| rattlesnake bite in a patient with horse allergy and von willebrand's disease: case report. | massasauga rattlesnakes are the only poisonous snakes in ontario. while death from bites of this species is rare, the bite could cause a coagulopathy. i report a case of rattlesnake bite in a patient with asthma, horse allergy, and a documented congenital clotting abnormality. | 1996 | 8939322 |
| hematology, plasma biochemistry, and antibodies to select viruses in wild-caught eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (sistrurus catenatus catenatus) from illinois. | during the 2004 field season, blood was collected from eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (sistrurus catenatus catenatus) in the carlyle lake (carlyle, illinois, usa) and allerton park (monticello, illinois, usa) populations to derive baseline complete blood count and plasma biochemistry data and to assess the prevalence of antibodies to west nile virus (wnv) and ophidian paramyxovirus (opmv). massasaugas were located for sampling through visual encounter surveys. body weight, snout-vent length, to ... | 2006 | 16699153 |
| functional basis of a molecular adaptation: prey-specific toxic effects of venom from sistrurus rattlesnakes. | understanding the molecular bases of adaptations requires assessing the functional significance of phenotypic variation at the molecular level. here we conduct such an assessment for an adaptive trait (snake venom proteins) which shows high levels of interspecific variation at the molecular level. we tested the toxicity of venom from four taxa of sistrurus rattlesnakes with different diets towards 3 representative prey (mice, lizards and frogs). there were significant differences among prey in t ... | 2009 | 19673082 |
| snake venomics of crotalus tigris: the minimalist toxin arsenal of the deadliest neartic rattlesnake venom. evolutionary clues for generating a pan-specific antivenom against crotalid type ii venoms. | we report the proteomic and antivenomic characterization of crotalus tigris venom. this venom exhibits the highest lethality for mice among rattlesnakes and the simplest toxin proteome reported to date. the venom proteome of c. tigris comprises 7-8 gene products from 6 toxin families; the presynaptic β-neurotoxic heterodimeric pla(2), mojave toxin, and two serine proteinases comprise, respectively, 66 and 27% of the c. tigris toxin arsenal, whereas a vegf-like protein, a crisp molecule, a medi ... | 2011 | 22181673 |
| chrysosporium sp. infection in eastern massasauga rattlesnakes. | to the editor: during 2008, the ninth year of a long-term biologic monitoring program, 3 eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (sistrurus catenatus catenatus) with severe facial swelling and disfiguration died within 3 weeks after discovery near carlyle, illinois, usa. in spring 2010, a similar syndrome was diagnosed in a fourth massasauga; this snake continues to be treated with thermal and nutritional support and antifungal therapy. a keratinophilic fungal infection caused by chrysosporium sp. was d ... | 2011 | 22172594 |
| phycomycosis in a western massasaugua rattlesnake (sistrurus catenatus) with infection of the telencephalon, orbit, and facial structures. | | 1987 | 260555 |
| genetic structure of populations of the threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake, sistrurus c. catenatus: evidence from microsatellite dna markers. | throughout its distribution in north america, the threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus c. catenatus) persists in a series of habitat-isolated disjunct populations of varying size. here, we use six microsatellite dna loci to generate information on the degree of genetic differentiation between, and the levels of inbreeding within populations to understand how evolutionary processes operate in these populations and aid the development of conservation plans for this species. samples ... | 1997 | 9421918 |
| behavioral and life history responses of eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (sistrurus catenatus catenatus) to human disturbance. | parks and nature reserves protect important natural habitats but also provide public opportunities for outdoor recreational activities that may have unintended negative effects on wildlife. we examined the response of eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (sistrurus catenatus catenatus) to inadvertent disturbance by humans in killbear provincial park, ontario, canada. radio telemetry of 25 adult snakes over two active seasons revealed that, as disturbance increased, gravid females were less visible to ... | 2000 | 24595828 |
| treatment of snakebite poisoning. | the epidemiology, mechanics, prevention, pharmacology, clinical manifestations, and treatment of snakebites are reviewed. poisonous snakes bite approximately 8000 persons annually in the united states, causing approximately 12-15 deaths per year. pit vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, and massasaugas) are responsible for 99% of all snakebite poisonings; coral snakes and other foreign exotic species are responsible for the additional 1%. envenomation is characterized by pain, edema, ... | 1991 | 1781479 |
| pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of voriconazole and itraconazole in healthy cottonmouths (agkistrodon piscivorus) and massasauga rattlesnakes (sistrurus catenatus) with snake fungal disease. | snake fungal disease (sfd; ophidiomyces ophiodiicola) is posing a significant threat to several free-ranging populations of pitvipers. triazole antifungals have been proposed for the treatment of mycoses in reptiles; however, data are lacking about their safety and efficacy in snakes with sfd. study 1 investigated in vitro susceptibility, and identified that plasma concentrations >250 ng/ml (voriconazole) and >1,000 ng/ml (itraconazole) may be effective in vivo for sfd. in study 2, the pharmacok ... | 2017 | 28920790 |
| measuring agreement and discord among hemagglutination inhibition assays against different ophidian paramyxovirus strains in the eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus catenatus). | at present, the hemagglutination inhibition (hi) assay is the sole commercially available serologic method available to detect exposure to ophidian paramyxovirus (opmv) in snakes. during 2006, 26 eastern massasaugas (sistrurus catenatus catenatus) were collected, and blood was sampled to determine their opmv status. samples from each snake were divided into 3 aliquots and tested by using commercially available hi assays against the 4 opmv isolates used in the 3 laboratories that offer the servic ... | 2008 | 18816997 |
| to forage, mate, or thermoregulate: influence of resource manipulation on male rattlesnake behavior. | male animals should preferentially allocate their time to performing activities that promote enhancing reproductive opportunity, but the need to acquire resources for growth and survival may compete with those behaviors in the short term. thus, behaviors which require differing movement patterns such as ambushing prey and actively searching for mates can be mutually exclusive. consequently, males that succeed at foraging could invest greater time and energy into mate searching. we radio-tracked ... | 2017 | 28861261 |
| climatic and geographic predictors of life history variation in eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus): a range-wide synthesis. | elucidating how life history traits vary geographically is important to understanding variation in population dynamics. because many aspects of ectotherm life history are climate-dependent, geographic variation in climate is expected to have a large impact on population dynamics through effects on annual survival, body size, growth rate, age at first reproduction, size-fecundity relationship, and reproductive frequency. the eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus) is a small, imperiled north ame ... | 2017 | 28196149 |
| microsatellite and major histocompatibility complex variation in an endangered rattlesnake, the eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus). | genetic diversity is fundamental to maintaining the long-term viability of populations, yet reduced genetic variation is often associated with small, isolated populations. to examine the relationship between demography and genetic variation, variation at hypervariable loci (e.g., microsatellite dna loci) is often measured. however, these loci are selectively neutral (or near neutral) and may not accurately reflect genomewide variation. variation at functional trait loci, such as the major histoc ... | 2016 | 27516858 |
| origin of a cryptic lineage in a threatened reptile through isolation and historical hybridization. | identifying phylogenetically distinct lineages and understanding the evolutionary processes by which they have arisen are important goals of phylogeography. this information can also help define conservation units in endangered species. such analyses are being transformed by the availability of genomic-scale data sets and novel analytical approaches for statistically comparing different historical scenarios as causes of phylogeographic patterns. here, we use genomic-scale restriction-site-associ ... | 2016 | 27460499 |
| detection of ophidiomyces, the causative agent of snake fungal disease, in the eastern massasauga ( sistrurus catenatus ) in michigan, usa, 2014. | snake fungal disease (sfd), caused by ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, threatens free-ranging snake populations across the us. we assayed 112 swabs from 102 individual eastern massasaugas ( sistrurus catenatus ) at three locations in michigan in 2014 for ophidiomyces using quantitative pcr (qpcr). we observed a 12.7% qpcr prevalence of skin lesions. individuals at each site had lesions, and occurrence of skin lesions was not significantly different between sites. we detected ophidiomyces dna at each o ... | 2016 | 27258406 |
| disseminated ophidiomyces ophiodiicola infection in a captive eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus catenatus). | an adult, captive-born eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus catenatus) was examined for a subcutaneous abscess and fistula cranial to the vent. the wound improved initially with lavage and systemic antibiotic therapy, but multiple, scattered, small subcutaneous nodules later developed over the ventrum and lateral aspects of the body. examination of fine needle aspirates from these nodules revealed granulomatous inflammation and fungal elements morphologically consistent with ophidiomyces ophi ... | 2016 | 27010298 |
| hematology in an eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus) population and the emergence of ophidiomyces in illinois, usa. | disease events are threatening wildlife populations across north america. specifically, mortality events due to ophidiomyces (snake fungal disease; sfd) have been observed recently in snakes in illinois, us. we investigated the health of a population of eastern massasaugas ( sistrurus catenatus ) in south-central illinois using 1) a meta-analysis of hematologic findings from 2004, 2011, 2013, and 2014; 2) a determination of the prevalence of sfd in snakes examined in 2013 and 2014; and 3) the ex ... | 2016 | 26967140 |
| plasma electrophoretic profiles in the eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus) and influences of age, sex, year, location, and snake fungal disease. | the purpose of this study was to establish reference intervals of the protein electrophoretic fractions and the acute-phase proteins hemoglobin binding protein (as determined by the haptoglobin assay) and c-reactive protein (crp) and assess any possible correlations between varying age class, sex, location (illinois or michigan), year, or presence of snake fungal disease (sfd). banked plasma samples were assayed from 130 eastern massasaugas from 2009 to 2014 in illinois and michigan. snakes from ... | 2015 | 26667532 |
| interrogating the venom of the viperid snake sistrurus catenatus edwardsii by a combined approach of electrospray and maldi mass spectrometry. | the complete sequence characterization of snake venom proteins by mass spectrometry is rather challenging due to the presence of multiple isoforms from different protein families. in the present study, we investigated the tryptic digest of the venom of the viperid snake sistrurus catenatus edwardsii by a combined approach of liquid chromatography coupled to either electrospray (online) or maldi (offline) mass spectrometry. these different ionization techniques proved to be complementary allowing ... | 2015 | 25955844 |
| development and use of a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of ophidiomyces ophiodiicola in snakes. | fungal pathogens threatening the conservation of wildlife are becoming increasingly common. since 2008, free-ranging snakes across north america have been experiencing a marked increase in the prevalence of snake fungal disease associated with ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. diagnosis has historically relied on histology, microbiology, and conventional polymerase chain reaction (pcr). more sensitive methods are needed to adequately characterize the epidemiology. the current study describes the develo ... | 2015 | 25776546 |
| demographic consequences of climate change and land cover help explain a history of extirpations and range contraction in a declining snake species. | developing conservation strategies for threatened species increasingly requires understanding vulnerabilities to climate change, in terms of both demographic sensitivities to climatic and other environmental factors, and exposure to variability in those factors over time and space. we conducted a range-wide, spatially explicit climate change vulnerability assessment for eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus), a declining endemic species in a region showing strong environmental change. using ac ... | 2014 | 24357530 |
| validation of a shed skin corticosterone enzyme immunoassay in the african house snake (lamprophis fuliginosus) and its evaluation in the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus catenatus catenatus). | this study investigates the use of an enzyme immunoassay to measure keratin glucocorticoid concentrations in reptilian shed skins. keratin glucocorticoid concentrations were compared to fecal glucocorticoid concentrations during the period of keratin growth in the african house snake (lamprophis fuliginosus) and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus catenatus catenatus). biochemical validation was performed for the shed skin and fecal corticosterone enzyme immunoassays in the african hou ... | 2013 | 23994033 |
| the influence of landscape on gene flow in the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus c. catenatus): insight from computer simulations. | understanding how gene flow shapes contemporary population structure requires the explicit consideration of landscape composition and configuration. new landscape genetic approaches allow us to link such heterogeneity to gene flow within and among populations. however, the attribution of cause is difficult when landscape features are spatially correlated, or when genetic patterns reflect past events. we use spatial bayesian clustering and landscape resistance analysis to identify the landscape f ... | 2013 | 23889682 |
| deconstructing a complex molecular phenotype: population-level variation in individual venom proteins in eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (sistrurus c. catenatus). | identifying the molecular basis for complex adaptations such as the toxic proteins used by venomous snakes to subdue and digest prey is an important step in understanding the evolutionary and functional basis for such traits. recent proteomics-based analyses have made possible the identification of all constituent proteins in whole venom samples. here we exploit this advance to study patterns of population-level variation in venom proteins from 254 adult eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (sistruru ... | 2011 | 21394489 |
| inferring species-level phylogenies and taxonomic distinctiveness using multilocus data in sistrurus rattlesnakes. | phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic distinctiveness of closely related species and subspecies are most accurately inferred from data derived from multiple independent loci. here, we apply several approaches for understanding species-level relationships using data from 18 nuclear dna loci and 1 mitochondrial dna locus within currently described species and subspecies of sistrurus rattlesnakes. collectively, these methods provide evidence that a currently described species, the massasauga rat ... | 2011 | 21389297 |
| pathologic and hematologic responses to surgically implanted transmitters in eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (sistrurus catenatus catenatus). | the study of secretive snakes, such as rattlesnakes, has benefited from the use of radiotelemetry. however, the principal assumption in telemetry studies is that the transmitter has no significant effect on the study animal. to test the validity of this assumption, the physiologic and pathologic effects of intracoelomic implants were examined in a group of 24 eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (sistrurus catenatus catenatus) in a laboratory setting over a period of 58 wk between march 2005 and apri ... | 2011 | 21270001 |
| historical versus contemporary migration in fragmented populations. | separating historical effects from recent anthropogenic pressures on population structure is paramount for understanding how species have persisted over time and how conservation efforts should best proceed. in this issue of molecular ecology, chiucchi & gibbs (2010) have separated the impacts of ancient and modern habitat fragmentation on genetic structure and migration rates in an endangered species of rattlesnake, the eastern massasauga (sistrurus catenatus). previous studies have ignored anc ... | 2010 | 21134008 |
| similarity of contemporary and historical gene flow among highly fragmented populations of an endangered rattlesnake. | populations of endangered taxa in recently fragmented habitats often show high levels of genetic structure, but the role that contemporary versus historical processes play in generating this pattern is unclear. the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus c. catenatus) is an endangered snake that presently occurs throughout central and eastern north america in a series of populations that are isolated because of habitat fragmentation and destruction. here, we use data from 19 species-specific m ... | 2010 | 20964755 |
| identification of single copy nuclear dna markers for north american pit vipers. | we describe 18 single copy nuclear dna loci (10 loci cloned from a sistrurus catenatus catenatus genomic library and eight intron-based loci amplified using conserved primers) that detect sequence variation in species from all genera (sistrurus, agkistrodon and crotalus) of north american pit viper snakes. these loci (mean size in bp ± se: 433 ± 51) show large numbers of phylogenetically informative sites across species (mean + se: 10.2 ± 1.5), but limited variation within subspecies suggesting ... | 2010 | 21565006 |
| exploring the venom proteome of the western diamondback rattlesnake, crotalus atrox, via snake venomics and combinatorial peptide ligand library approaches. | we report the proteomic characterization of the venom of the medically important north american western diamondback rattlesnake, crotalus atrox, using two complementary approaches: snake venomics (to gain an insight of the overall venom proteome), and two solid-phase combinatorial peptide ligand libraries (cpll), followed by 2d electrophoresis and mass spectrometric characterization of in-gel digested protein bands (to capture and "amplify" low-abundance proteins). the venomics approach revealed ... | 2009 | 19371136 |
| evolutionary morphology of the rattlesnake style. | the rattlesnake rattling system is an evolutionary novelty that includes anatomical, behavioral, and physiological modifications of the generalized pitviper tail. one such modification, the formation of a bony clublike style at the terminal region of the caudal vertebrae, has not previously been examined in a phylogenetic context. here we used skeletal material, cleared and stained preparations, and radiographs of whole preserved specimens to examine interspecific variation in style morphology a ... | 2009 | 19208237 |
| accelerated exchange of exon segments in viperid three-finger toxin genes (sistrurus catenatus edwardsii; desert massasauga). | snake venoms consist primarily of proteins and peptides showing a myriad of potent biological activities which have been shaped by both adaptive and neutral selective forces. venom proteins are encoded by multigene families that have evolved through a process of gene duplication followed by accelerated evolution in the protein coding region. | 2008 | 18606022 |
| the venom gland transcriptome of the desert massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus catenatus edwardsii): towards an understanding of venom composition among advanced snakes (superfamily colubroidea). | snake venoms are complex mixtures of pharmacologically active proteins and peptides which belong to a small number of superfamilies. global cataloguing of the venom transcriptome facilitates the identification of new families of toxins as well as helps in understanding the evolution of venom proteomes. | 2007 | 18096037 |
| venom proteomes of closely related sistrurus rattlesnakes with divergent diets. | the protein composition of the venoms of the three subspecies of sistrurus catenatus (s. c. catenatus, tergeminus, and edwardsii) and a basal species, sistrurus miliarius barbouri, were analyzed by rp-hplc, n-terminal sequencing, maldi-tof peptide mass fingerprinting, and cid-ms/ms. the venoms of the four sistrurus taxa contain proteins from 11 families. the protein family profile and the relative abundance of each protein group in the different venoms are not conserved. myotoxins and 2-chain pl ... | 2006 | 16944921 |
| venom variation and chemoreception of the viperid agkistrodon contortrix: evidence for adaptation? | previous studies of chemoreceptive behavior in vipers suggest that snakes focus on the scent of envenomated tissue to track their prey following envenomation. other studies have indicated a correlation between qualitative differences in venom biochemistry and geographic variation in diet. the north american copperhead (agkistrodon contortrix) varies geographically in diet and venom biochemistry; snakes were collected from three populations (kansas, texas, and louisiana) that are known to have di ... | 2003 | 12956504 |
| a comparison of rapd versus microsatellite dna markers in population studies of the massasauga rattlesnake. | we compared genetic differentiation among populations of the threatened massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus c. catenatus) using two types of nuclear molecular markers: randomly amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) markers and microsatellites. analyses of molecular variance (amova) and g(st) and f(st) analyses indicated that levels of among-population differentiation between regional populations (>100 km) were comparable for both markers. however, microsatellites were superior in population assignment ... | 2008 | 11218083 |
| massasauga rattlesnake bites in iowa. | historically, bites from swamp rattlesnakes in iowa have been mild, but a bite in eastern iowa in 1990 produced life threatening thrombocytopenia. only four populations of massasauga rattlesnakes have been verified in iowa. | 1993 | 8509264 |
| eastern massasauga rattlesnake bites. | the eastern massasauga rattlesnake is native to many midwestern states. although this rattlesnake is smaller in size than many other pit vipers, envenomation can still produce significant morbidity, particularly in children. children bitten by eastern massasauga rattlesnakes appear to do well with treatment programs consisting primarily of antivenom and blood component replacement. | 2004 | 3558806 |
| rate of tongue flicking by garter snakes (thamnophis radix haydeni) and rattlesnakes (crotalus v. viridis, sistrurus catenatus tergeminus, and sistrurus catenatus edwardsi) during prolonged exposure to food odors. | | 1976 | 999581 |
| massasauga bites in michigan. | | 1964 | 14180818 |
| molecular and morphological analysis of a caryospora-like isolate (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) from the magpie-lark (grallina cyanoleuca) (latham, 1801) in western australia. | a new caryospora-like isolate is described from a magpie-lark (grallina cyanoleuca) in western australia. sporulated oocysts of the caryospora-like isolate (n = 35) are subspherical with a shape index of 1.13 ((21.5 (19.7-23.6) × 19.0 (18.1-19.8) μm). the bilayered oocyst wall is smooth. micropyle, polar granule and oocyst residuum are absent. the sporocyst is ellipsoidal, 18.9 (17.2-20.8) × 12.3 (11.9-12.8) μm, with a shape index (length/width) of 1.54. the sporocyst wall is bilayered. stieda a ... | 2020 | 31754855 |
| pathology associated with ophidiomycosis in wild snakes in ontario, canada. | ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease) is the most common cause of skin lesions in free-ranging snakes in north america. naturally infected snakes with ophidiomycosis (9 carcasses, 12 biopsies) were examined grossly and histologically. these cases comprised 32% of the 66 snake cases submitted to the canadian wildlife health cooperative-ontario/nunavut node in 2012 through 2018. affected species included the eastern foxsnake (pantherophis vulpinus; n = 15), gray ratsnake (pantherophis spiloides; n ... | 2020 | 32879520 |
| the use of self-inflating hygroscopic tissue expanders to facilitate osteosarcoma removal in a massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus catenatus). | a 0.34 kg adult female massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus catenatus) was presented for evaluation of a subcutaneous mass affecting the ventral scales. the mass was diagnosed as a sarcoma via punch biopsy with no evidence of metastasis on diagnostic imaging. surgical margins of 1-2 cm were planned to achieve complete excision of the neoplasm. a technique for tissue expansion was employed due to concerns regarding the ability to close the surgical site without excess tension or dehiscence. two 27 m ... | 2020 | 32774984 |
| drift, selection and adaptive variation in small populations of a threatened rattlesnake. | an important goal of conservation genetics is to determine if the viability of small populations is reduced by a loss of adaptive variation due to genetic drift. here, we assessed the impact of drift and selection on direct measures of adaptive variation (toxin loci encoding venom proteins) in the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (sistrurus catenatus), a threatened reptile that exists in small isolated populations. we estimated levels of individual polymorphism in 46 toxin loci and 1,467 control l ... | 2020 | 32557885 |
| road avoidance and its energetic consequences for reptiles. | roads are one of the most widespread human-caused habitat modifications that can increase wildlife mortality rates and alter behavior. roads can act as barriers with variable permeability to movement and can increase distances wildlife travel to access habitats. movement is energetically costly, and avoidance of roads could therefore impact an animal's energy budget. we tested whether reptiles avoid roads or road crossings and explored whether the energetic consequences of road avoidance decreas ... | 2019 | 31534694 |
| genetic signatures of small effective population sizes and demographic declines in an endangered rattlesnake, sistrurus catenatus. | endangered species that exist in small isolated populations are at elevated risk of losing adaptive variation due to genetic drift. analyses that estimate short-term effective population sizes, characterize historical demographic processes, and project the trajectory of genetic variation into the future are useful for predicting how levels of genetic diversity may change. here, we use data from two independent types of genetic markers (single nucleotide polymorphisms [snps] and microsatellites) ... | 2019 | 30976301 |
| snake fungal disease alters skin bacterial and fungal diversity in an endangered rattlesnake. | snake fungal disease (sfd), caused by ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, is the most recently described fungal disease afflicting wildlife populations across north america and europe. it has been proposed as a significant conservation threat yielding high mortality and yet much its ecology is unknown. we collected 144 skin swabs from eastern massasaugas (sistrurus catenatus) in 2015 and 2016 to determine document ongoing prevalence and assess differences in microbial assemblages between positive and neg ... | 2018 | 30108369 |
| severe coagulopathy after a massasauga rattlesnake bite. | | 2018 | 29565019 |