Особливості популяцій Natrix tessellata (Reptilia, Colubridae) Придніпров’я Північної Степової Підзони
Journal Title: Питання біоіндикації та екології - Year 2016, Vol 21, Issue 1
Abstract
Dice snake Natrix tessellata (Laurenti, 1768) is one of the most common snake species in the southern Palearctic and North Africa. Identification of ecological, morphological and phenetic features of the dice snake populations in different ecosystems is significant because they can reflect the microevolutional processes and animal adaptations to certain living conditions. The study of intraspecific variation is important for monitoring of populations and their habitats under permanent strengthening of anthropogenic load. The purpose of the research is a comparative analysis of the dice snake populations’ structures in the Dnieper area in the North Steppe Subzone. The studies were conducted in 2013–2016 in three habitats: areas adjacent to the Prydniprovska Thermal Power Plant (Prydniprovsk, Dnipro city) (48.400716°N 35.113721°E), Maiorova gully Dnipropetrovsk province) (48.262769°N 35.169007°E) and the National Nature Park «Velykyi Lug» (Zaporizhia province) (47.447652°N 35.133827°E). We investigated the following indices: snout-vent length (SVL), tail length (TL) and body mass. Based on these data the total body length (SVL + TL) and the index of fatness (A = m / (SVL + TL)3) were calculated. For ease of use and analysis the value of A was multiplied by 10⁴. Statistical data processing was carried out by the calculation of the mean value, the median, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, minimal and maximal values in the samples. The validity of differences between the studied samples was evaluated using MANOVA (Statistica 10, StatSoft Inc., USA). The differences were considered as significant at P <0.05. The study found that the dice snake populations’ densities exceed the published data from many other areas. The abundance demonstrates that the populations of the dice snake in the studied areas are numerous and do not require special protection measures if natural ecosystems persist. The sex structure of the populations in dependence of a season and ecosystem was determined. The studied dice snake populations are characterized by certain sexual dimorphism manifested as high body mass and total length of the females. But the value of the fatness has no observed gender differences. These parameters are characterized by the same interpopulation differences. For all the studied populations dissimilar sex ratios were marked: both seasonal intrapopulation and interpopulation differences. With increasing of the anthropogenic load the proportion of females significantly increases in a population, reaching the highest value in the population from habitats adjacent to the Prydniprovska TPP. Such changes (the prevalence of females) may be adaptive under conditions of chemical contamination of an ecosystem. Дана характеристика популяций водяного ужа Natrix tessellata (Laurenti, 1768), обитающих в экосистемах, различных по уровню антропогенной нагрузки. Исследовали плотность популяций, половую структуру, показатели массы тела, общей длины и упитанности. Материал собран на территории Приднепровской ТЭС (Приднепровск, г. Днепр), биотопов Национального природного парка «Великий Луг» (Запорожская область) и Майоровой балки (с. Майорка, Днепропетровский район, Днепропетровская область) в период 2013–2016 гг. Статистически значимые различия определены для особенностей половой структуры популяций и размерно-весовых показателей. В каждой исследуемой популяции выявлены достоверные различия между самками и самцами по показателям массы и общей длины тела. При этом для показателя упитанности не установлено гендерных различий.
Authors and Affiliations
В. Я. Гассо, С. В. Ермоленко, А. Н. Гагут V. Y. Gasso, S. V. Yermolenko, A. M. Hahut
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