The adder (Vipera berus) in Southern Altay Mountains: population characteristics, distribution, morphology and phylogenetic position
As the most widely distributed snake in Eurasia, the adder (Vipera berus) has been extensively investigated in Europe but poorly understood in Asia. The Southern Altay Mountains represent the adder’s southern distribution limit in Central Asia, whereas its population status has never been assessed....
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PeerJ Inc.
2016-08-01
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| author | Shaopeng Cui Xiao Luo Daiqiang Chen Jizhou Sun Hongjun Chu Chunwang Li Zhigang Jiang |
| author_facet | Shaopeng Cui Xiao Luo Daiqiang Chen Jizhou Sun Hongjun Chu Chunwang Li Zhigang Jiang |
| author_sort | Shaopeng Cui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As the most widely distributed snake in Eurasia, the adder (Vipera berus) has been extensively investigated in Europe but poorly understood in Asia. The Southern Altay Mountains represent the adder’s southern distribution limit in Central Asia, whereas its population status has never been assessed. We conducted, for the first time, field surveys for the adder at two areas of Southern Altay Mountains using a combination of line transects and random searches. We also described the morphological characteristics of the collected specimens and conducted analyses of external morphology and molecular phylogeny. The results showed that the adder distributed in both survey sites and we recorded a total of 34 sightings. In Kanas river valley, the estimated encounter rate over a total of 137 km transects was 0.15 ± 0.05 sightings/km. The occurrence of melanism was only 17%. The small size was typical for the adders in Southern Altay Mountains in contrast to other geographic populations of the nominate subspecies. A phylogenetic tree obtained by Bayesian Inference based on DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (1,023 bp) grouped them within the Northern clade of the species but failed to separate them from the subspecies V. b. sachalinensis. Our discovery extends the distribution range of V. berus and provides a basis for further researches. We discuss the hypothesis that the adder expands its distribution border to the southwest along the mountains’ elevation gradient, but the population abundance declines gradually due to a drying climate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:01:51Z |
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| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:01:51Z |
| publishDate | 2016-08-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-0fb7693abfe84582aaf6ef0c26bda2cd2023-12-03T09:48:59ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592016-08-014e234210.7717/peerj.2342The adder (Vipera berus) in Southern Altay Mountains: population characteristics, distribution, morphology and phylogenetic positionShaopeng Cui0Xiao Luo1Daiqiang Chen2Jizhou Sun3Hongjun Chu4Chunwang Li5Zhigang Jiang6Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKanas National Nature Reserve, Buerjin, Urumqi, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaAs the most widely distributed snake in Eurasia, the adder (Vipera berus) has been extensively investigated in Europe but poorly understood in Asia. The Southern Altay Mountains represent the adder’s southern distribution limit in Central Asia, whereas its population status has never been assessed. We conducted, for the first time, field surveys for the adder at two areas of Southern Altay Mountains using a combination of line transects and random searches. We also described the morphological characteristics of the collected specimens and conducted analyses of external morphology and molecular phylogeny. The results showed that the adder distributed in both survey sites and we recorded a total of 34 sightings. In Kanas river valley, the estimated encounter rate over a total of 137 km transects was 0.15 ± 0.05 sightings/km. The occurrence of melanism was only 17%. The small size was typical for the adders in Southern Altay Mountains in contrast to other geographic populations of the nominate subspecies. A phylogenetic tree obtained by Bayesian Inference based on DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (1,023 bp) grouped them within the Northern clade of the species but failed to separate them from the subspecies V. b. sachalinensis. Our discovery extends the distribution range of V. berus and provides a basis for further researches. We discuss the hypothesis that the adder expands its distribution border to the southwest along the mountains’ elevation gradient, but the population abundance declines gradually due to a drying climate.https://peerj.com/articles/2342.pdfVipera berusSnakeSouthern Altay MountainsSpecies’ borderPopulation surveyMorphology |
| spellingShingle | Shaopeng Cui Xiao Luo Daiqiang Chen Jizhou Sun Hongjun Chu Chunwang Li Zhigang Jiang The adder (Vipera berus) in Southern Altay Mountains: population characteristics, distribution, morphology and phylogenetic position PeerJ Vipera berus Snake Southern Altay Mountains Species’ border Population survey Morphology |
| title | The adder (Vipera berus) in Southern Altay Mountains: population characteristics, distribution, morphology and phylogenetic position |
| title_full | The adder (Vipera berus) in Southern Altay Mountains: population characteristics, distribution, morphology and phylogenetic position |
| title_fullStr | The adder (Vipera berus) in Southern Altay Mountains: population characteristics, distribution, morphology and phylogenetic position |
| title_full_unstemmed | The adder (Vipera berus) in Southern Altay Mountains: population characteristics, distribution, morphology and phylogenetic position |
| title_short | The adder (Vipera berus) in Southern Altay Mountains: population characteristics, distribution, morphology and phylogenetic position |
| title_sort | adder vipera berus in southern altay mountains population characteristics distribution morphology and phylogenetic position |
| topic | Vipera berus Snake Southern Altay Mountains Species’ border Population survey Morphology |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/2342.pdf |
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