Frontiers in Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Age-related nest-site segregation in a solitary nesting population of white stork Ciconia Ciconia.","authors":"Joanna T Bialas,Irene Gaona-Gordillo,Łukasz Dylewski,Marcin Tobolka","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00574-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00574-2","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDHabitat selection plays a crucial role in avian reproductive success, with nest-site characteristics and individual traits influencing breeding outcomes. This study investigates the relationship between breeder's age and nest-site selection in a population of white storks Ciconia ciconia, a long-lived, site-faithful species nesting solitarily in Western Poland. Using data collected from 2006 to 2024 on ring recoveries, nest dimensions, productivity, and habitat characteristics, we analyzed the age at which birds were first recorded on specific nests.RESULTSResults revealed that older individuals were more likely to occupy larger nests and nests with higher productivity in previous years, suggesting the use of public information and a preference for high-quality sites. Interestingly, nest surface area, rather than height, was correlated with breeder's age, while land cover surrounding the nest had a sex-specific effect. Older individuals also appeared to prefer nests with higher occupancy rates. Older females avoided human-altered habitats, whereas no such relationship was observed for males. Contrary to expectations, age-related differences were not associated with preferred foraging habitats like meadows and pastures.CONCLUSIONSThese findings highlight that age-based segregation in nest-site selection reflects experience and competition, with older birds optimizing breeding success by leveraging key environmental and social cues. The results suggest that younger individuals may occupy suboptimal habitats, possibly due to competition or inexperience. Future studies should explore the role of site fidelity, age-assortative mating, and anthropogenic influences, such as supplementary feeding, to fully understand the dynamics of nest-site selection in white storks.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"58 1","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144777774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural background of intraspecific color polymorphism and the driver of geographic patterns in a shining leaf chafer.","authors":"Yuanyuan Lu,Alexander Kovalev,Lulu Li,Chuchu Li,Xinyi Zhu,Min He,Xingke Yang,Ming Bai,Stanislav N Gorb","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00571-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00571-5","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDThe phenomenon of color polymorphism has been extensively documented in a range of animal species. A series of hypotheses have been proposed to explain potential functions of color variations in diverse habitats. However, the generation of color is an intricate physical, chemical and biological process. In this instance, the attempts to explain the distribution patterns and their potential causes lacking structural background of color formation, are likely to be misguiding.RESULTSHere we studied the distribution pattern of color phenotypes in the beetle Popillia mutans (Insecta: Coleoptera: Rutelinae). Three phenotypes (blue, green and red) are distributed in a not mutually exclusive manner, with the blue phenotype tending to be more prevalent in the cooler northern area, seemingly following Bogert's rule, and the others mainly in the warmer southern area. Subsequent analysis demonstrated that this type of distribution correlates with the environmental factor of temperature. Based on the optical, mechanical and chemical characteristics of the cuticle, we found that this species represents a special case in which melanin layering causes structural coloration, whereas pigmentation plays a primary role in red phenotype and physical coloration is the dominant factor in blue and green phenotypes. However, the structural alterations within the cuticle have no influence on its mechanical properties, different from previously suggested. We have also shown that the blue phenotype exhibits a slightly faster heating rate than the other phenotypes facilitating their adaptation to lower-temperature regions.CONCLUSIONOur results elucidate the structural background of color and identify the possible natural selection factor from an evolutionary standpoint. This aids in understanding species formation, as well as prospective dynamic distribution of the phenotypes under the pressure of climate change.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"26 1","pages":"18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144777775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bat echolocation signals based on the time-varying autoregressive method","authors":"Xuan Zhong, Zhongbao Wang, Jianshu Wang, Kuiying Yin, Jinhong Luo","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00573-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00573-3","url":null,"abstract":"Bat echolocation is among the most efficient biological sonar known to human, and is highly valuable for biomimetic research. Most bats produce dynamically changing echolocation signals, which is the key to high task performance. Although considerable progress has been made in bat sonar bionics research, the working mechanism of the bat sonar system has not yet been fully revealed, mainly reflecting the imperfect parameterized model of the bat vocal system. This paper describe the bat echolocation signal production as a time-varying autoregressive (TV-AR) model, and the trajectory of model parameter changes is modeled as segmental constant and continuous change. Based on the two forms of parameter changes, this paper use the regularized least squares method and the basis function method for parameter solving, respectively. The TV-AR based system model realizes the simulation of bat vocal system with Gaussian white noise as input and bat echolocation signal as output. Using echolocation signals recorded from the Pratt’s roundleaf bats performing an approach-and-land task in the laboratory, we show that naturalistic echolocation signals can be simulated from the proposed TV-AR with high quality. Preliminary simulation and analysis suggests that the model can also be extended to simulate echolocation signals of distinct bat species.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144737526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating climate change and fine-scale habitat suitability to assess amphibian range shift in Mount Emei, China","authors":"Zijian Sun, Tian Zhao, Suwen Hu, Guangfeng Chen, Wei Zhu, Xiwen Peng, Shengqi Su","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00570-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00570-6","url":null,"abstract":"Habitat range shifts driven by climate change threaten global biodiversity, with impacts likely to be most pronounced at mountainous regions. As key consumers, amphibians play critical roles in mountainous ecosystems by contributing to nutrient cycling, soil aeration through burrowing activities, and aquatic bioturbation. However, they are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to limited mobility and strong dependence on ambient temperature. Understanding their ranges shifts and responses to various environmental factors is a priority for identifying target conservation areas at a local scale. Here, we developed ensemble models to examine the current distribution of suitable habitats for amphibians, identify the environmental determinants of these habitats, and predict the potential range shifts under different climate projections in 2055 and 2085 in Mount Emei, China. Our results indicated that lowland areas exhibited higher geographical habitat suitability for amphibians, which serve as a transitional zone between urban regions and forests. The current distribution of amphibians is primarily associated with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and climate variables related to precipitation and solar radiation. This pattern may be attributed to amphibians’ physiological constraints and their specific requirements for food and habitat. Interestingly, even in a region developed for tourism, anthropogenic factors exhibited a positive correlation with amphibian distribution. This may be explained by the high habitat suitability found in lowland suburban regions. Moreover, the small body size of amphibians allows them to thrive in smaller, specialized habitats. Looking toward the future, geographical habitat suitability for amphibians projected to decline, particularly in lowland suburban areas under the high-emission and high-carbon consumption scenarios. These areas currently represent important habitats for amphibians but are expected to experience substantial degradation. These findings highlight the need for targeted conservation efforts in areas currently providing high suitability for amphibians, which may face increased pressure over time. This study identifies the key determinants of amphibians’ current habitat suitability and illustrates a projected decline in overall habitat suitability under future climatic scenarios in Mount Emei. Future research on amphibian range shifts are encouraged to integrate considerations of their limited dispersal capacity and unique ecological characteristics.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144719708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Size-dependent effects of the intestinal microbiota in juvenile Chinese alligators: implications for species protection","authors":"Wengang Li, Jingru Liu, Lulu Cui, Ke Sun, Yulin Gao, Qin Wang, Yongkang Zhou, Lan Mei, Pingsi Yi, XiaoBing Wu, ZhenPeng Yu, Tao Pan","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00572-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00572-4","url":null,"abstract":"Increasing the quality of offspring to optimize population reproductive efficiency represents a viable approach for increasing population size. The population of Chinese alligators has a growing age structure, but the high mortality rate of juveniles is a serious problem that needs to be solved. We investigated the relationship between the weight of juvenile Chinese alligators and the microbiota to improve the survival rate and provide better protection for Chinese alligators. The results revealed significant differences in body weight among the selected individuals. Among the 35 most abundant microbial genera in the different weight groups, four genera (Stenoxybacter, Gracilibacteria, Absconditabacteriales_(SR1) and Saccharimonadales) were significantly positively correlated with weight. These genera can help the host shape the anaerobic environment of the intestine, degrade organic acids and proteins, and promote the production of growth-promoting factors. This study provided valuable insights into the relationship between the microbiota and weight, along with theoretical guidance for improving the survival rate of juvenile Chinese alligators.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144719397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Zooid arrangement and colony growth in Porpita porpita","authors":"Kohei Oguchi, Akiteru Maeno, Keita Yoshida, Gaku Yamamoto, Hisanori Kohtsuka, Casey W. Dunn","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00568-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00568-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Correction: </b><b>Frontiers in Zoology (2025) 22:11</b> https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00565-3</p><br/><p>Following publication of the original article [1], author reported the captions to Figs. 5 and 6 were swapped. Captions have been revised to:</p><figure><figcaption><b data-test=\"figure-caption-text\">Fig. 5</b></figcaption><picture><source srcset=\"//media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1186%2Fs12983-025-00568-0/MediaObjects/12983_2025_568_Fig5_HTML.jpg?as=webp\" type=\"image/webp\"/><img alt=\"figure 5\" aria-describedby=\"Fig5\" height=\"896\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"//media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1186%2Fs12983-025-00568-0/MediaObjects/12983_2025_568_Fig5_HTML.jpg\" width=\"685\"/></picture><p>Several developmental stages of dactylozooids (<b>a, b, c</b>) and gonozooids (<b>d, e</b>). Immature dactylozooids in dactylozooids growth zone. Newly budding dactylozooids (nda: arrowheads) can be seen. Relatively developed dactylozooids have several projections at the distal side of zooids (<b>b, c</b>). Immature gonozooids at the epithelial of coenosarc (<b>d</b>). Relatively developed gonozooids have medusa buds at proximal side and small projections at distal side (<b>e</b>)</p><span>Full size image</span><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"16\" role=\"img\" width=\"16\"><use xlink:href=\"#icon-eds-i-chevron-right-small\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"></use></svg></figure><figure><figcaption><b data-test=\"figure-caption-text\">Fig. 6</b></figcaption><picture><source srcset=\"//media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1186%2Fs12983-025-00568-0/MediaObjects/12983_2025_568_Fig6_HTML.jpg?as=webp\" type=\"image/webp\"/><img alt=\"figure 6\" aria-describedby=\"Fig6\" height=\"765\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"//media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1186%2Fs12983-025-00568-0/MediaObjects/12983_2025_568_Fig6_HTML.jpg\" width=\"685\"/></picture><p>Heteromorphic colonies observed in 2022 (<b>a, b</b>) and 2024 (<b>c, d, e, f</b>). These specimens include one colony that is completely split in half (<b>a</b>) as well as a colony that has presumably regenerated (<b>b, c, d</b>). Colonies with large curved margins were also observed (<b>e, f</b>)</p><span>Full size image</span><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"16\" role=\"img\" width=\"16\"><use xlink:href=\"#icon-eds-i-chevron-right-small\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"></use></svg></figure><p>The original article [1] has been updated.</p><ol data-track-component=\"outbound reference\" data-track-context=\"references section\"><li data-counter=\"1.\"><p>Oguchi K, Maeno A, Yoshida K, et al. Zooid arrangement and colony growth <i>in Porpita porpita</i>. Front Zool. 2025;22:11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00565-3.</p><p>Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar </p></li></ol><p>Download references<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"16\" role=\"img\" width=\"16\"><use xlink:href=\"#ic","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"109 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144622331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transferable approaches to CRISPR-Cas9 induced genome editing in non-model insects: a brief guide","authors":"Hassan M. M. Ahmed, Lisha Zheng, Vera S. Hunnekuhl","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00566-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00566-2","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the large variety of insect species with divergent morphological, developmental and physiological features questions on gene function could for a long time only be addressed in few model species. The adaption of the bacterial CRISPR-Cas system for genome editing in eukaryotic cells widened the scope of the field of functional genetics: for the first time the creation of heritable genetic changes had become possible in a very broad range of organisms. Since then, targeted genome editing using the CRISPR-Cas technology has greatly increased the possibilities for genetic manipulation in non-model insects where molecular genetic tools were little established. The technology allows for site-specific mutagenesis and germline transformation. Importantly, it can be used for the generation of gene knock-outs, and for the knock-in of transgenes and generation of gene-reporter fusions. CRISPR-Cas induced genome editing can thus be applied to address questions in basic research in various insect species and other study organisms. Notably, it can also be used in applied insect biotechnology to design new pest and vector control strategies such as gene drives and precision guided Sterile Insect Technique. However, establishing CRISPR in a new model requires several practical considerations that depend on the scientific questions and on the characteristics of the respective study organism. Therefore, this review is intended to give a literature overview on different CRISPR-Cas9 based methods that have already been established in diverse insects. After discussing some required pre-conditions of the study organism, we provide a guide through experimental considerations when planning to conduct CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, such as the design and delivery of guide RNAs, and of Cas9 endonuclease. We discuss the use of different repair mechanisms including homology directed repair (HDR) for a defined insertion of genetic elements. Furthermore, we describe different molecular methods for genetic screening and the use of visible markers. We focus our review on experimental work in insects, but due to the ubiquitous functionality of the CRISPR-Cas system many considerations are transferable to other non-model organisms.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144568838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"To eat or to care? Factors shaping parental or infanticidal behaviours in male poison frogs during territory takeover","authors":"Leïla Perroulaz, Lauriane Bégué, Eva Ringler","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00567-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00567-1","url":null,"abstract":"Parental care is costly for the caregiver. Therefore, parents should be able to discriminate between their own and conspecific offspring to avoid costly misdirected care. Infanticide, the intentional killing of conspecific young by adult individuals, occurs in many animal taxa. It has been shown to have several benefits for the perpetrator, such as increasing mating opportunities, ensuring dominance, or reducing a competitor’s fitness; but infanticide may also minimise risks of misdirected parental care. Previous studies in Allobates femoralis, a poison frog with parental care, have shown that males transport all tadpoles present in their territory to water bodies, regardless of whether they have sired the clutch or not. However, when taking over a new territory, males cannibalise clutches from the previous territory holder. These findings raise the question as to which factors actually shape parental care and infanticidal behaviour in male A. femoralis after territory takeover. To answer this question, we designed a laboratory experiment, in which we tested males with different territorial status and recent mating activity. We recorded tadpole transport and cannibalism and compared the occurrence of these two behaviours across our different experimental conditions. We found that territory ownership, relatedness to clutches, and possibly also recent mating activity influenced parental behaviours. However, we were unable to clearly disentangle the factors influencing cannibalistic behaviours. Our results also confirmed that males use territorial recognition to discriminate between their own and unrelated offspring, and that they commit infanticide likely to avoid misdirected parental care. Transport and cannibalism appear to be impacted by several factors in different ways. We found that the territorial status and relatedness to the clutch both influence parental behaviours in male poison frogs, whereas the factors influencing infanticidal behaviours remain unclear. Therefore, transport and cannibalism appear to be two independent processes, and factors influencing one behaviour do not necessarily affect the other. Further studies should investigate associated neuroendocrine changes, to better understand the mechanisms underlying parental and infanticidal behaviour in poison frogs. Our findings suggest that the decision-making processes involved in tadpole transport and clutch cannibalism appear to be more complex than previously thought.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"70 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144547571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Zooid arrangement and colony growth in Porpita porpita","authors":"Kohei Oguchi, Akiteru Maeno, Keita Yoshida, Gaku Yamamoto, Hisanori Kohtsuka, Casey W. Dunn","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00565-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00565-3","url":null,"abstract":"The blue button, Porpita porpita (Porpitidae), is a highly integrated colonial animal—i.e., a superorganism. It has multiple genetically identical bodies (zooids) that arise from the same embryo and are functionally specialized for distinct tasks and arranged in precise patterns. Their colonies include a float, coenosarc, gastrozooid (feeding polyp), gonozooids (reproductive polyps), and dactylozooids (tentacle polyp). Colonies are fragile and difficult to culture, leaving much about their development and lifecycle unknown. We provide new insight into colony development of P. porpita with morphological observation and histological analysis using histological sections and micro-CT technology. From 2019 to 2024, we collected over 267 P. porpita specimens of varying sizes to study colony development. Morphological investigation revealed that the number and length of gastrozooids, gonozooids and dactylozooids increased with float size. Further observation by histological section and micro-CT technique revealed the internal structures of colonies, including gastrozooid, floats, and aboral chambers that connect various zooids. Immature gonozooids and dactylozooids were observed near mature ones, providing insight into their colony level development. In addition, some colonies showed irregular shapes, but still contained at least one gastrozooid, illustrating the structural variation within the species. Our study revealed that gonozooids and dactylozooids increased in both number and size as the colony develops. Moreover, the growth zones for dactylozooids are located at the boundary of the mantle and coenosarc, and gonozooids emerge along the entire epithelium between the gastrozooid and dactylozooids. Colony growth generally follows a pattern proportional to colony circumference and area, and some colonies show irregular shapes, suggesting they have high regenerative capabilities. Taken together, these findings enhance our understanding of the ecology and life history of P. porpita.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144341293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Restriction times on the rise: mechanistic modelling of activity time of grassland vipers (Vipera spp.) in the face of climate change","authors":"Edvárd Mizsei, Tibor Sos, Attila Móré, Bálint Wenner, Gergő Rák, Konrad Mebert","doi":"10.1186/s12983-025-00564-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-025-00564-4","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change threatens species adapted to cool alpine environments, particularly ectotherms like reptiles. Small-sized grassland specialist vipers inhabit such environments in Eurasia and are highly susceptible to overheating and dehydration as global temperature rises. This study modelled activity restriction times, defined as hours when environmental temperatures exceed the thermal tolerance (i.e. not available for essential activities) of the species, for 20 grassland viper taxa to assess climate change impacts. Under future conditions, hours of activity restriction are projected to increase by 21% by the SSP1-2.6 scenario, and by 52.1% by the SSP5-8.5 scenario. Elevation and latitude significantly influenced restriction time changes, with high-altitude and northern populations predicted to be most affected. The taxa Vipera graeca and Vipera ursinii moldavica are expected to experience the greatest increase in restriction times. Despite warmer conditions potentially increasing hours within preferred thermal ranges, vipers are unlikely to exploit lower-elevation habitats due to competition and ecological constraints. These findings emphasise the urgent need for conservation strategies, including habitat preservation and connectivity, to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on grassland vipers, particularly the most vulnerable populations.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144341294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}