Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Graham, Sean Patrick Author's Email Address Thronateeska@yahoo.com URN etd-11292006-135640 Title An Integrative Analysis of Reproduction and Stress in Free-Living Male Cottonmouths, Agkistrodon Piscivorus Degree Master of Science Department Biology Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Matthew Grober Committee Chair Andrew Clancy Committee Member Gordon Schuett Committee Member Keywords
- sexual segment of the kidney
- spermatogenic cycle
- corticosterone
- testosterone
- Agkistrodon piscivorus
- cottonmouth
- Reptilia
- handling stress
- seasonal
Date of Defense 2006-10-23 Availability unrestricted Abstract I conducted an integrative field study on male cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus), a common pitviper of the southeastern United States, to investigate the evolution of contrasting mating patterns in North American pitvipers (bimodal and unimodal annual patterns) and resolve conflicting information about the pattern exhibited by the cottonmouth. I determined a unimodal late summer peak of testosterone (T) and a muted unimodal seasonal cycle of the sexual segment of the kidney (a secondary sexual characteristic), both of which were correlated with the single peak of spermatogenesis in late summer. I also conducted a study to determine diel and seasonal variation of corticosterone (CORT), the effect of captive handling on CORT, and the relationship between CORT and T after captive handling, and detected a significant elevation of CORT and a significant decrease of T after capture in male cottonmouths, as well as a significant negative correlation between CORT and T.Files
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