title: Climatic and geographic predictors of life history variation in Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus): A range-wide synthesis.
abstract: Elucidating how life history traits vary geographically is important to understanding variation in population dynamics. Because many aspects of ectotherm life history are climate-dependent, geographic variation in climate is expected to have a large impact on population dynamics through effects on annual survival, body size, growth rate, age at first reproduction, size-fecundity relationship, and reproductive frequency. The Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) is a small, imperiled North American rattlesnake with a distribution centered on the Great Lakes region, where lake effects strongly influence local conditions. To address Eastern Massasauga life history data gaps, we compiled data from 47 study sites representing 38 counties across the range. We used multimodel inference and general linear models with geographic coordinates and annual climate normals as explanatory variables to clarify patterns of variation in life history traits. We found strong evidence for geographic variation in six of nine life history variables. Adult female snout-vent length and neonate mass increased with increasing mean annual precipitation. Litter size decreased with increasing mean temperature, and the size-fecundity relationship and growth prior to first hibernation both increased with increasing latitude. The proportion of gravid females also increased with increasing latitude, but this relationship may be the result of geographically varying detection bias. Our results provide insights into ectotherm life history variation and fill critical data gaps, which will inform Eastern Massasauga conservation efforts by improving biological realism for models of population viability and climate change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Eric T
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7044-370X
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Hileman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: Seneca Park Zoo, Rochester, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Adamski
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, The Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Anton
authors.affiliation: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Robyn L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.affiliation: Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nickolas D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Bieser
authors.affiliation: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, Grass Lake, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bissell
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Danielle R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Bradke
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Campa
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Field Station, Saukville, Wisconsin, United States of America.
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Casper
authors.affiliation: Ojibway Nature Centre, City of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cedar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, United States of America.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Brett A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: DeGregorio
authors.affiliation: Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dreslik
authors.affiliation: Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Faust
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Turtles for Tomorrow, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.affiliation: Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
authors.forename: Benjamin C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Jellen
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Brent D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, State University of New York Potsdam, Potsdam, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Brooke D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Kiel
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States of America.
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kingsbury
authors.affiliation: Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.affiliation: Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Michigan State University Extension, Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yu Man
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Toronto Zoo, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lentini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States of America.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Forest Preserve District of Lake County, Libertyville, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mauger
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
authors.forename: Rori A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Paloski
authors.affiliation: Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Ojibway Nature Centre, City of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.affiliation: Ojibway Nature Centre, City of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Preney
authors.affiliation: Parks Canada, Gatineau, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Kent A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.affiliation: Parks Canada, Midland, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Promaine
authors.affiliation: United States Fish & Wildlife Service, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Redmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey, United States of America.
authors.forename: Howard K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Reinert
authors.affiliation: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeremy D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rouse
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kevin T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Shoemaker
authors.affiliation: Parks Canada, Midland, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.affiliation: Stantec Consulting Services Inc, Independence, Iowa, United States of America.
authors.forename: Terry J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: VanDeWalle
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Weatherhead
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wynn
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Natural Resources, Vineland Station, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yagi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057231:Climate Change; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006114:Great Lakes Region; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D017819:Viperidae / Q000502:physiology*