Snakes typically are not considered top carnivores, yet in many ecosystems they are a major
predatory influence. A literature search confirmed that terrestrial ectotherms such as snakes …

The species most in need of conservation or management are often also the most difficult to
monitor, because of their rarity, secretive habits, or both. To combat these challenges …

Destruction of habitat due to urban sprawl, pollution, and deforestation has caused
population declines or even extinction of many of the world's approximately 2,600 snake …

Both the metabolic theory of ecology and dynamic energy budget theory predict that climate
influences body size through its effects on first-order determinants of energetics: reactive …

Food availability is an important factor in the life histories of organisms because it is often
limiting and thus can affect growth, mass change, reproduction, and behaviors such as …

We conducted an experiment to examine the effects of sex and food intake on growth, mass
gain, and attainment of sexual maturity in Western Diamond‐backed Rattlesnakes (Crotalus …

Detailed analysis of animal energy budgets requires information on the cost of digestion
(specific dynamic action [SDA]), which can represent a significant proportion of ingested …

Most studies on how rising temperatures will impact terrestrial ectotherms have focused on
single populations or multiple sympatric species. Addressing the thermal and energetic …

The gut microbiota helps the host to absorb nutrients and generate immune responses that
can affect host behavior, development, reproduction, and overall health. However, in most of …

The effect of food availability on the spatial ecology of animals varies within and across
study systems because a multitude of factors can affect the spatial activity of organisms. Low …