Amanda Lane

The conservation status of the world’s reptiles

by Michele Menegon, Maria D R Castañeda, Amanda Lane, Eli Greenbaum, and Robert Espinoza

Biological Conservation, 2013

M. Böhm). 1 Here considered to include the various taxa that belong to the non-avian and nonmamma... more

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Fascinating and forgotten

by Amanda Lane and Harold Voris

An assessment of marine elapid snakes found 9% of marine elapids are threatened with extinction, ... more An assessment of marine elapid snakes found 9% of marine elapids are threatened with extinction, and an additional 6% are Near Threatened. A large portion (34%) is Data Deficient. An analysis of distributions revealed the greatest species diversity is found in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Three of the seven threatened species occur at Ashmore and Hibernia Reefs in the Timor Sea, while the remaining threatened taxa occur in the Philippines, Niue, and Solomon Islands. The majority of Data Deficient species are found in Southeast Asia. Threats to marine snakes include loss of coral reefs and coastal habitat, incidental bycatch in fisheries, as well as fisheries that target snakes for leather. The presence of two Critically Endangered and one Endangered species in the Timor Sea suggests the area is of particular conservation concern. More rigorous, long-term monitoring of populations is needed to evaluate the success of "conservation measures" for marine snake species, provide scientifically based guidance for determining harvest quotas, and to assess the populations of many Data Deficient species. SUZANNE R. LIVINGSTONE is an experienced Zoologist with a focus on marine conservation. She is a Principal Consultant with The Biodiversity Consultancy and involved with the Rio Tinto Iron Ore Simandou Project Study Environment team in Paris as the biodiversity specialist.

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Familiarity with a female does not affect a male's courtship intensity in garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis

by Jonathan Webb and Amanda Lane

In many animal species, males direct more intense courtship towards females they have not previou... more In many animal species, males direct more intense courtship towards females they have not previously encountered, than towards females with which they have previously mated. To test the factors responsible for this "Coolidge Effect", we need studies on a wide range of taxa -including those with mating systems in which we would not expect (based on current theory) that such an effect would be evident. The Coolidge Effect has been documented in several lizard species, but has not been looked for (and would not be expected) in snakes. We conducted experimental trials with red-sided garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis at a communal den in Manitoba, to see whether previous exposure to a female (either courting, or courting plus mating) modified male mate choice or courtship intensity. In keeping with prediction from theory (but contrary to an early anecdotal report), male garter snakes did not modify their courtship behaviour based upon their familiarity (or lack thereof) with a specific female. At least in large courting aggregations, male snakes may maximize their fitness by basing mate-choice upon immediate attributes of the female (body size, condition, mated status) and the intensity of competition (numbers and sizes of rival males) rather than information derived from previous sexual encounters [Current Zoology 58 : [805][806][807][808][809][810][811] 2012].

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Flexible mate choice: a male snake's preference for larger females is modified by the sizes of females encountered

by Jonathan Webb and Amanda Lane

Animal Behaviour, 2006

Why do males exert strong mate choice in some taxa but not others? Theory suggests that mate disc... more Why do males exert strong mate choice in some taxa but not others? Theory suggests that mate discrimination will enhance male fitness when encounter rates with potential mates are high, when those potential mates vary in the fitness consequences likely to accrue from an attempted insemination, and when courting one female reduces the male's opportunity to court other females. One widespread form of mate choice involves a trend for males of many ectothermic species to court larger (and thus, more fecund) females. To test whether such preferences are dynamically adjusted to local conditions, we studied male preference for larger females in red-sided garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, near a communal den in Manitoba, Canada. Courting a small female imposes a high opportunity cost for a male in the centre of the den, because many large and easily located females are nearby. In the surrounding woodland, in contrast, a male that neglects a small female is unlikely to encounter a larger substitute partner. In arena trials, male snakes from the den selected larger females more than did males from the surrounding woodland. Manipulating a den male's exposure to females (none, large, small) for 60 min led males to adjust their criteria for courtship depending upon the sizes of females encountered. Hence, the local environment can modify courtship criteria, with male garter snakes adjusting their mate choice selectivity based upon spatial and temporal factors that affect the opportunity costs of courtship.

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Interactive Exploration of Ingredient Mixtures Using Multiple Coordinated Views

2009 13th International Conference Information Visualisation, 2009

The complex nature of multivariate data sets calls for high interactive performance and intuitive... more The complex nature of multivariate data sets calls for high interactive performance and intuitive metaphors. A specific type of multivariate data is where the variables sum up to a constant, here defined as multicomponent data. This application paper presents an interactive application for analysis of modelled multicomponent data. The aim is to find high performance variable combinations that fulfil some requested properties. The application is based on coordinated views that include parallel coordinates, a ternary diagram, a 2D scatter plot and a line plot. It supports numerous interaction techniques enabling fast analysis of complex patterns in multicomponent data sets. The application is developed in collaboration with researchers within the fields of statistics and chemistry. An informal usability evaluation indicates that the interactive nature of the application clearly facilitates the analysis process.

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New Insights into the Role of MHC Diversity in Devil Facial Tumour Disease

PLoS ONE, 2012

Background: Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a fatal contagious cancer that has decimated Ta... more Background: Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a fatal contagious cancer that has decimated Tasmanian devil populations. The tumour has spread without invoking immune responses, possibly due to low levels of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) diversity in Tasmanian devils. Animals from a region in north-western Tasmania have lower infection rates than those in the east of the state. This area is a genetic transition zone between sub-populations, with individuals from north-western Tasmania displaying greater diversity than eastern devils at MHC genes, primarily through MHC class I gene copy number variation. Here we test the hypothesis that animals that remain healthy and tumour free show predictable differences at MHC loci compared to animals that develop the disease.

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Fascinating and forgotten, the conservation status of marine elapid snakes

Herpetological Conservation and Biology

An assessment of marine elapid snakes found 9% of marine elapids are threatened with extinction, ... more An assessment of marine elapid snakes found 9% of marine elapids are threatened with extinction, and an additional 6% are Near Threatened. A large portion (34%) is Data Deficient. An analysis of distributions revealed the greatest species diversity is found in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Three of the seven threatened species occur at Ashmore and Hibernia Reefs in the Timor Sea, while the remaining threatened taxa occur in the Philippines, Niue, and Solomon Islands. The majority of Data Deficient species are found in Southeast Asia. Threats to marine snakes include loss of coral reefs and coastal habitat, incidental bycatch in fisheries, as well as fisheries that target snakes for leather. The presence of two Critically Endangered and one Endangered species in the Timor Sea suggests the area is of particular conservation concern. More rigorous, long-term monitoring of populations is needed to evaluate the success of "conservation measures" for marine snake species, provide scientifically based guidance for determining harvest quotas, and to assess the populations of many Data Deficient species. SUZANNE R. LIVINGSTONE is an experienced Zoologist with a focus on marine conservation. She is a Principal Consultant with The Biodiversity Consultancy and involved with the Rio Tinto Iron Ore Simandou Project Study Environment team in Paris as the biodiversity specialist.

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Mate location in garter snakes: effects of rival males, interrupted trails and non-pheremonal cues

Functional Ecology

The ability to follow substrate-deposited scent trails using sophisticated vomeronasal abilities ... more The ability to follow substrate-deposited scent trails using sophisticated vomeronasal abilities is a key feature of snake biology. However, previous research on this topic has derived mostly from a highly artificial test situation: captive snakes following continuous trails over structurally simple homogeneous substrates, in the absence of any other cues (e.g. visual or olfactory) either from the target of that search or from other snakes. 2. Our field experimental trials with Red-Sided Garter Snakes ( Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis ) at a communal den in Manitoba explored wider issues in mate location. 3. Males followed a female's trail less successfully if she had recently been followed by rival males, suggesting that trailing males obscured the cues left by the female. 4. Males that lost contact with a female's trail exhibited stereotyped, spatially extensive and prolonged circling behaviour centred on the last point at which the trail was detectable; in nature, this behaviour would maximize the male's ability to relocate a discontinuous trail. 5. Trail-following males switched from chemical to visual cues as soon as they were close to a female, enhancing speed but decreasing the accuracy of mate location (because males could distinguish between females and other males based on either visual or airborne olfactory cues). 6. Incorporating additional cues and broader spatial scales can clarify aspects of trail-following behaviour not evident from studies in small, highly simplified laboratory situations.

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Phylogenetic relationships within laticaudine sea snakes (Elapidae)

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 2011

The sea snake subfamily Laticaudinae consists of a single genus with eight named species, based o... more The sea snake subfamily Laticaudinae consists of a single genus with eight named species, based on morphological characters. We used microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data to clarify the adaptive radiation of these oviparous sea snakes in the South Pacific, with special reference to New Caledonia and Vanuatu. A mitochondrial DNA data set (ND4 gene 793 bp) was obtained from 345 individuals of the five species of Laticauda sp. sea snakes endemic to the region. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches yielded the same optimal tree topology, identifying two major clades (yellow-banded and blue-banded sea snakes). Although all laticaudine sea snakes rely on small islands as oviposition sites, the two lineages differ in their use of marine vs. terrestrial habitats. A highly aquatic species (Laticauda laticaudata) shows a strong pattern of genetic isolation by distance, implying that the patchy distribution of terrestrial habitats has had little impact on gene flow. The more t...

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Bohm-et-al. Conservation Status of World Reptiles

M. Böhm). 1 Here considered to include the various taxa that belong to the non-avian and nonmamma... more

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Microsatellite loci for laticaudine sea kraits

Molecular Ecology Resources, 2008

The sea snake subfamily Laticaudinae consists of a single genus with eight named species, based o... more The sea snake subfamily Laticaudinae consists of a single genus with eight named species, based on morphological characters. We used microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data to clarify the adaptive radiation of these oviparous sea snakes in the South Pacific, with special reference to New Caledonia and Vanuatu. A mitochondrial DNA data set (ND4 gene 793 bp) was obtained from 345 individuals of the five species of Laticauda sp. sea snakes endemic to the region. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches yielded the same optimal tree topology, identifying two major clades (yellow-banded and blue-banded sea snakes). Although all laticaudine sea snakes rely on small islands as oviposition sites, the two lineages differ in their use of marine vs. terrestrial habitats. A highly aquatic species (Laticauda laticaudata) shows a strong pattern of genetic isolation by distance, implying that the patchy distribution of terrestrial habitats has had little impact on gene flow. The more terrestrial clade (Laticauda colubrina, Laticauda frontalis, Laticauda guineai, Laticauda saintgironsi) shows stronger geographic differentiation in allelic frequencies, associated with island groups rather than with geographic distance. Microsatellites and mtDNA suggest that L. frontalis (restricted to Vanuatu) represents a recent founder-induced speciation event, from allopatric migrants of the New Caledonian taxon L. saintgironsi. A major divergence in speciation patterns between the two major clades of laticaudine snakes thus correlates with (and perhaps, is driven by) differences in the importance of terrestrial habitats in the species' ecology.

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Intraspecific variation in the direction and degree of sex-biased dispersal among sea-snake populations

Molecular Ecology, 2011

Higher rates of dispersal in one sex than the other are widespread, and often attributed to the g... more Higher rates of dispersal in one sex than the other are widespread, and often attributed to the genetic advantages of reduced inbreeding. The direction of sex-biased dispersal shows strong phylogenetic conservatism (e.g. males disperse more than females in most mammals, but the reverse is true in most birds). By contrast, our genetic data reveal strong inter-population variation in the relative dispersal rates of two species of sea snakes (Laticauda saintgironsi and L. laticaudata) in the Noumea Lagoon of New Caledonia. Assignment methods using microsatellite data identified parallel variation in sex-specific dispersal in both species: dispersal was female-biased in the north-west of the sampling area (in islands far from the main island), but male-biased in the south-east (in islands closer to the main island). This flexibility may reflect sex differences in diets, with spatial variation in sex-specific resources generating spatial variation in sex-specific dispersal distances.

Evidence of a Spotted Fever-Like Rickettsia and a Potential New Vector from Northeastern Australia

Journal of Medical Entomology, 2005

A spotted fever-like rickettsia was identified in a Hemaphysalis tick by polymerase chain reactio... more A spotted fever-like rickettsia was identified in a Hemaphysalis tick by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing of the 16S rDNA, ompA, and ompB genes. A comparison of these nucleotide sequences with those of other spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae revealed that the Hemaphysalis tick rickettsia ia was distinct from other previously reported strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on both ompA and ompB also indicates that the strain&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s closest relatives are the agents of Thai tick typhus (Rickettsia honei strain TT-118) and Flinders Island spotted fever (R. honei). This study represents the first report of an R. honei-like agent from a Hemaphysalis tick in Australia and of a spotted fever group rickettsia from Cape York Peninsula, Queensland.

When seasnake meets seabird: Ecosystem engineering, facilitation and competition

Austral Ecology, 2011

Ecosystem engineers such as burrowing seabirds can increase habitat availability for sympatric ta... more Ecosystem engineers such as burrowing seabirds can increase habitat availability for sympatric taxabut only if the burrow's owner allows other species to use the newly created shelter site. Our studies on a small Pacific island suggest that an avian burrower (the wedge-tailed shearwater Puffinus pacificus) is both a facilitator and a competitor for amphibious seasnakes. Video camera inspection of 102 burrows revealed frequent usage of these burrows as retreat sites by the snakes, with Laticauda laticaudata restricted to burrows <4 m from the water's edge, whereas Laticauda saintgironsi often used burrows further inland. Snakes never occupied burrows that contained adult shearwaters, suggesting active burrow defence by the birds. Model snakes that we inserted into burrows were attacked, especially on the head and upper body, and we found one snake pecked to death outside a burrow. Wedge-tailed shearwaters act as facilitators, creating a thermally favourable microhabitat and substantially enhancing habitat suitability for snakes; but they are also competitors, aggressively competing with snakes for occupancy of the resource that has been created.

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Host Adaptation of a Wolbachia Strain after Long-Term Serial Passage in Mosquito Cell Lines

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2008

The horizontal transfer of the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis between invertebrate hosts hinges on... more The horizontal transfer of the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis between invertebrate hosts hinges on the ability of Wolbachia to adapt to new intracellular environments. The experimental transfer of Wolbachia between distantly related host species often results in the loss of infection, presumably due to an inability of Wolbachia to adapt quickly to the new host. To examine the process of adaptation to a novel host, we transferred a life-shortening Wolbachia strain, wMelPop, from the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster into a cell line derived from the mosquito Aedes albopictus. After long-term serial passage in this cell line, we transferred the mosquito-adapted wMelPop into cell lines derived from two other mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae. After a prolonged period of serial passage in mosquito cell lines, wMelPop was reintroduced into its native host, D. melanogaster, by embryonic microinjection. The cell line-adapted wMelPop strains were characterized by a loss of infectivity when reintroduced into the original host, grew to decreased densities, and had reduced abilities to cause life-shortening infection and cytoplasmic incompatibility compared to the original strain. We interpret these shifts in phenotype as evidence for genetic adaptation to the mosquito intracellular environment. The use of cell lines to preadapt Wolbachia to novel hosts is suggested as a possible strategy to improve the success of transinfection in novel target insect species.

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Familiarity with a female does not affect a male's courtship intensity in garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis

In many animal species, males direct more intense courtship towards females they have not previou... more In many animal species, males direct more intense courtship towards females they have not previously encountered, than towards females with which they have previously mated. To test the factors responsible for this "Coolidge Effect", we need studies on a wide range of taxa -including those with mating systems in which we would not expect (based on current theory) that such an effect would be evident. The Coolidge Effect has been documented in several lizard species, but has not been looked for (and would not be expected) in snakes. We conducted experimental trials with red-sided garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis at a communal den in Manitoba, to see whether previous exposure to a female (either courting, or courting plus mating) modified male mate choice or courtship intensity. In keeping with prediction from theory (but contrary to an early anecdotal report), male garter snakes did not modify their courtship behaviour based upon their familiarity (or lack thereof) with a specific female. At least in large courting aggregations, male snakes may maximize their fitness by basing mate-choice upon immediate attributes of the female (body size, condition, mated status) and the intensity of competition (numbers and sizes of rival males) rather than information derived from previous sexual encounters [Current Zoology 58 : [805][806][807][808][809][810][811] 2012].

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The conservation status of the world’s reptiles

Biological Conservation, 2013

Effective conservation action requires knowledge of the distribution of threatened 19 species and... more Effective conservation action requires knowledge of the distribution of threatened 19 species and the threat processes affecting them. We present the first global assessment 20 of extinction risk for a random representative sample of 1,500 reptile species. We find 21 strong variation in extinction risk by taxonomic groups and geographic regions, with 22 the most threatened reptiles associated with freshwater environments, tropical regions, 23 and oceanic islands. Extinction risk is predominantly associated with habitat loss and 24 over-exploitation. Our results emphasize the need for research attention to be focussed 25 on tropical areas, which are seeing the highest extinction risk, and fossorial reptiles, 26 for which there is a chronic lack of data. 27 28

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