Download or read book Geographic Variation in the Two striped Garter Snake Thamnophis Hammondii written by Nina M. Larson and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Geographic variation in the northern races of the garter snake Thamnophis cyrtopsis written by William Wright Milstead and published by . This book was released on 1951 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Exploring Ecological Correlates Associated with Dorsal Colour Variation in Garter Snakes written by Leigh Anne Isaac and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Colours influence numerous aspects of an animal's ecology and the adaptive significance of colour variation has been intensively studied in diverse taxonomic groups. This study was motivated by the question: Why do garter snakes vary in colour? To answer this question, I focused on Western Terrestrial Garter Snakes, Thamnophis elegans, which exhibit geographic variation in colouration (dark morph vs. light morph), and two different species of garter snake that occur in the same geographic region but vary in colour--light T. elegans and the Common Garter Snake, T. sirtalis. My work provides an objective quantification and analysis of snake colour and evaluates the influence of colour variation on ecological processes such as thermoregulation, crypsis, and antipredator behaviour. I compared body temperatures (Tbs) with available thermal opportunities, both in wild snakes and in a field experiment, to determine how snakes with contrasting colours differ in thermoregulation and temperature-dependent behaviours. Gravid females of the light and dark colour morphs of T.elegans exhibited comparable thermoregulatory behaviour at high temperatures; however, dark T.elegans maintained elevated Tbs when available temperatures dropped. In the field, dark-coloured snakes were more likely to be moving when first detected when Tbs were high, but this trend was reversed in light T. elegans. I quantified crypsis of snakes, in terms of colour and brightness, by measuring the spectral reflectance of snakes and the surrounding habitat. These data were visually modeled from the perspective of potential snake predators and human researchers. Overall, snakes selected basking sites that maximized crypsis and both colour morphs of T. elegans were equally cryptic. There was evidence suggesting that T. sirtalis was more cryptic than light T. elegans to snake predators. I collected a series of behavioural measurements for snakes pre- and post-capture. Light T.elegans were more likely to be moving when originally detected in the field than dark snakes. Distance to cover and injuries were important factors in explaining the antipredator behaviour of snakes in the field. Snakes became generally faster with increasing Tbs, but differences attributable to colour morph were not straightforward. A higher proportion of T. elegans of both colour morphs exhibited some type of movement when exposed to a simulated predatory attack. Thamnophis sirtalis, on the other hand, hung limp and motionless in the air. The less cryptic lightT. elegans had a higher probability of having an injury than T. sirtalis but injury patterns between the equally cryptic light and dark T. elegans differed by sex. The relationships between colour and these various traits were complex, but, taken together, they highlighted how thermal ecology, crypsis, and anti-predator behaviours were related to a snake's visual appearance. These results therefore provide an ecological underpinning for future genetic studies to identify potential candidate genes that may be responsible for the control of colour pattern in garter snakes.
Download or read book Geographic Variation in Marcy s Garter Snake Thamnophis Marcianus Baird and Girard written by Myron Budd Mittleman and published by . This book was released on 1949 with total page 15 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Life history Parameters of the Red sided Garter Snake Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis in an Extreme Environment the Interlake Region of Manitoba written by Patrick T. Gregory and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Wildlife Review written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Historical Processes Evolutionary Change and Phenotypic Plasticity written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Islands have long been of interest to biologists, as they are often home to unusual species or populations of species that are characterized by unique behavior, morphology, and gene pools. My research explores the mechanisms driving and maintaining phenotypic variation in the common gartersnake, Thamnophis sirtalis, populations of the Beaver Archipelago. Specifically, I focused on antipredator-related traits, foraging/feeding-related traits, and reproductive life-history traits, as all are known to vary with differences in predator composition and resource availability, which vary among the islands of the Beaver Archipelago and between the islands and the surrounding mainland. Since the exact origin of Beaver Archipelago fauna is debated, I began this study by using mtDNA sequences to determine the underlying genetics of the island populations and their most likely source. The results of this part of my dissertation indicate that the island populations are derived from both the lower and upper peninsula of Michigan and that the upper peninsula is more closely related to island populations than the lower peninsula populations, contradicting previous hypotheses that suggested the lower peninsula was the most likely point of origin for the islands and that the upper peninsular populations played little or no role in the system. This knowledge proved to be invaluable in understanding observed variation in phenotypic traits, all of which appear to be the result of some combination of their underlying genetics, as related to the mtDNA data, and plastic responses to selection with little if any evolutionary change resulting from selection. In terms of antipredator-related traits, populations that occur with fewer predators appear to be less reactive than those that occur with a greater number of predators as the result of plasticity, although there was no clearcut island/mainland trend. Ventral scale counts for island populations correspond best with the underlying genetics of the populations resulting from historical/colonization processes and do not appear to have changed as the result of current predator pressures. In terms of feeding/foraging- related traits, geographic variation in the head morphology of island snakes appears to be primarily the result of phenotypic plasticity with some evidence of genetic influence from historical/colonization processes. Behavioral responses to prey chemical extracts varied little between populations, with observed differences potentially being due to evolutionary change resulting from current selection pressures. Finally, reproductive life-history traits also appear to be mostly the result of underlying genetics, but some influence of plasticity and microevolution may also play a role. Combined, the genetic and phenotypic traits studied provide researchers with one of the more complete studies of variation in the traits of insular faunas to date and should provide a framework for future studies centered in island systems.
Download or read book Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California Including Its Pacific Islands and the Islands in the Sea of Cort s written by L. Lee Grismer and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2002-09-16 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Baja California peninsula is home to many forms of life found nowhere else on earth. This, combined with the peninsula's rugged and inaccessible terrain, has made the area one of the last true biological frontiers of North America. L. Lee Grismer is not only the foremost authority on the amphibians and reptiles of Baja California, but also an outstanding photographer. He has produced the most comprehensive work on the herpetofauna of the peninsula and its islands ever published. With its stunning color images, detailed accounts of many little-known species, and descriptions of the region's diverse environment, this is the definitive guide to the amphibians and reptiles of a fascinating and remote region. The culmination of Grismer's quarter century of fieldwork on the Baja peninsula and his exploration of more than one hundred of its islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés, this book gives information on the identification, distribution, natural history, and taxonomy of each species of amphibian and reptile found there. Preliminary accounts of the life history of many of the salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles, lizards, and snakes are reported here for the first time, and several species that were almost unknown to science are illustrated in full color. The book also contains new data on species distribution and on the effect of the isolated landscape of the peninsula and its islands on the evolutionary process. Much of the information gathered here is presented in biogeographical overviews that consider the extremely varied environments of Baja California in both a contemporary and a historical framework. An original and important contribution to science, this book will generate further research for years to come as it becomes a benchmark reference for both professionals and amateurs.
Download or read book Inland Fisheries Administrative Report written by and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Amphibian Declines written by Michael Lannoo and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2005-06-15 with total page 1117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This benchmark volume documents in comprehensive detail a major environmental crisis: rapidly declining amphibian populations and the disturbing developmental problems that are increasingly prevalent within many amphibian species. Horror stories on this topic have been featured in the scientific and popular press over the past fifteen years, invariably asking what amphibian declines are telling us about the state of the environment. Are declines harbingers of devastated ecosystems or simply weird reflections of a peculiar amphibian world? This compendium—presenting new data, reviews of current literature, and comprehensive species accounts—reinforces what scientists have begun to suspect, that amphibians are a lens through which the state of the environment can be viewed more clearly. And, that the view is alarming and presages serious concerns for all life, including that of our own species. The first part of this work consists of more than fifty essays covering topics from the causes of declines to conservation, surveys and monitoring, and education. The second part consists of species accounts describing the life history and natural history of every known amphibian species in the United States.
Download or read book California Amphibians and Reptiles written by Robert Hansen and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2025-01-14 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A spectacularly illustrated field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of California California is home to more than 200 species of reptiles and amphibians that can be found in an extraordinary array of habitats, from coastal temperate rainforests with giant redwoods to southeastern deserts offering dazzling wildflower displays each spring. California Amphibians and Reptiles covers every species and subspecies in this biodiverse region of the United States, with outstanding color photography and in-depth species accounts that draw on the latest findings on taxonomy and distribution. Setting a new standard for regional field guides, this state-of-the-art guide will serve as the definitive reference for California’s amphibian and reptile fauna for many years to come. Covers all 209 species of amphibians and reptiles found in California Features hundreds of stunning photos that illustrate geographic and within-species variation as well as differences among males, females, and young Includes first-ever color images and species accounts for newly discovered species Shows every species and subspecies in full color on a white background Depicts all amphibian larvae in breathtaking color Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, similar species, habitat, range and elevation, activity and behavior, diet, reproduction, and conservation Provides updated status of all threatened, endangered, nonnative, and special concern species Accurate range maps reflect contemporary and, where applicable, historical distributions in light of significant habitat loss across the state An invaluable resource for amateur naturalists, resource managers, and professional herpetologists
Download or read book Geographic Variation and Taxonomic Relationships of Pacific Northwest Garter Snakes written by Timothy George Loeb and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Variations and Genetic Relationships of the Garter snakes written by Alexander Grant Ruthven and published by . This book was released on 1908 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper is an attempt to do classification on the garter-snake group to help define differences between natural groups and clarify the systematic arrangements.
Download or read book Variation Within a Brood of Pacific Garter Snakes written by Edna Marie Fisher and published by . This book was released on 1928 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Annotated Bibliography of Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations on Native California Amphibians and Reptiles 1935 1990 written by Michelle L. Workman and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Garter Snakes written by Douglas Athon Rossman and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology is the first comprehensive review of the genus Thamnophis in nearly ninety years. The book includes color plates of all species (many never previously figured in color); extensive discussion of ecology, behavior, and captive care; and a modern key to all species - as well as species-by-species summaries of the systematics and natural history of the thirty different garter snakes now recognized. Of particular interest are the descriptions of lesser-known species in Mexico. Because interest in reptiles has grown dramatically in recent years, this comprehensive guide is designed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible - to both the professional herpetologist interested in the biology of Thamnophis and the hobbyist who wants to know more about these diverse and widespread snakes, both in the home aquarium and in the wild. This up-to-date, appealing book, written by the world's leading authorities, will be extremely useful not only to herpetologists but also to conservationists, ecologists, pet owners, and other readers generally interested in natural history.
Download or read book Occurrence of the Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains written by T. Paul Maslin and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2022-11-22 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Occurrence of the Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains is a work by T. Paul Maslin. Garter snake is a common place name for largely innocuous, small to medium-sized serpents fitting to the genus Thamnophis in the family Colubridae. Native to North and Central America, species in the genus Thamnophis can be discovered from the subarctic plains of Canada to Costa Rica.
