Wildlife populations worldwide are increasingly threatened by emerging infectious diseases, which can exacerbate declines already caused by habitat loss, environmental stressors, and human activities. The fitness consequences of exposure to emerging diseases remain poorly understood for most host-pathogen systems, particularly for neglected taxa like squamates. This dissertation investigates the effects of two major diseases, pentastomiasis caused by Raillietiella orientalis and fungal infections caused by Ophidiomyces ophidiicola and Paranannizziopsis spp., on the fitness and survival of the pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) in Florida. The first chapter will explore the spatiotemporal variation in pathogen prevalence and severity across 12 sites in Florida. Chapter two will focus on the relationship between immunogenetic diversity and disease phenotypes. Chapter three measures and compares the genomic diversity between declining and stable populations of S. miliarius. Chapter 4 studies disease progression, growth rates, and survivorship at three mark-recapture study sites with varying spatiotemporal disease pressures.These data will be critical for understanding how disease pressures may shape and be shaped by the current adaptive potential and historical demography of these populations.
Jenna Noel Palmisano
Dr. Anna Savage
Read More