After missing our last outing due to commitments at the SHI conference, we are back again to present the latest news. In this edition, we focus on a paper that has just been accepted for publication in Acta Herpetologica.

With its extremely limited geographical range and highly fragmented habitat, characterized by unique ecological conditions, Vipera walser is now recognized as one of the most threatened snake species in the world, often regarded as an evolutionary dead end. In this challenging ecological context, the impact of pathogens and stressors poses a significant risk to the remaining populations of V. walser. 

Recently, the general stress and health condition of the populations was assessed by analyzing their leukocyte formula, a widely used method for identifying inflammation and infection. To this end, blood samples were collected from 20 adult individuals captured over the entire home range of the species.

The analysis revealed that, regardless of sex, lymphocytes were the most prevalent leukocytes, followed by eosinophils, heterophils, neutrophils, and monocytes. The leukogram of V. walser aligns with those observed in other families, including Viperidae, Colubridae, Pythonidae, and Boidae.

Notably, the relatively low levels of heterophils combined with high levels of lymphocytes suggest that the analyzed individuals may not be suffering from significant stress or health issues. However, further investigations are necessary to corroborate these findings, taking into account the Body Condition Index and the resilience of sister species in facing similar environmental threats.

Preview the full paper here.

See you in two weeks.