Abstract
The gut microbiota contributes to host health by facilitating nutrient
uptake, digestion, energy metabolism, intestinal development, vitamin
synthesis, and immunomodulation, and plays an important role in the
growth and reproduction of the animal itself. Considering the paucity of
research on the gut microbiota of wild snakes, this study focused on
bamboo pitviper (Viridovipera stejnegeri ) populations from Anhui,
Guizhou, and Hunan, with multiple fecal samples collected from each
population (six, five, and three, respectively). Total microbial DNA was
extracted from the fecal samples using metagenomic next-generation
sequencing and differences in gut microbial composition, abundance, and
carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were analyzed among the three
populations. Results showed no significant variance in the α-diversity
of the gut microbes across the three populations, while principal
coordinate analysis revealed significant differences in gut microbe
composition. The four most abundant phyla in the gut microbiota ofV. stejnegeri were Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, Actinomycetota,
and Bacillota, while the four most abundant genera wereSalmonella , Citrobacter , Bacteroides , andYokenella . Linear discriminant analysis effect size demonstrated
notable differences in gut microbial abundance among the three
populations. Marked differences in CAZyme abundance were also observed
across the microbial communities. Future studies should incorporate
diverse ecological factors to evaluate their influence on the
composition and function of gut microbiota. This integrated approach,
alongside detailed functional analysis of microbiota, should deepen our
understanding of gut microbial dynamics in wild snakes.