ABSTRACT
Social media has the potential to provide large amounts of biological data, especially for notoriously difficult groups of organisms to study in nature such as snakes. Here, we explored the utility of various Facebook communities to provide data for research on Colombian snakes. Specifically, we determined the richness, distribution, rarity, and popularity of snake species and compiled information on natural history observations and human-snake interactions. We also explored the spatial structure of posts using a geographically weighted regression model. Queries relating to species identifications made up 86.1% of Facebook posts. The portion of the snake community "sampled" by snake-related Facebook posts was not representative of the total richness of snake species in Colombia; however, these posts permitted a greater proportion of snake species to be sampled more rapidly compared with traditional snake sampling approaches. Facebook posts provided new distributional records for 9-21% of Colombian snake species. Rainfall, rural population, and internet availability were the strongest predictors of snake-related Facebook posts. Although the use of Facebook for compiling information on snakes is not free of bias, our findings demonstrate that Facebook communities provide a potentially powerful source of data that could aid studies of snake biology.
Subject(s)
Social Media , Humans , Colombia , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
In Squamata, the sexual segment of the male kidney (SSK) produces secretory granules that are transmitted to the female tract during copulation. Here, we investigate the morphology of SSK in various species of the pitviper-genus Bothrops, a medically relevant clade of Neotropical snakes, using histology, histochemistry, as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We also evaluated the relationship of SSK hypertrophy with spermatogenesis and storage of sperm. The SSK in Bothrops consists of tall columnar epithelial cells filled with electron-dense secretory granules. These granules are apparently released into the lumen by an apocrine secretory process. In general, the ultrastructural morphology of SSK in Bothrops is similar to those described for other pitvipers in the genus Agkistrodon. In most Bothrops males, the SSK produces carbohydrates and proteins, and occurs in all lobes of the kidney, occupying most of the kidney mass. In contrast, intersexual females (with male copulatory organs) of Bothrops insularis had a smaller SSK diameter than males and did not show hypertrophy. The seasonal development of SSK in Bothrops species seems to be driven by environmental factors rather than phylogeny, since sister species exhibited periods of hypertrophy at different months. In most Bothrops males, hypertrophy occurs at various seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn), even in winter, and seasonal changes in SSK do not necessarily accompany spermatogenesis.
Subject(s)
Bothrops , Lizards , Animals , Female , Kidney , Male , Snakes , SpermatogenesisABSTRACT
In Squamata, the sexual segment of the male kidney (SSK) produces secretory granules that are transmitted to the female tract during copulation. Here, we investigate the morphology of SSK in various species of the pitviper-genus Bothrops, a medically relevant clade of Neotropical snakes, using histology, histochemistry, as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We also evaluated the relationship of SSK hypertrophy with spermatogenesis and storage of sperm. The SSK in Bothrops consists of tall columnar epithelial cells filled with electron-dense secretory granules. These granules are apparently released into the lumen by an apocrine secretory process. In general, the ultrastructural morphology of SSK in Bothrops is similar to those described for other pitvipers in the genus Agkistrodon. In most Bothrops males, the SSK produces carbohydrates and proteins, and occurs in all lobes of the kidney, occupying most of the kidney mass. In contrast, intersexual females (with male copulatory organs) of Bothrops insularis had a smaller SSK diameter than males and did not show hypertrophy. The seasonal development of SSK in Bothrops species seems to be driven by environmental factors rather than phylogeny, since sister species exhibited periods of hypertrophy at different months. In most Bothrops males, hypertrophy occurs at various seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn), even in winter, and seasonal changes in SSK do not necessarily accompany spermatogenesis.
