Interactive Effects of Food Supplementation and Snake Fungal Disease on Pregnant Pygmy Rattlesnakes and Their Offspring

摘要: In viviparous organisms, the ability to feed while pregnant may mitigate energetic trade-offs experienced during reproductive process and enhance fecundity. However, anorexia pregnancy has been reported in many crotaline snakes. The potential costs benefits of feeding are not completely described literature, experimental studies have conducted a limited number taxa, rendering our understanding forces that underlie evolution snakes incomplete. Here, we examine impact food supplementation mid late on mothers offspring snake species, Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius). Specifically, offered multiple large meals held outdoor enclosures measured suite maternal traits including body condition, length mass, disease state, foraging behaviors. We focused interactions between feeding, clinical signs fungal (SFD), presence its causative agent, Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, mothers. Pregnant females fed readily when food, but did traits. Food significantly increased postparturient also led higher failure rate treatment group, particularly afflicted with SFD. Our results suggest disrupt rattlesnakes, such disruption is pronounced suffering from