CONCLUSIONS
The composition and abundance of gut microbiota in V. stejnegeri differed from those of other examined snake species. Notably, the gut
bacteria of V. stejnegeri encompassed 47 phyla, 101 classes, 214
orders, 514 families, and 1 951 genera. The top four most abundant
phyla were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and
Firmicutes, respectively, while the four most abundant genera wereSalmonella , Citrobacter , Bacteroides , andYokenella , with S. enterica , a pathogenic intestinal
bacterium, showing the highest relative abundance. The four most
abundant CAZymes in the gut microbiota of V. stejnegeri were GT2,
GT4, GH23, and GT51. Significant differences were observed in the PCoA
and LEfSe analyses of the gut microbiota among the three populations, as
well as in the composition and abundance of CAZymes. Our study indicated
that these population differences in gut microbial composition and
abundance were not related to genetic differentiation but may be
associated with differences in altitude and habitat. We hypothesized
that variations in Bacteroides contributed to differences in
CAZyme composition and abundance among the three populations. Future
research should expand the host range to further explore the
relationship between more geographic populations and gut microbiota, and
to analyze the specific functions of the gut microbiota in conjunction
with gut contents.