Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://biore.bio.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/192
Title: Unexpected life history traits in a very dense population of dice snakes
Authors: Ajtić, Rastko
Tomović, Ljiljana 
Sterijovski, Bogoljub
Crnobrnja-Isailović, Jelka
Djordjević, Sonja 
Djurakić, Marko
Golubović, Ana 
Simović, Aleksandar
Arsovski, Dragan
Andjelković, Marko
Krstić, Milivoj
Šukalo, Goran
Gvozdenović, Sladjana
Aïdam, Aurelie
Michel, Catherine Louise
Ballouard, Jean Marie
Bonnet, Xavier
Keywords: Colour polymorphism;Juveniles;Macedonia;Mark recapture study;Mortality;Natural history;Population density;Predation;Reproduction;Sexual dimorphism;Snake
Issue Date: 1-May-2013
Project: Diversity of the amphibians and reptiles on the Balkan Peninsula: evolutionary and conservation aspects 
Evolution in Heterogeneous Environments: Adaptation Mechanisms, Biomonitoring and Conservation of Biodiversity 
French Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia
French Cultural Centre in Belgrade
Journal: Zoologischer Anzeiger
Abstract: 
A population of dice snakes (Natrix tessellata) monitored since 2008 in a small island (18. ha, 850. m a.s.l., FYR of Macedonia) revealed unforeseen patterns for snakes living in temperate climates. More than 5000 individuals have been marked and the density is one of the highest ever recorded (>500 resident snakes per hectare). Reproductive and mortality rates are elevated, suggesting a high population turnover. These traits evoke a tropical rather than a temperate-climate ophidian demographic system. The population is highly polymorphic, three colour morphs (dotted, grey, and black) are observed in both sexes and each morph is represented by large numbers of individuals. This polymorphism pattern was not previously documented in snakes. Data obtained for other life history traits (e.g. body size, size at maturity, clutch size, diet, predation) markedly diverged in comparison to available information. Overall, our results reinforce the notion that the strong inter-population variability (often mediated by phenotypic plasticity) of snakes should be taken into account over large geographic scales; otherwise attempts to derive general patterns may well be strongly biased. © 2012 Elsevier GmbH.
URI: https://biore.bio.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/192
ISSN: 0044-5231
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2012.10.001
Appears in Collections:Journal Article

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