Reproductive cycle of female Pit Viper (Gloydius halys caucasicus) in Iran

Volume 1, Issue 2, December 2016     |     PP. 43-53      |     PDF (476 K)    |     Pub. Date: December 27, 2016
DOI:    343 Downloads     126829 Views  

Author(s)

Safieh Bahri, Department of Biology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran
Abdolhossein Shiravi, Department of Biology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran
Fatemeh Todehdehghan, Venomous Animals & Antivenin Production Dept, .Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Hesarak, Karaj.Iran

Abstract
The data on reproductive cycle of the Caucasian viper (Gloydius halys caucasicus) from cold mountains of the Iran is presented here in. Knowledge about the reproductive cycle is an important tool for assisted reproduction and is prerequisite for animal breeding in the captivity. Reproductive parameters of 24 female Caucasian snakes from Takht-e-Solaiman mountain-Taleqhan (Cold Mountain), Alborz province in central Iran were studied during different months of year, 2013. The reproductive tracts of samples were examined and follicular developmental stages were assesed according their size and the embryo presence and development were evaluated under stereomicroscope. The follicles were grouped in four types including; types I (2.5-3.3 mm) and type II (5.7-8.4 mm) that were observed in the ovaries from July to November. The number and percentage of follicles type I were maximum in November, 80% (n=28) in the right ovary, and 81% (n=27) in the left one, and these values for follicles type II were maximum in October, in right ovary, 27% (n=13) and left one, 31% (n=14). Ductal follicules were types III (20.5- 22.9 mm) and IV (>29 mm) and observed from July to September. The number and percentage follicules III were maximum in july, in right and left ducts were respectively 12%(n=2) and 8%(n=7) and these values for follicules type IV that were maximum in the September, in right and left ducts were respectively 20%(n=10), and 16%(n=7). The gestation time was from mid-July to late September, lasted for 2.5 months. It seems that mating in this snake occurs in June and the Iranian Pit Viper may have biennial reproductive cycle that requires more study.

Keywords
adult viper- Iranian pitviper - reproductive cycle - follicular growth

Cite this paper
Safieh Bahri, Abdolhossein Shiravi, Fatemeh Todehdehghan, Reproductive cycle of female Pit Viper (Gloydius halys caucasicus) in Iran , SCIREA Journal of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine. Volume 1, Issue 2, December 2016 | PP. 43-53.

References

[ 1 ] Aldridge, R. D. 1992. Oviductal anatomy and seasonal sperm storage in the south eastern crowned snake (Tan/ilia corona/a). Copeia 1992: 1103-1106.
[ 2 ] Aldridge, R.D. 1979. Seasonal spermatogenesis in sympatric Crotalus viridis and Arizona elegans in ne Mexico. J. Herpetol. 13, 187-192.
[ 3 ] Aldridge, R.D. and Duvall, D. 2002. Evolution of the mating season in the pitvipers of North America. Herpetol. Monogr, 1-25.
[ 4 ] Almeida- Santos, S.A. and Salomao, M. 2002. Reproduction in Neotropical pitvipers, with emphasis on species of the genus Bothrops. In: Schuett GW, Hoggren, M., Douglas, M.E., Greene, H.W., editors. Biology of the Vipers. Utah: Eagle Mountain Publishing. pp: 445-462.
[ 5 ] Almeida- Santos, S.M., Laporta- Ferreira, L., Antoniazzi, M. and Jared, C. 2004. Reproductive cycle of the Neotropical crotalus durissue sterrificus: i. seasonal levels and interplay between steroid hormones. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 139, 143- 150.
[ 6 ] Bull, J.J., Shine, R. 1979. Iteroparous animals that skip opportunires for reprodauction. Am. Nat. 14, 296-303.
[ 7 ] Betz, T.W. 1963. The gross ovarian morphology of the diamond backed water snake, Natrix rhombifera, during the reproductive cycle. Copeia, 692-692.
[ 8 ] Blouin- Demer, G. 2003. Precision and aacuracy of body size measurements in a constricting, large-bodied snake (Elaphe obsoleta). Herpetol. Rev. 34(4): 320-323
[ 9 ] Bonnet, X., Naulleau, G., shine, R. and lourdais, O. 2000. Reproductive versus ecological advantages to larger body size in female snakes, Vipera aspis oikos, 89, 509-518.
[ 10 ] Brito, J.C. 2003. Seasonal and daily activity patterns of Vipera latastei in northern Portugal. Amphibia- Reptilita, 24, 497-508.
[ 11 ] Conant, R. and Collins, J.T. 1991. A Field guide to reptiles and amphiblans of eastem and central Noth America Houghton MiffinCo, Boston. Pp: 450
[ 12 ] Diller, L.V. and Wallace, R.L. 1984. Reproductive biology of the northern pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis oreganus) in northern Idaho Herpetologica, 40, 182-193.
[ 13 ] Farzanpay, R. 1990. Snak Shanakht. 1st Ed. Tehran University publishing Center, pp. 2- 106
[ 14 ] Fitch, H.S. 1970. Reproductive cycles in lizards and snakes Misc publ univ Kans. Mus. Nat. Hist. 52, 1-247.
[ 15 ] Ford, N.B. Brischoux, F. and Lancaster, D. 2004. Reproduction in the western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) in a floodplain forest. SW Naturalist, 49: 465-471.
[ 16 ] Gignac, A. and Gregory, P. T. 2005. The effect of body size, age and food intake during pregnancy on reproductive traits of a viviparous snake, Thamnophis ordinoides. Ecoscience 12: 236-243.
[ 17 ] Gist, D., Tarher, T., Congdon, J. 2000. Chemical and thermal effects on the viability nd motility of spermatozoa from the turtle epidimys. J. Reprod. Fertil. 119, 271-277.
[ 18 ] Gloyd, H.K., Conant, R. 1990. Snakes of the Agkistrodon complex: A monographic review. Society for the study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), Contri bations to Herpe tology 6. Oxford, Ohio. pp: 1-614.
[ 19 ] Goldberg, S.R. and Beaman, K.R. 2003. Reproduction in the Baja California rattlesnake, Crotalus enyo (Serpentes: Viperidae), Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences, 102, pp: 39-42.
[ 20 ] Glaudas, X., Goldberg, S.R., Hamilton, B. T. (2009). Timing of reproduction of a cold desert viperid snake from North America, the Great Basin rattlesnake (Crotalus lutosus). Journal of Arid Environments, 73: 719–725.
[ 21 ] Glaudas, X., Winne, C. T. and Fedewa, L. A. (2006). Ontogeny of anti-predator behavioral habituation in cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus). Ethology 112, 608- 615.
[ 22 ] Harvey, D. S. and Weartherhead, P. J. 2006. A test of the hicrachial model of habitat selection using eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus c. catenatus). Biological Conservation, 130: 206-216.
[ 23 ] Ibarguengoytia, N. R. and Casalins, L. M. 2007. Reproductive biology of the southernmost gecko Homonota darwini. Convergent life history patterns among southern hemisphere reptiles living in harsh environment, 41: 72-80.
[ 24 ] Institute of standards and industrial research of Iran. 2008. Biological evaluation of medical devices- Part 2: Animal welfare Requirments. ISIRI 7216-2.
[ 25 ] Johnson, S.L., Yund, P.O. 2004. Remarkable longervity of dilute sperm in a free – spawning colonial ascidian. Biol Bull, 206, 144-151.
[ 26 ] Kofron, C.P. 1979. Female reproductive biology of the Brown snake, Storeria dekayi, in Louisiana. pp: 463-466.
[ 27 ] Kofron, C.P. 1979. Reproductive systems of female storeria dekayi from Louisiana. Copeia, 9(3): 463-466.
[ 28 ] Latifi, M. 1990. Snakes of Iran, Department of Envoroment, pp. 23- 236
[ 29 ] Mozafari, S.Z., Shiravi, A.H., Todehdehghan, F. 2012. Evaluation of reproductive parameters of vas deferens sperms in Caucasian snake (Gloydius halys caucasicus). VRF. 3(2): 119- 123.
[ 30 ] Pook, C.E., wuster, w., Thorpe, R.S. 2000. Historical biogeography of the westem rattlesnake (serpents: viperidae: Crotalus viridis), inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence information. Molecular phylogenetics and Evolution, 15, 269-282.
[ 31 ] Robert, T.R. 2000. Biology of the vertebrates. Translated by Ibrahimnejad, M. University Publishing Center, Tehran, pp: 184.
[ 32 ] Saint – Girons, H. 1982. Reproductive cycles of male snakes and their relationships with clmate and female reproductive cycles. Herpetologica, 38, 5-16.
[ 33 ] Saint – Girons, H. 2001. Strategies reproductrices des Viperidae dans les zones temperees fraiches et froides. Ball. Soc. fr., 117, 267-278.
[ 34 ] Salomao, M.G and Almeida – Santos, S.M. 2002. The reproductive cycle of male Neotropical Rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus terrificus). In Biology of the vipers. Hoggren, M., Schuett, G.W., Greene, H. and Douglas, M. E. (eds), Eagle Mountain publishing. pp: 507-514.
[ 35 ] Schuett, G.W. 1992. Is long- term sperm storage an important component of the reproductive biology of temperate pit vipers? In: Biology of the pit vipers. Campbell J. A. and Brodie, J.R. (eds), Selva, Tyler, Texas. pp: 169-184.
[ 36 ] Siegel, S. and Sever, D.M. 2006. Utero – muscular twisting and sperm storage in viperids. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 1(2): 87-92.
[ 37 ] Stebbin, R.C. 1985. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin company Boston Massachusett, xiv, pp: 336.
[ 38 ] Tasi, T-S. and Tu, M-C. 2001. Reproductive cycle of female Chinese green tree vipers, Trimeresurus stejnegeri stejnegeri in northern Taiwan. Herpetologica, 57(2): 157-168.
[ 39 ] Taylor, E.N. and DeNardo, D.F. 2005. Reproductive ecology of western diamond- backed rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) in the Sonoran desert, Copeia, pp: 152-158.
[ 40 ] Tom Lorenz, O., Horne, B.D., Anderson, N.J. and Cheek, A.O. 2011. Reproductive physiology of the Brond Banded water snake, Nerodia lasclata confluens, in southeastern Louisiana. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 6(3): 410-421.
[ 41 ] Tsia, T.S. and Tu. M.C. 2001. Reproductive cycle of female Chinese green tree vipers, Trimeresurus stejnegri stejnegri, in Northern Taiwan. Herpetological, 52(2): 157-168.