearance and has mucus secretion, to snakes and compared the snakes' responses t...

As repti les, snakes may have signified deadly threats in the environment of early mammals. We review findings suggesting that snakes remain special stimuli for humans. Intense snake fear is prevalent in both humans and other primates. Humans and monkeys learn snake fear more easily than fear of most other stimuli through direct or vicarious conditioning. Neither the elicitation nor the conditi...

To evaluate whether the 'oxygen and capacity limited thermal tolerance' model (OCLTT) applies to an air-breathing ectothermic vertebrate, we measured oxygen uptake (V̇(O₂)), cardiac performance and arterial blood gases during a progressive rise of temperature from 30 to 40°C in the snake Python regius. V̇(O₂) of fasting snakes increased exponentially with temperature whereas V̇(O₂) of digesting sn...

BACKGROUND In the present study, we describe the first paramyxovirus infection in a snake collection in Croatia caused by an introduction of new snakes that were not previously tested and didn't show any signs of disease. CASE PRESENTATION In less than a month after introduction into a healthy colony, new snakes began to show respiratory symptoms (i.e. mouth opening, wheezing, etc.) and died ...

An operational control program for brown tree snakes (Boiga irregulans) on Guam began in April 1993. The program focused on minimizing the dispersal of brown tree snakes to other Pacific islands and the U.S. mainland. During the first year of operation, more than 3,000 snakes were caught within a kilometer of high risk port facilities using traps, detector dogs, and spotlighting. Additionally, ...

  Objective(s): Echis carinatus is one of the venomous snakes in Iran. The venom of Iranian Echis carinatus is a rich source of protein with various factors affecting the plasma protein and blood coagulation factor. Some of these proteins exhibit types of enzymatic activities. However, other items are proteins with no enzymatic activity.   Materials and Methods: In order to study the mechanism ...

This study was done to determine whether high or low dose of anti-snake venom (ASV) is better in coagulopathy in victims of envenoming by vipers. This retrospective study was conducted on the 154 patients (Mean age ± SD, Range) of viper snake bites who were referred to the emergency ward of Razi Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran over 2 years period (2004 - 2006). According to the treatment dosage the patie...

Objective: Snakes are among the predators of any ecosystem and have been seen in different parts Iran. The report on their distribution Isfahan province was taken into consideration because importance regional knowledge these animals. Case report: During this survey, a sample snakes collected from north province, Kashan city, University site Medical Sciences studied. snake identified by morphol...

Garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis feed frequently but also tolerate extended periods of fasting when food is unavailable. We studied the dynamics, reversibility and repeatability of size changes of the small intestine and liver using ultrasonography. We employed light and transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry to study the tissue mechanism that drives this flexibility. W...