I grew up in Cazenovia, New York (near Syracuse), where my family had a small horse farm.  With earlier expectations of becoming a horse veterinarian, I started at Michigan State University, however then transferred to Syracuse University, before transferring to the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry where I graduated majoring in Forest Biology.  A renewed interest in animal behavior and reptiles lead to a M.S. in Zoology at the University of Oklahoma with Charles Carpenter.  I continued west to UCLA for my PhD with Laurie Vitt where I compared the activities and energetics of the sympatric sit-and-wait foraging sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes) and the active foraging coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum).  Following my PhD, I continued at UCLA in the Department of Physiology in School of Medicine in a postdoc with Jared Diamond. There my interest and work changed to integrative physiology as we discovered the unprecedented regulation of gastrointestinal performance exhibited by infrequently feeding snakes.  This lead to the developing of the Burmese python as a model of extreme physiology.  Since, I have continued my comparative and integrative studies exploring the evolutionary and proximate mechanisms of intestinal response through my first faculty position at the University of Mississippi and now at the University of Alabama.  I have always been fortunate to have experienced the mentoring and opportunities to explore and discover unique biological phenomenon.

Charles Carpenter, Laurie Vitt, and Jared Diamond

Gretchen Anderson, M.S. 2015
Gretchen examined the ontogenetic shifts in organ position with snakes (organs move relatively forward in the body cavity with size) and the developmental mechanisms responsible for the shifts in organ position.
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Gretchen’s publications while in my lab
Anderson, G.E. and S. M Secor  2015. Differential growth of body segments explains ontogenetic shifts in organ position for the diamondback water snake (Nerodia rhombifer). Can J. Zool. 94:651-660.

Anderson, G.E. and S. M Secor  2015. Ontogenetic shifts and spatial associations in organ position for snakes. Zoology 118:403-422.

Matthew Smith, M.S. 2013

Matthew examined the estivation physiology of the three-toed amphiuma.  He found that in contrast to sirens, amphiumas do not form a cocoon during estivation and experience little alteration in metabolism and tissue performance with estivation.  

Matthew’s publication while in my lab

Smith, M.E. and S.M. Secor. 2016. Physiological responses to fasting and estivation for the three-toed amphiuma, Amphiuma tridactylum. Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 90:240-256. 

Scott Bessler, M.S.  2010
B.S. Northern Kentucky University
Scott examined the gradient of luminal pH between the python’s esophagus and stomach and the mechanism responsible for preventing the acidification of the lower region of the python’s esophagus.  Scott also published on the specific dynamic action of the garter snake.
 
Scott’s publications while in my lab.
Bessler, S. and S.M. Secor. 2012. Effects of feeding on luminal pH and morphology of the gastroesophageal junction of snakes.  Zoology 115:319-329.
 
Bessler, S.M., M.C. Stubblefield, G.R. Ultsch, and S.M. Secor. 2010. Determinants and modeling of specific dynamic action for the garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis. Can. J. Zool. 88:808-820.

Christian Cox, M.S. 2007
B.S. Iowa State University
Christian examined the integrative responses of gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal enzymes to fasting and feeding in the Burmese python.  Christian also examined in side projects determinants of anuran SDA, digestive efficiencies of Burmese pythons, cost of digesting raw and cooked meals, and the postprandial digestive responses of the diamondback watersnake.
Christian is currently an Associate Professor at Georgia Southern University
 
Christian’s publications while in my laboratory
Secor, S.M., J.A. Wooten, and C.L. Cox. 2007. Effects of meal size, meal type, and body temperature on the specific dynamic action of anuran. J. Comp. Physiol. B 177:165-182.
 
Boback, S.M., C.L. Cox, B.D. Ott, R. Carmody, R.W. Wrangham, and S.M. Secor. 2007. Cooking and grinding reduces the cost of meat digestion.  Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A 148:651-656.
 
Cox, C.L., and S.M. Secor.  2007. Determinants of energy efficiencies in juvenile Burmese pythons, Python molurus. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 148A:861-868.
 
Cox, C.L. and S.M. Secor.  2008. Matched regulation of gastrointestinal performance in the Burmese python, Python molurus. J. Exp. Biol. 211:1131-1140.
 
Cox, C.L. and S. M. Secor.  2010. Integrated postprandial responses of the diamondback watersnake, Nerodia rhombifer. Physiol. Biochem. Zool. Accepted

Brian Ott, M.S.  2006
B.S. College of Charleston
Brian’s research compared the postprandial metabolic and gastrointestinal responses to feeding and fasting among five species of pythons; African rock python, ball python, blood python, Burmese python, and reticulated python. 
 
Brian’s publications while in my laboratory
Ott, B.D., and S.M. Secor. 2007.  Adaptive regulation of digestive performance in the genus Python. J Exp. Biol. 210:340-356
 
Secor, S.M., and B.D. Ott. 2007.  Adaptive correlation between feeding habits and digestive physiology for boas and python. Pp. 257-268.  In: Biology of Boas and Pythons (R.W. Henderson and R. Powell, eds.). Eagle Mtn Publ.
 
Ott, B.D., and S.M. Secor.  2007.  The specific dynamic action of boas and pythons. Pp. 299-310.  In: Biology of Boas and Pythons (R.W. Henderson and R. Powell, eds.). Eagle Mtn Publ.
 
Boback, S.M., C.L. Cox, B.D. Ott, R. Carmody, R.W. Wrangham, and S.M. Secor. 2007. Cooking and grinding reduces the cost of meat digestion.  Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A 148:651-656.

Todd Castoe, Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington.
 
Todd and I are undertaking a series of studies on changes in gene expression with feeding and fasting for snakes and the evolution of gene expression programs for snakes.  We published the genome of the Burmese python in 2013 and have since published on gene expression studies of the Burmese python.

Stephen Mackessy, Department of Biological Sciences,  University of Northern Colorado
 
Steve, Todd Castoe, and I are examining changes in gene expression with feeding and fasting for the western rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridus)

Amit Choudhary, Broad Institute, MIT, Harvard University
Amit and I are investigating the interactions between python plasma and the trophic response and performance of human pancreatic beta cells.  Beta cells when exposed to plasma from fed pythons increase in size and insulin production.  Python plasma also provides protection to beta cells from lipotoxicity.  

​Dr. Jean-Herve Lignot, Centre d’Ecologie et Physiologie Energétiques, Strasbourg, France
 
Jean-Herve and I have explored the morphological as well as functional changes of the gastrointestinal epithelium of the pythons with feeding and fasting using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and immunocytochemistry.  We have also described a unique cell type in the intestines of vertebrates that is involved in intestinal calcium sequestering and release.  

Dr. Dale DeNardo, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
 
Together with Dale’s lab, we have explored for the Gila monster the regulatory role of their saliva protein Exendin-4 on their digestive performance.  Exendin-4 when administered to diabetic mammalian model stimulates insulin production and lowers blood glucose levels.  Still unknown is the function of this protein for the Gila monster.  We have also examined the postfeeding morphological and functional responses of the intestine of the western diamondback rattlesnake to feeding and fasting and the presence of a water storing bladder in viper boas

Dr. Martin Grosell and Dr. Andrew Esbaugh, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami
 
With Dr. Grosell’s lab, we examined postfeeding changes in gastric and intestinal metabolism and the capacity for gastric acid and intestinal base secretion of fasted and fed pythons and diamondback water snakes (published in JEB 2012).  With Andrew Esbaugh (currently at Univ Texas Marine Science Institute), we characterized circulating carbonic anhydrase and renal plasticity in the Burmese python (two papers published in CBP).