Ancestral state reconstructions require biological evidence to test evolutionary hypotheses: a case study examining the evolution of reproductive mode in squamate …

OW Griffith, DG Blackburn, MC Brandley… - … Zoology Part B …, 2015‏ - Wiley Online Library
To understand evolutionary transformations it is necessary to identify the character states of
extinct ancestors. Ancestral character state reconstruction is inherently difficult because it …

Functional and numerical responses of predators: where do vipers fit in the traditional paradigms?

EM Nowak, TC Theimer, GW Schuett - Biological Reviews, 2008‏ - Wiley Online Library
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 …

Mechanisms underlying the costs of egg production

TD Williams - Bioscience, 2005‏ - academic.oup.com
Female birds incur costs associated with increased egg production, including reductions in
chick provisioning ability, in future fecundity, in survival, and in egg and chick viability. It …

Climate affects embryonic development in a viviparous snake, Vipera aspis

O Lourdais, R Shine, X Bonnet, M Guillon, G Naulleau - Oikos, 2004‏ - Wiley Online Library
Climatic conditions during embryonic development can exert profound and long‐term effects
on many types of organisms, but most previous research on this topic has focussed on …

Dietary effects on gut microbiota of the mesquite lizard Sceloporus grammicus (Wiegmann, 1828) across different altitudes

N Montoya-Ciriaco, S Gómez-Acata, LC Muñoz-Arenas… - Microbiome, 2020‏ - Springer
Background High-altitude ecosystems are extreme environments that generate specific
physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptations in ectotherms. The shifts in gut …

Cold climate specialization: adaptive covariation between metabolic rate and thermoregulation in pregnant vipers

O Lourdais, M Guillon, D DeNardo… - Physiology & …, 2013‏ - Elsevier
We compared thermoregulatory strategies during pregnancy in two congeneric viperid
snakes (Vipera berus and Vipera aspis) with parapatric geographic ranges. V. berus is a …

Hydric “Costs” of Reproduction: Pregnancy Increases Evaporative Water Loss in the Snake Vipera aspis

O Lourdais, A Dupoué, M Guillon… - Physiological and …, 2017‏ - journals.uchicago.edu
Water constraints can mediate evolutionary conflict either among individuals (eg, parent-
offspring conflict, sexual conflict) or within an individual (eg, cost of reproduction). During …

Viviparity and placentation in snakes

DG Blackburn, JR Stewart - Reproductive biology and …, 2011‏ - api.taylorfrancis.com
Viviparity in snakes has been a source of fascination since ancient times and is a particular
focus of biological interest today. Questions about how viviparity is accomplished and how …

Ecological effects of climate change on European reptiles

JF Le Galliard, M Massot, JP Baron… - Wildlife conservation in a …, 2012‏ - degruyter.com
The destruction and fragmentation of habitats, overexploitation of natural resources, and
invasion of pest species have resulted in worldwide declines of many animal and plant …

Physiological state influences evaporative water loss and microclimate preference in the snake Vipera aspis

A Dupoué, ZR Stahlschmidt, B Michaud… - Physiology & Behavior, 2015‏ - Elsevier
Animals typically respond to environmental variation by adjusting their physiology, behavior,
or both. Ectothermic animals are particularly sensitive to microclimatic conditions and …