The past, current and future habitat range of the Spider-tailed Viper, <i>Pseudocerastes urarachnoides</i> (Serpentes: Viperidae) in western Iran and eastern Iraq as revealed by habitat modelling

Fathinia, Behzad; Rödder, Dennis; Rastegar–Pouyani, Nasrullah; Rastegar‐Pouyani, Eskandar; Hosseinzadeh, Mahboubeh Sadat; Kazemi, Seyed Mahdi

doi:10.1080/09397140.2020.1757910

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…We further predicted that the distributional range of pancake tortoises would expand in the future ( Fig 2 and Table 1 ). The expansion of the future distributional ranges of reptiles has also been recorded by Houniet et al [ 69 ] for Bradypodion occidentale , González-Fernández et al [ 70 ] for Thamnophis melanogaster , Fathinia et al [ 71 ] for Pseudocerastes urarachnoides and Sousa-Guedes et al [ 72 ] for 13 different reptile species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Protected areas network is not adequate to protect a critically endangered East Africa Chelonian: Modelling distribution of pancake tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri under current and future climates

Eustace¹,

Esser

Mremi

et al. 2021

PLoS ONE

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While the international pet trade and habitat destruction have been extensively discussed as major threats to the survival of the pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri), the impact of climate change on the species remains unknown. In this study, we used species distribution modelling to predict the current and future distribution of pancake tortoises in Zambezian and Somalian biogeographical regions. We used 224 pancake tortoise occurrences obtained from Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia to estimate suitable and stable areas for the pancake tortoise in all countries present in these regions. We also used a protected area network to assess how many of the suitable and stable areas are protected for the conservation of this critically endangered species. Our model predicted the expansion of climatically suitable habitats for pancake tortoises from four countries and a total area of 90,668.75 km2 to ten countries in the future and an area of 343,459.60–401,179.70 km2. The model also showed that a more significant area of climatically suitable habitat for the species lies outside of the wildlife protected areas. Based on our results, we can predict that pancake tortoises may not suffer from habitat constriction. However, the species will continue to be at risk from the international pet trade, as most of the identified suitable habitats remain outside of protected areas. We suggest that efforts to conserve the pancake tortoise should not only focus on protected areas but also areas that are unprotected, as these comprise a large proportion of the suitable and stable habitats available following predicted future climate change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Protected areas network is not adequate to protect a critically endangered East Africa Chelonian: Modelling distribution of pancake tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri under current and future climates

Eustace¹,

Esser

Mremi

et al. 2021

PLoS ONE

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show abstract

“…We further observed that the distributional range of pancake tortoises would expand in the future (Fig 2; Table 1). The expansion of the future distributional ranges of reptiles has also been recorded by Houniet et al [55] for Bradypodion occidentale , González-Fernández et al [56] for Thamnophis melanogaster , Fathinia et al [57] for Pseudocerastes urarachnoides and Sousa-Guedes et al [58] for 13 different reptile species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Protected areas network is not adequate to protect a critically endangered East Africa Chelonian: Modelling distribution of pancake tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri under current and future climates

Eustace¹,

Esser

Mremi

et al. 2020

Preprint

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While the international pet trade and habitat destruction have been extensively discussed as major threats to the survival of the pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri), the impact of climate change on the species remains unknown. In this study, we used species distribution modelling to predict the current and future distribution of pancake tortoises in Zambezian and Somalian biogeographical regions. We used 224 pancake tortoise occurrences obtained from Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia to estimate suitable and stable areas for the pancake tortoise in all countries present in these regions. We also used a protected area network to assess how many of the suitable and stable areas are protected for the conservation of this critically endangered species. Our model predicted the expansion of climatically suitable habitats for pancake tortoises from four countries and a total area of 90,668.75 km2 to ten countries in the future and an area of 343,459.60 - 401,179.70 km2. The model also showed that a more significant area of climatically suitable habitat for the species lies outside of the wildlife protected areas. Based on our results, we can predict that pancake tortoises may not suffer from habitat constriction. However, the species will continue to be at risk from the international pet trade, as most of the identified suitable habitats remain outside of protected areas. We suggest that efforts to conserve the pancake tortoise should not only focus on protected areas but also areas that are unprotected, as these comprise a large proportion of the suitable and stable habitats available following predicted future climate change.

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“…Indeed, as stated by Anni Hämäläinen and her colleagues (Hämäläinen et al, 2017, p. 13), "It is currently unknown how important the phenomenon (of diploendozoochory) is ecologically, but given its potentially vast prevalence and the possible implications, it is possible that ignoring it could impair the interpretation of broad ecological patterns or hinder conservation efforts." Importantly, it is incumbent upon us to comment that many of the vipers and other snake species that are candidate ecosystem engineers are themselves endangered for various reasons, including from direct persecution by humans (Maritz et al, 2016;Birskis-Barros et al, 2019;Fathinia et al, 2020). It is hoped that highlighting their potential new role as agents of seed rescue and secondary dispersal for deserts and other ecosystems will encourage both academic and public involvement (e.g., citizen scientists) in generating interest and legislature for their protection and long-term conservation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Seed Ingestion in Snakes: Germination Frequency and Rate, Seedling Viability, and Implications for Dispersal in Nature

et al. 2022

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The importance of vertebrate animals as seed dispersers (zoochory) has received increasing attention from researchers over the past 20 years, yet one category in particular, diploendozoochory, remains understudied. As the term implies, this is a two-phase seed dispersal system whereby a secondary seed predator (carnivorous vertebrate) consumes a primary seed predator or granivore (rodent and bird) with undamaged seeds in their digestive tract (mouth, cheek pouch, crop, stomach, or other organ), which are subsequently eliminated with feces. Surprisingly, although snakes are among the most abundant predators of granivorous vertebrates, they are the least studied group insofar as our knowledge of seed rescue and secondary dispersal in a diploendozoochorous system. Here, using live snake subjects of the Sonoran Desert (one viperid and two colubrid species) and seeds of the Foothill Palo Verde (Parkinsonia microphylla), a dominant tree of the same region, we experimentally tested germination frequency and rate, and seedling viability. Specifically, to mimic rodents with seed-laden cheek pouches, we tested whether wild-collected P. microphylla seeds placed in the abdomen of thawed laboratory mice and ingested by the snakes would retain their germination viability. Second, we examined whether seeds exposed to gut transit germinated at a greater frequency and rate than the controls. While we found strong statistical support for our first hypothesis, both aspects of the second one were not significant. Accordingly, we provide an explanation for these results based on specific life-history traits (dormant and non-dormant seeds) of P. microphylla. Our study provides support for the role of snakes as important agents of seed rescue and dispersal in nature, their potential as ecosystem engineers, and crucial evidence for the investment of field-based studies on diploendozoochorous systems in deserts and other ecosystems.

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The past, current and future habitat range of the Spider-tailed Viper, Pseudocerastes urarachnoides (Serpentes: Viperidae) in western Iran and eastern Iraq as revealed by habitat modelling

Cited by 13 publications

References 27 publications

Protected areas network is not adequate to protect a critically endangered East Africa Chelonian: Modelling distribution of pancake tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri under current and future climates

Protected areas network is not adequate to protect a critically endangered East Africa Chelonian: Modelling distribution of pancake tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri under current and future climates

Protected areas network is not adequate to protect a critically endangered East Africa Chelonian: Modelling distribution of pancake tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri under current and future climates

Secondary Seed Ingestion in Snakes: Germination Frequency and Rate, Seedling Viability, and Implications for Dispersal in Nature

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