Publications

the role of the vomeronasal organ of crotalines (reptilia: serpentes: viperidae) in predator detection.	most reptiles and mammals, with the exceptions of crocodilians, aquatic mammals and some primates, have a functional vomeronasal organ that detects and perceives semi-volatile chemicals in the environment. this organ is used in detection of prey and is also important for recognition of conspecifics and potential predators. we tested eight species of north american pit vipers for behavioural responses to an ophiophagous (snake-eating) predator, the common kingsnake, lampropeltis getula. kingsnake ...	1999	10413540
the mechanics of swallowing and the muscular control of diverse behaviours in gopher snakes.	snakes are excellent subjects for studying functional versatility and potential constraints because their movements are constrained to vertebral bending and twisting. in many snakes, swallowing is a kind of inside-out locomotion. during swallowing, vertebral bends push food from the jaws along a substantial length of the body to the stomach. in gopher snakes (pituophis melanoleucus) and king snakes (lampropeltis getula), swallowing often begins with lateral bending of the head and neck as the ja ...	2000	10934002
postnatal ecdysis establishes the permeability barrier in snake skin: new insights into barrier lipid structures.	a competent barrier to transepidermal water loss (tewl) is essential for terrestrial life. in various vertebrates, epidermal water barriers composed of lipids prevent excessive tewl, which varies inversely with habitat aridity. little is known, however, about the mechanisms and regulation of permeability relative to natal transition from the 'aqueous' environments of gestation to the 'aerial' environments of terrestrial neonates. we investigated newly hatched california king snakes lampropeltis ...	2002	12200405
how snakes eat snakes: the biomechanical challenges of ophiophagy for the california kingsnake, lampropeltis getula californiae (serpentes: colubridae).	in this study we investigated how ophiophagous snakes are able to ingest prey snakes that equal or exceed their own length. we used x-ray video, standard video, dissection, and still x-rays to document the process of ophiophagy in kingsnakes (lampropeltis getula) feeding on corn snakes (elaphe guttata). most kingsnakes readily accepted the prey snakes, subdued them by constriction, and swallowed them head first. in agreement with previous observations of ophiophagy, we found that the predator sn ...	2004	16351937
lineage diversification in a widespread species: roles for niche divergence and conservatism in the common kingsnake, lampropeltis getula.	niche conservatism and niche divergence are both important ecological mechanisms associated with promoting allopatric speciation across geographical barriers. however, the potential for variable responses in widely distributed organisms has not been fully investigated. for allopatric sister lineages, three patterns for the interaction of ecological niche preference and geographical barriers are possible: (i) niche conservatism at a physical barrier; (ii) niche divergence at a physical barrier; a ...	2009	19659478
three new hepatozoon species (apicomplexa: hepatozoidae) infecting the florida kingsnake, lampropeltis getula floridana.	the florida kingsnake, lampropeltis getula floridana, is host to 3 species of hepatozoon at the type locality, miramar, broward county, florida, and 2, possibly all 3, species at cedar key, levy county, approximately 480 km to the northwest. hepatozoon eurytopis, n. sp. was present also in diadophis punctatus and elaphe guttata in jupiter farms, palm beach county, and in thamnophis sirtalis at gainesville, alachua county. specific identity in d. punctatus was determined from gamont morphology an ...	2010	19685939
emergence and migration of trunk neural crest cells in a snake, the california kingsnake (lampropeltis getula californiae).	the neural crest is a group of multipotent cells that emerges after an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition from the dorsal neural tube early during development. these cells then migrate throughout the embryo, giving rise to a wide variety derivatives including the peripheral nervous system, craniofacial skeleton, pigment cells, and endocrine organs. while much is known about neural crest cells in mammals, birds, amphibians and fish, relatively little is known about their development in non-avia ...	2010	20482793
epidermis architecture and material properties of the skin of four snake species.	on the basis of structural and experimental data, it was previously demonstrated that the snake integument consists of a hard, robust, inflexible outer surface (oberhäutchen and β-layer) and softer, flexible inner layers (α-layers). it is not clear whether this phenomenon is a general adaptation of snakes to limbless locomotion or only to specific conditions, such as habitat and locomotion. the aim of the present study was to compare the structure and material properties of the outer scale layer ...	2012	22896567
landscape-level influences of terrestrial snake occupancy within the southeastern united states.	habitat loss and degradation are thought to be the primary drivers of species extirpations, but for many species we have little information regarding specific habitats that influence occupancy. snakes are of conservation concern throughout north america, but effective management and conservation are hindered by a lack of basic natural history information and the small number of large-scale studies designed to assess general population trends. to address this information gap, we compiled detectio ...	2012	22827120
dry friction of microstructured polymer surfaces inspired by snake skin.	the microstructure investigated in this study was inspired by the anisotropic microornamentation of scales from the ventral body side of the california king snake (lampropeltis getula californiae). frictional properties of snake-inspired microstructured polymer surface (simps) made of epoxy resin were characterised in contact with a smooth glass ball by a microtribometer in two perpendicular directions. the simps exhibited a considerable frictional anisotropy: frictional coefficients measured al ...	2014	25161844
friction behavior of a microstructured polymer surface inspired by snake skin.	the aim of this study was to understand the influence of microstructures found on ventral scales of the biological model, lampropeltis getula californiae, the california king snake, on the friction behavior. for this purpose, we compared snake-inspired anisotropic microstructured surfaces to other microstructured surfaces with isotropic and anisotropic geometry. to exclude that the friction measurements were influenced by physico-chemical variations, all friction measurements were performed on t ...	2014	24611129
ultrastructure and wear patterns of the ventral epidermis of four snake species (squamata, serpentes).	snakes are limbless tetrapods highly specialized for sliding locomotion. this locomotion leads to the skin being exposed to friction loads, especially on the ventral body side, which leads to wear. it is presumed that snakes therefore have specific optimizations for minimizing abrasion. scales from snakes with habitat, locomotor and/or behavior specializations have specific gradients in material properties that may be due to different epidermal architecture. to approach this issue we examined th ...	2014	25169958
insights in kir2.1 channel structure and function by an evolutionary approach; cloning and functional characterization of the first reptilian inward rectifier channel kir2.1, derived from the california kingsnake (lampropeltis getula californiae).	potassium inward rectifier kir2.1 channels contribute to the stable resting membrane potential in a variety of muscle and neuronal cell-types. mutations in the kir2.1 gene kcnj2 have been associated with human disease, such as cardiac arrhythmias and periodic paralysis. crystal structure and homology modelling of kir2.1 channels combined with functional current measurements provided valuable insights in mechanisms underlying channel function. kir2.1 channels have been cloned and analyzed from al ...	2014	25223803
ultrastructure of the fetal membranes of the oviparous kingsnake, lampropeltis getula (colubridae) as revealed by scanning electron microscopy.	in reptilian sauropsids, fetal (extraembryonic) membranes that line the eggshell sustain developing embryos by providing for gas exchange and uptake of water and eggshell calcium. however, a scarcity of morphological studies hinders an understanding of functional specializations and their evolution. in kingsnakes (lampropeltis getula), scanning electron microscopy reveals two major fetal membranes: the chorioallantois and yolk sac omphalopleure. in early development, the chorioallantois contains ...	2015	26335135
cutaneous and subcutaneous soft tissue tumours in snakes: a retrospective study of 33 cases.	cutaneous and subcutaneous soft tissue tumours have been rarely described in detail in snakes. several malignant entities show strikingly similar histological patterns and therefore the term soft tissue sarcoma (sts) has become a standard histopathological diagnosis. the present study characterizes soft tissue tumours in 33 snakes. samples included 29 surgically excised masses and four carcasses. additionally, six animals were humanely destroyed and submitted for necropsy examination following t ...	2016	27324744
scratch resistance of the ventral skin surface in four snake species (squamata, serpentes).	snakes are limbless tetrapods highly specialized for sliding locomotion on various substrates. their skin is constantly exposed to high friction forces, which promotes abrasion. snake skin has material and surface specializations, presumably optimized for friction and abrasion resistance. we found that different snake species living in different habitats have different abrasion patterns and hypothesized that this correlates with specific epidermal architecture and surface topography. to test thi ...	2016	26874374
molecular identification of cryptosporidium species from pet snakes in thailand.	cryptosporidium is an important pathogen causing gastrointestinal disease in snakes and is distributed worldwide. the main objectives of this study were to detect and identify cryptosporidium species in captive snakes from exotic pet shops and snake farms in thailand. in total, 165 fecal samples were examined from 8 snake species, boa constrictor (boa constrictor constrictor), corn snake (elaphe guttata), ball python (python regius), milk snake (lampropeltis triangulum), king snake (lampropeltis ...	2016	27658593
pet snakes illegally marketed in brazil: climatic viability and establishment risk.	invasive species are one among many threats to biodiversity. brazil has been spared, generically, of several destructive invasive species. reports of invasive snakes' populations are nonexistent, but the illegal pet trade might change this scenario. despite the brazilian laws forbid to import most animals, illegal trade is frequently observed and propagules are found in the wild. the high species richness within brazilian biomes and accelerated fragmentation of natural reserves are a critical fa ...	2017	28817630
a novel pattern of yolk processing in developing snake eggs (colubridae: lampropeltini) and its functional and evolutionary implications.	early amniotic vertebrates evolved large-yolked eggs that permitted production of well-developed, terrestrial hatchlings. this reproductive pattern required new mechanisms for cellularizing the yolk and mobilizing it for embryonic use. in birds, cells that line the yolk sac cavity phagocytose and digest the yolk material, a pattern that is commonly assumed to be universal among oviparous amniotes. however, recent evidence challenges the assumption that all squamate reptiles conform to the avian ...	2017	28544760
phylogenetics of kingsnakes, lampropeltis getula complex (serpentes: colubridae), in eastern north america.	kingsnakes of the lampropeltis getula complex range throughout much of temperate and subtropical north america. studies over the last century have used morphology and color pattern to describe numerous subspecies. more recently, dna analyses have made invaluable contributions to our understanding of their evolution and taxonomy. we use genetic and ecological methods to test previous hypotheses of distinct evolutionary lineages by examining 66 total snakes and 1) analyzing phylogeographic structu ...	2017	28119446
the scaling of bite force and constriction pressure in kingsnakes (lampropeltis getula): proximate determinants and correlated performance.	across the diversity of vertebrates, bite force has been studied and suggested to have important ecological and evolutionary consequences. however, there is a notable lineage of vertebrates that use this performance trait yet are missing from the bite-force literature: the snakes. snakes often rely on biting during prey subjugation and handling. many snakes bite and hold prey while a constriction coil is formed or while venom is being delivered, or both. others use biting exclusively without emp ...	2017	27265597
diffuse-type gastric mucinous and signet ring cell adenocarcinoma in a captive california king snake (lampropeltis getula californiae).	an adult female california king snake (lampropeltis getula californiae) housed in taipei zoo was presented with a 2-week history of anorexia, fatigue and abdominal swelling. exploratory laparotomy revealed a gastric mass with two circular perforations and multiple mottled white to beige protuberances along the mucosal surface. histologically, the gastric mass showed an invasive, transmural growth of epithelial cells arranged in nests, lobules, acini and sheets in the mucosa and submucosa that pr ...	2018	29729716