Akira MORI

E-mail: gappa@ethol.zool.kyoto-u.ac.jp

研究紹介

　私は、ヘビ類の採餌行動と対捕食者行動の機能と進化について、三つのテーマを中心に研究をすすめています。一つ目は、頚腺という特殊な器官を備えたヤマカガシの対捕食者行動に関するもので、脊椎動物の中でも13種のヘビ類にのみ発見されている頚腺の機能や構造、生理的メカニズムの解明を、米国の研究者と共同ですすめています。特に、頚腺毒成分が餌のヒキガエル由来であることを実験的に検証し、現在、餌毒の再利用に関わる行動学的、生理学的研究を進めています。二つ目は、沖縄の山原に生息するヒメハブの採餌生態に関するもので、待ち伏せ型の捕食者であるヒメハブの行動をラジオテレメトリーで追跡して、採餌場所への移動パターンを調べたり、餌条件の異なる島での採餌行動の違いなどを調べています。三つ目は、島嶼個体群におけるシマヘビの採餌行動、餌認知、および、対捕食者行動の地理的変異に関するもので、同所的に存在する餌動物や捕食者の相違に対応して採餌行動や対捕食者行動がいかに異なるかを明らかにし、行動の小進化の解明を試みようとしています。また、当研究室の院生や他大学の研究者とチームを組んで、マダガスカル乾燥林での爬虫両棲類の生態学的・行動学的研究もすすめており、独自の適応放散を遂げたマダガスカルの脊椎動物群集内における、種間の行動的相互作用の解明に取り組んでいます。


Research Interests

Foraging behavior, Antipredator behavior, Predator-prey interaction, Herpetology (especially snakes and lizards)


Current Topics

Study on the function and physiology of the nuchal glands of a colubrid snake, Rhabdophis tigrinus, in particular, behavioral and physiological relationships with the dietary sequestration of the defensive chemical compounds of the glands
Field study on foraging behavior of a sit-and-wait predator, Trimeresurus okinavensis, a small pit viper on a subtropical Island
Research on behavioral interactions among reptiles and birds living in a dry forest of Madagascar


Recent Publications
before 2015

  • Mori, A., Jono, T., Ding, L., Zhu, G.-S., Wang, J., Shi, H.-T. & Tang, Y. 2016. Discovery of nucho-dorsal glands in Rhabdophis adleri. Current Herpetology 35(1): 53-58. DOI
  • Miralles, A., T. Jono, A. Mori, R. Gandola, J. Erens, J. Köhler, F. Glaw and M. Vences. 2016. A new perspective on the reduction of cephalic scales in fossorial legless skinks (Squamata, Scincidae). Zoological Scripta 45: 380–393. DOI
  • Mori, A., T. Jono, H. Takeuchi, L. Ding, A. de Silva, D. Mahaulpatha & Y. Tang. 2016. Morphology of the nucho-dorsal glands and related defensive displays in three species of Asian natricine snakes. Journal of Zoology 300(1): 18–26. DOI
  • Nishiumi, N. and Mori, A. 2016. Immobile defence of a frog distracts attention of approaching predators to other prey. Behaviour 153(12): 1387–1401. DOI
  • Mori, A., T. Jono, H. Takeuchi, and I. Das. 2016. Rhabdophis conspicillatus (Red-bellied keelback). Morphology. Herpetological Review. 47(3): 482–483.
  • Mori, A. and Nagata, E. 2016. Relying on a single anuran species: Feeding ecology of a snake community on Kinkasan Island, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Current Herpetology 35(2): 106–114. DOI
  • Mohammadi, S., Z. Gompert, J. Gonzalez, H. Takeuchi, A. Mori and A. H. Savitzky. 2016. Toxin-resistant isoforms of Na./K.-ATPase in snakes do not closely track dietary specialization on toads. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 283(1842): 20162111. DOI
  • Mori, A. and R. Ito. 2017. Antipredator Behavior. In: APA Handbook of Comparative Psychology Volume 1. (J. Call, ed.), American Psychological Association, Washington DC. pp.833-852.
  • Ito, R., T. Randrianarisoa, and A. Mori. 2017. How common is heterospecific eavesdropping in lizards? Test using a Madagascan gerrhosaurid. Current Herpetology 36(1): 46–53. DOI
  • Mohammadi, S., S. S. French, L. A. Neuman-Lee, S. L. Durham, Y. Kojima, A. Mori, E. D. Brodie Jr., and A. H. Savitzky. 2017. Corticosteroid responses of snakes to toxins from toads (bufadienolides) and plants (cardenolides) reflect differences in dietary specializations. General and Comparative Endocrinology 247: 16–25. DOI
  • Mori, A. and G. M. Burghardt. 2017. Do tiger keelback snakes (Rhabdophis tigrinus) recognize how toxic they are? Journal of Comparative Psychology 131(3), 257-265. DOI
  • Okamoto, K., H. Yasumuro, A. Mori, and Y. Ikeda. 2017. Unique arm-flapping behavior of the pharaoh cuttlefish, Sepia pharaonis: putative mimicry of a hermit crab. Journal of Ethology. 35:307–311. DOI
  • Rakotoarison, A., M. D. Scherz, F. Glaw, J. Köhler, F. Andreone, M. Franzen, J. Glos , O. Hawlitschek, T. Jono, A. Mori, S. H. Ndriantsoa, N. R. Raminosoa, J. C. Riemann, M.-O. Rödel, G. M. Rosa, D. R. Vieites, A. Crottini, and M. Vences. 2017. Describing the smaller majority: integrative taxonomy reveals twenty-six new species of tiny microhylid frogs (genus Stumpffia) from Madagascar. Vertebrate Zoology 67(3): 271-398.
  • Mohammadi, S., G. Petschenka, S. S. French, A. Mori, and A. H. Savitzky. 2018. Snakes exhibit tissue-specific variation in cardiotonic steroid sensitivity of Na+/K+-ATPase. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B. 217: 21–26. DOI
  • Mori, A. and M. Toda. 2018. Body temperature of subtropical snakes at night: How cold is their blood? Current Herpetology 37(2): 151–157. DOI
  • Takeuchi, H., A. H. Savitzky, L. Ding, A. de Silva, I. Das, T. T. Nguyen, T.-S. Tsai, T. Jono, G.-X. Zhu, D. Mahaulpatha, Y. Tang, and A. Mori. 2018. Evolution of nuchal glands, unusual defensive organs of Asian natricine snakes (Serpentes: Colubridae), inferred from a molecular phylogeny. Ecology and Evolution. 8:10219-10232. DOI
  • Yang C.-K. and A. Mori 2018. Indotyphlops braminus (Brahminy Blindsnake) and Dinodon rufozonatum (= Lycodon rufozonatus) (Red-banded Snake). Predation and Diet. Herp. Rev. 49(3): 549.
  • Ramamonjisoa, N and A. Mori. 2019. Temporal variation in behavioral responses to dietary cues from a gape‐limited predator in tadpole prey: A test of the phylogenetic relatedness hypothesis. Ethology. DOI
  • Mori, A., H. Ota, and K. Hirate. 2019. Defensing resources on isolated islands: Snakes compete for hatchling sea turtles. In: Islands and Snakes. Isolation and Adaptive Evolution. H. B. Lillywhite and M. Martins (eds.), pp. 288–309. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Ramamonjisoa, N and A. Mori. 2019. Growth, developmental, and size structure responses in tadpole prey under increasing threat from gape-limited newts. Can. J. Zool. 97: 1116–1121. DOI
  • Tatsuya Yoshida, Rinako Ujiie, Alan H. Savitzky, Teppei Jono, Takato Inoue, Naoko Yoshinaga, Shunsuke Aburaya, Wataru Aoki, Hirohiko Takeuchi, Li Ding, Qin Chen, Chengquan Cao, Tein-Shun Tsai, Anslem de Silva, Dharshani Mahaulpatha, Tao Thien Nguyen, Yezhong Tang, Naoki Mori, and Akira Mori. 2020. Dramatic dietary shift maintains sequestered toxins in chemically defended snakes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117(11): 5964-5969. DOI
  • Nishiumi, N. and Mori, A. 2020. A game of patience between predator and prey: waiting for opponent’s action determines successful capture or escape. Can. J. Zool. 98: 351-357. DOI
  • Piao, Y., Chen, Z., Wu, Y., Shi, S., Takeuchi, H., Jono, T., Fukuda, M., Mori, A., Tang, Y., Chen, Q., and Ding, L. 2020. A New Species of the Genus Rhabdophis Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Colubridae) in Southwestern Sichuan, China. Asian Herpetological Research 11(2): 95–107. DOI
  • Kobayashi, K. and Mori, A. 2020. Site fidelity of Gekko japonicus to artificially lit environments. Current Herpetology 39(2): 184–195. DOI
  • Inoue, T., Nakata, R., Savitzky, H. A., Yoshinaga, N., Mori, A. and Mori, N. 2020. Variation in bufadienolide composition of parotoid gland secretion from three taxa of Japanese toads. Journal of Chemical Ecology 46: 997–1009. DOI
  • Hamanaka, K. and Mori, A. 2020. Toxicity of venom from the mamushi, Gloydius blomhoffii, (Squamata, Crotalinae) to centipedes. Toxicon 188: 11–15. DOI
  • Fukuda, M. and Mori, A. 2021. Does an Asian natricine snake, Rhabdophis tigrinus, have chemical preference for a skin toxin of toads? Current Herpetology 40: 1-9. DOI
  • Mori, A. 2021. Ecological Traits of a Common Japanese Pit Viper, the Mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffii), in Kyoto, with a Brief Geographic Comparison. Current Herpetology 40: 92-102. DOI
  • Matsumoto, K. and Mori, A. 2021. Adaptive foraging strategy of an insular snake (Lycodon semicarinatus, Colubridae) feeding on patchily distributed nests of sea turtles. Behaviour DOI
  • Inoue, Takato, Ryu Nakata, Alan H. Savitzky, Naoko Yoshinaga, Akira Mori, Naoki Mori. 2021. New Insights into Dietary Toxin Metabolism: Diversity in the Ability of the Natricine Snake Rhabdophis tigrinus to Convert Toad‑Derived Bufadienolides. Journal of Chemical Ecology (2021) 47: 915–925. DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01287-6 DOI
  • Matsumoto, K., Kayo, M., and Mori, A. 2021. Preserved food for snakes: predation on naturally made “pidan” eggs in sea turtle nests on the insular beach. Ecology 102(11), 2021, e03477. DOI
  • Kodama, T., Mamoru T., & A. Mori. 2021. Host resistance to ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in a pit viper, Gloydius tsushimaensis, (Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae) observed in the field. International Journal of Acarology DOI
  • Mochida, K. and Mori, A. 2021. Antipredator behavior of newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster) against snakes. Plos ONE 16(11): e0258218. DOI
  • Yang C.-K. and A. Mori. 2021. The green bamboo pit viper, Trimeresurus stejnegeri, discriminates chemical stimuli among anuran species. Current Herpetology 40: 92-102. DOI
  • Fukuda, Masaya, Rinako UjIIe, Takato Inoue, Qin Chen, Chengquan Cao, Li Ding, Naoki Mori, and Akira Mori. 2022. Do predators prefer toxic animals? A case of chemical discrimination by an Asian snake that sequesters firefly toxins. Current Zoology, 68: 627–634. DOI
  • Zhu, Guangxiang, Shijun Yang, Alan H. Savitzky, Yuqi Cheng, Akira Mori, Li Ding, Dingqi Rao, Qin Wang. 2022. Cryptic diversity and phylogeography of the Rhabdophis nuchalis group (Squamata: Colubridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 166, 107325. DOI
  • Fukuyama, Ryobu, Akihiro Itoigawa, and Akira Mori. 2022. Multimale breeding aggregations by “many-friends” snakes: courtship behaviours by Malagasy Pseudoxyrhophiine snakes, Dromicodryas bernieri and D. quadrilineatus, and their sexual size dimorphism. Herpetozoa, 35: 225–229. DOI
  • Kobayashi, Kohei, Takashi Hotta, Osamu Sakai, and Akira Mori. 2023. Investigation of mechanisms underlying a light approaching behavior in a house gecko by comparative and learning experiments. Behavioural Processes 205:104806. DOI
  • Anita, S. and Hamidy, A., Mulyadi, and Mori, A. 2022. Effects of body size and condition on antipredator behavior related to nuchal glands in Rhabdophis subminiatus. Journal of Herpetology. 56(4): 454–460. DOI
  • Inoue, Takato, Akira Mori, Naoko Yoshinaga, and Naoki Mori. 2023. Intrinsic factors associated with dietary toxin quantity and concentration in the nuchal glands of a natricine snake Rhabdophis tigrinus. Journal of Chemical Ecology. DOI
    • Laboratory of Ethology, Kyoto University