Geographical variation in the anti-predator behaviour of neonate garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis

Herzog, Harold; Schwartz, James M.

doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(05)80541-x

Cited by 29 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Small, non-venomous garter snakes (genus Thamnophis) are widespread in North America, are preyed upon by a diverse array of birds, mammals and reptiles, and display a complex repertoire of antipredator responses (Arnold & Bennett 1984;Herzog & Bailey 1987;Brodie 1989;Herzog et al 1989Herzog et al , 1992Herzog & Schwarz 1990;Rossman et al 1996;Passek & Gillingham 1997;Shine et al 2000Shine et al , 2003. These studies have shown that the responses of garter snakes are influenced by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predatory Attacks to the Head vs. Body Modify Behavioral Responses of Garter Snakes

2004

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An animal's response to predatory attack may depend upon which part of its body is the focus of that attack, because of differential vulnerability to injury. Many avian and mammalian predators direct attacks preferentially toward the prey's head, so simulated attacks that do not have this focus may elicit nonnatural responses. We ÔpeckedÕ 152 free-ranging adult male garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) in Manitoba either on the head or the midbody, and recorded their responses. The snakesÕ antipredator tactics were affected not only by body size (larger snakes performed threat displays more often) and body temperature (hotter snakes were more likely to flee), but also by location of the attack. Pecks to the head generally resulted in snakes coiling and hiding their heads, often simultaneously elevating and wriggling their tails in an apparent distraction display. In contrast, pecks to the midbody stimulated either escape responses, or (in snakes that did not flee) open-mouthed threat displays. More generally, antipredator tactics may respond in flexible ways to details of the predator-prey encounter (including attributes of the habitat as well as the morphology and behavior of both participants) and hence, experimental studies need to carefully simulate such details. The part of the body under attack may be an important factor in this respect.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predatory Attacks to the Head vs. Body Modify Behavioral Responses of Garter Snakes

2004

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Intraspecific variation in anti‐predator responses is common in reptiles. In addition to geographical variation (Herzog & Schwartz 1990; Burghardt & Schwartz 1999; Mori & Burghardt 2000), variation within and among individuals is caused by factors such as type of stimuli (Arnold & Bennett 1984; Mori et al. 1996), intensity of threatening stimuli (Scudder & Burghardt 1983; Burghardt 1991; Bowers et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Intraspeci®c variation in anti-predator responses is common in reptiles. In addition to geographical variation (Herzog & Schwartz 1990;Burghardt & Schwartz 1999;Mori & Burghardt 2000), variation within and among individuals is caused by factors such as type of stimuli (Arnold & Bennett 1984;Mori et al 1996), intensity of threatening stimuli (Scudder & Burghardt 1983;Burghardt 1991;Bowers et al 1993), age and sex (Herzog & Burghardt 1986, 1988, reproductive state (Bauwens & Thoen 1981;Goode & Duvall 1989;Graves 1989;Kissner et al 1997), feeding history (Herzog & Bailey 1987), and temperature (Rand 1964;Hertz et al 1982;Arnold & Bennett 1984;Schieelin & de Queiroz 1991;Kissner et al 1997). Of these factors, temperature (either ambient or body temperature) has been most intensively studied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature Effects on Anti‐Predator Behaviour in Rhabdophis tigrinus, a Snake with Toxic Nuchal Glands

Mori

Burghardt

2001

Ethology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many contextual factors affect the anti‐predator behaviour of animals. In ectotherms, in which most physiological activities depend on body temperature, ambient temperature is one of the most important of these factors. We examined the effects of temperature on the anti‐predator behaviour of an ectotherm, the Japanese grass snake (Rhabdophis tigrinus). This species has a large repertoire of anti‐predator behavioural responses. Among these responses are several anti‐predator displays that appear to be unique to this species and perhaps others in a small group of closely related species possessing nuchal glands containing toxic secretions that may be derived from their toxic toad diet. Snakes were tested at room temperatures of 14, 22 and 30°C with order of temperatures balanced. A long wand modified to simulate initial contact by a predator was used as the stimulus. Snakes exhibited rather passive responses (neck flatten, body flatten, neck arch and immobile) more frequently at low temperatures, and fled more frequently at high temperatures. The dorsal facing posture, a characteristic posture directed against the stimulus, was observed more frequently at low temperatures. Threatening, assertive responses such as strike were rarely observed. These results showed that R. tigrinus shifts its anti‐predator behaviour from multiple passive responses to active flight responses with increasing temperature. This snake species thus appears to rely more on its nuchal glands as a predator deterrent at low ambient temperatures. Consistent individual variation was also observed, and its adaptive and causal bases are discussed.

show abstract

“…Further investigation of linkages among apparent genetic variation in morphology and behaviour and hormonal control mechanisms are needed. Behavioural and morphological traits vary geographically in natricine snakes (Herzog & Schwartz, 1990;Grudzien et al, 1992;King, 1997;Queral-Regil, 1998;Burghardt & Schwartz, 1999;Bittner 2000). In addition, the degree of sexual dimorphism in body size and head dimensions varies among populations of T. sirtalis and among species of natricine snakes (Shine & Crews, 1988;Shine, 1991;Krause, Burghardt & Gillingham, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heritable variation in testosterone levels in male garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis)

2004

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Circulating testosterone levels were measured at 195, 318 and 437 days of age in 76 male garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) born to 26 wild-caught females. Testosterone levels increased significantly with increasing mass at all three ages and differed significantly among families at 318 and 437 days. 'Full-sib' estimates of heritability were near one at 318 and 437 days but these estimates may be inflated by maternal effects, dominance and epistasis. Evidence of heritable variation in circulating testosterone levels suggests that the evolution of traits affected by this hormone (reproductive, territorial and agonistic behaviour; body size and shape) might be mediated through changes in this hormonal control mechanism.

show abstract

Geographical variation in the anti-predator behaviour of neonate garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis

Cited by 29 publications

References 6 publications

Predatory Attacks to the Head vs. Body Modify Behavioral Responses of Garter Snakes

Predatory Attacks to the Head vs. Body Modify Behavioral Responses of Garter Snakes

Temperature Effects on Anti‐Predator Behaviour in Rhabdophis tigrinus, a Snake with Toxic Nuchal Glands

Heritable variation in testosterone levels in male garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About