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Evolution of the nuchal glands in snakes: origin, diversification, and secondary loss

Research Project

Project/Area Number 26440213
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Research Field Biodiversity/Systematics
Research InstitutionKyoto University

Principal Investigator

Mori Akira  京都大学, 理学研究科, 准教授 (80271005)

Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha) Hirohiko Takeuchi  京都大学, 大学院理学研究科, ポスドク (40726444)
Research Collaborator Mori Naoki  京都大学, 大学院農学研究科, 教授
Savitzky Alan H.  ユタ州立大学, 教授
Tang Yezhong  成都生物研究所, 教授
Li Ding  成都生物研究所, 准教授
Tsai Tein-shun  台湾国立ピントン科技大学, 助手
Nguyen Tao Thien  ベトナム国立自然博物館, 研究員
Das Indraneil  マレーシア大学ボルネオ校, 教授
Silva Anslem de  ペラデニア大学, 客員講師
Mahaulpatha Dharshani  スリジャヤワルダナプラ大学, 上級講師
Jono Teppei  成都生物研究所, ポスドク研究員
Project Period (FY) 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
Budget Amount *help
¥5,070,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,170,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Keywords進化 / 行動学 / 爬虫類学 / 防御行動 / 化学防衛 / ヘビ類 / 餌毒 / 防御機構 / 頸腺 / 国際研究者交流 / へビ類
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Rhabdophis tigrinus has peculiar defensive organs, called nuchal glands. This snake eats toads, which have toxic skin secretions, and sequesters the toxins to store in its glands. This species also shows peculiar defensive displays that enhance the effectiveness of the toxins for predator avoidance.
We confirmed the presence of similar organs in a total of 18 species of natricine snakes, which show diversified morphological features in the organs. Based on the molecular phylogenetic analysis, we inferred that the nuchal gland system has evolved only once in the ancestor of these species. A line of evidence we obtained suggests that some of those species, which mainly feed on earthworms, have changed the dietary source of nuchal gland toxins from toads to fireflies.

Report

(4 results)
  • 2016 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2015 Research-status Report
  • 2014 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (33 results)

All 2017 2016 2015 2014 Other

All Int'l Joint Research (12 results) Journal Article (9 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 6 results,  Peer Reviewed: 9 results,  Acknowledgement Compliant: 8 results,  Open Access: 1 results) Presentation (12 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 8 results)

  • [Int'l Joint Research] 中国科学院成都生物研究所(中国)

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ユタ州立大学(米国)

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] スリ・ジャヤワルダナプラ大学(スリランカ)

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ベトナム国立自然博物館(ベトナム)

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] マレーシア サラワク大学(マレーシア)

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research]

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] 中国科学院成都生物研究所(中国)

    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ユタ州立大学(米国)

    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] スリ・ジャヤワルダナプラ大学(スリランカ)

    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ベトナム国立自然博物館(ベトナム)

    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] マレーシア サワラク大学(マレーシア)

    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research]

    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
  • [Journal Article] Corticosteroid responses of snakes to toxins from toads (bufadienolides) and plants (cardenolides) reflect differences in dietary specializations2017

    • Author(s)
      Mohammadi, S., S. S. French, L. A. Neuman-Lee, S. L. Durham, Y. Kojima, A. Mori, E. D. Brodie Jr., and A. H. Savitzky
    • Journal Title

      General and Comparative Endocrinology

      Volume: 247 Pages: 16-25

    • DOI

      10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.03.015

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Journal Article] Do Tiger Keelback Snakes (Rhabdophis tigrinus) Recognize How Toxic They Are?2017

    • Author(s)
      Mori, A. and G. M. Burghardt
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Comparative Psychology

      Volume: 印刷中

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Journal Article] Rhabdophis conspicillatus (Red-bellied keelback). Morphology2016

    • Author(s)
      Mori, A., T. Jono, H. Takeuchi, and I. Das
    • Journal Title

      Herpetological Review

      Volume: 47 Pages: 482-483

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Journal Article] Toxin-resistant isoforms of Na./K.-ATPase in snakes do not closely track dietary specialization on toads2016

    • Author(s)
      Mohammadi, S., Z. Gompert, J. Gonzalez, H. Takeuchi, A. Mori and A. H. Savitzky
    • Journal Title

      Proceedings of the Royal Society B

      Volume: 283 Issue: 1842 Pages: 20162111-20162111

    • DOI

      10.1098/rspb.2016.2111

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Journal Article] Discovery of Nucho-dorsal Glands in <i>Rhabdophis adleri</i>2016

    • Author(s)
      Mori, A., T. Jono, L. Ding, G.-S. Zhu, J. Wang, H.-T. Shi & Y. Tang
    • Journal Title

      Current Herpetology

      Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Pages: 53-58

    • DOI

      10.5358/hsj.35.53

    • NAID

      130005128169

    • ISSN
      1345-5834, 1881-1019
    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Journal Article] Morphology of the nucho-dorsal glands and related defensive displays in three species of Asian natricine snakes2016

    • Author(s)
      Mori, A., T. Jono, H. Takeuchi, L. Ding, A. de Silva, D. Mahaulpatha & Y. Tang
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Zoology

      Volume: 印刷中

    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Journal Article] Taxonomic Validity and Phylogeography of the East Eurasian Natricine Snake, <i>Rhabdophis lateralis</i> (Berthold, 1859) (Serpentes: Colubridae), as Inferred from Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Data2014

    • Author(s)
      Takeuchi, H. , G.-X. Zhu, L. Ding, Y. Tang, H. Ota, A. Mori, H.-S. Oh, and T. Hikida
    • Journal Title

      Current Herpetology

      Volume: 33 Issue: 2 Pages: 148-153

    • DOI

      10.5358/hsj.33.148

    • NAID

      130004685135

    • ISSN
      1345-5834, 1881-1019
    • Related Report
      2014 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Journal Article] First reported case of systemic envenoming by the Sri Lankan keelback (Balanophis ceylonensis).2014

    • Author(s)
      Fernando, W. K. B. K. M., S.A.M. Kularatne, S.P.K. Wathudura, A. de Silva, A. Mori, and D. Mahaulpatha
    • Journal Title

      Toxicon

      Volume: 93 Pages: 20-23

    • DOI

      10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.11.219

    • Related Report
      2014 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Journal Article] Active foraging for toxic prey during gestation in a snake with maternal provisioning of sequestered chemical defences2014

    • Author(s)
      Kojima, Y, and A. Mori
    • Journal Title

      Proceedings of the Royal Society, B

      Volume: 282 Issue: 1798 Pages: 20142137-20142137

    • DOI

      10.1098/rspb.2014.2137

    • Related Report
      2014 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Presentation] ミミズ食ヘビによる有毒の外来ミミズの忌避学習2017

    • Author(s)
      城野 哲平,Ding, Li,Tang, Yezhong,森 哲
    • Organizer
      第64回日本生態学会大会
    • Place of Presentation
      東京
    • Year and Date
      2017-03-16
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] Exploring the nuchal glands: Unusual defensive organs of Asian natricine snakes2016

    • Author(s)
      Akira Mori
    • Organizer
      The 6th International Symposium on Asian Vertebrate Species Diversity
    • Place of Presentation
      ボゴール(インドネシア)
    • Year and Date
      2016-10-24
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Nuchal gland system: a novel defensive mechanism evolved in Asian natricine snakes2016

    • Author(s)
      Akira Mori, Teppei Jono, Hirohiko Takeuchi, Tatsuya Yoshida, Li Ding, Anslem de Silva, Tein-Shun Tsai, Tao Thien Nguyen, W. A. D Mahaulpatha, Indraneil Das, Guang-xiang Zhu, Yezhong Tang, Naoki Mori, Alan Savitzky, Gordon Burghardt
    • Organizer
      8th World Congress of Herpetology
    • Place of Presentation
      杭州(中国)
    • Year and Date
      2016-08-20
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Active foraging for toads by gravid females of Rhabdophis tigrinus2016

    • Author(s)
      Yosuke Kojima, Akira Mori
    • Organizer
      8th World Congress of Herpetology
    • Place of Presentation
      杭州(中国)
    • Year and Date
      2016-08-20
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Vascular morphology of the nucho-dorsal glands and physiological correlates of chemical defense in Rhabdophis2016

    • Author(s)
      Alan H. Savitzky, Akira Mori, and Shabnam Mohammadi
    • Organizer
      8th World Congress of Herpetology
    • Place of Presentation
      杭州(中国)
    • Year and Date
      2016-08-20
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Evolution of a special organ, nuchal gland, based on a molecular phylogeny of the Eurasian natricine snakes (Serpentes: Colubridae)2016

    • Author(s)
      Hirohiko Takeuchi, Akira Mori, Li Ding, Anslem de Silva, Indraneil Das, Tao Thien Nguyen, Tein-Shun Tsai, Teppei Jono, Guang-xiang Zhu, Dalshani Mahaulpatha, Ye-zhong Tang, Alan H. Savitzky
    • Organizer
      8th World Congress of Herpetology
    • Place of Presentation
      杭州(中国)
    • Year and Date
      2016-08-20
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Chemical analysis of bufadienolides in defensive glands of Asian Rhabdophis snakes2016

    • Author(s)
      Tatsuya Yoshida, Teppei Jono, Hirohiko Takeuchi, Naoko Yoshinaga, Li Ding, Yezhong Tang, Akira Mori, Naoki Mori
    • Organizer
      8th World Congress of Herpetology
    • Place of Presentation
      杭州(中国)
    • Year and Date
      2016-08-20
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] The chemical analysis of bufadienolides in defensive glands of the Asian Rhabdophis snake2016

    • Author(s)
      Tatsuya Yoshida, Teppei Jono, Hirohiko Takeuchi, Naoko Yoshinaga, Li Ding, Yezhong Tang, Akira Mori, and Naoki Mori
    • Organizer
      The 32th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology
    • Place of Presentation
      イグアス(ブラジル)
    • Year and Date
      2016-07-05
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] アジア産ユウダ亜科ヘビ類における頸背腺の形態の多様性と進化2015

    • Author(s)
      城野哲平, 竹内寛彦, Anslem de Silva, Tein-Shun Tsai, Indraneil Das, Nguyen Thien Tao, Dharshani Mahaulpatha, Shi Hai-Tao, Yezhong Tang
    • Organizer
      日本爬虫両棲類学会第54回大会
    • Place of Presentation
      東邦大学理学部(千葉県船橋市)
    • Year and Date
      2015-12-06
    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] The nucho-dorsal glands of Asian natricine snakes: Correlated evolution among diet, morphology, antipredator behavior, and defensive chemistry2015

    • Author(s)
      森 哲
    • Organizer
      四川省動物学会第10回会員代表大会第11次学術検討会
    • Place of Presentation
      楽山(中国)
    • Year and Date
      2015-09-19
    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] The nucho-dorsal glands of Asian natricine snakes: Correlated evolution among diet, morphology, antipredator behavior, and defensive chemistry2015

    • Author(s)
      Akira Mori, Hirohiko Takeuchi, Teppei Jono, Tatsuya Yoshida, Li Ding, Anslem de Silva, Tein-Shun Tsai, Tao Thien Nguyen, Dharshani Mahaulpatha, Indraneil Das, Yezhong Tang, Naoki Mori, Alan H. Savitzky, and Gordon M. Burghardt
    • Organizer
      34th International Ethological Conference
    • Place of Presentation
      ケアンズ(オーストラリア)
    • Year and Date
      2015-08-12
    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] アジア産ユウダ亜科ヘビ類3種における頚背腺と防御行動の観察2014

    • Author(s)
      森 哲、城野哲平、竹内寛彦、ディン・リ、デ・シルバ・アンスレム、マハウルパタ・ダルシャニ、タン・イェツォン
    • Organizer
      日本爬虫両棲類学会第53回大会
    • Place of Presentation
      神戸山手大学(神戸市)
    • Year and Date
      2014-11-08
    • Related Report
      2014 Research-status Report

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Published: 2014-04-04   Modified: 2022-02-16  

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