Peer Review #1 of "Conspicuous colours reduce predation rates in fossorial uropeltid snakes (v0.2)"

Abstract

Uropeltid snakes (Family Uropeltidae) are non-venomous, fossorial snakes that are found above ground occasionally, during which time they are exposed to predation. Many species are brightly coloured, mostly on the ventral surface, but these colours are expected to have no function below the ground. Observations have shown that the cephalic resemblance (resemblance to heads) of uropeltid tails may direct attacks of predators towards the hardened tails, thereby potentially increasing handling times for predators. Experiments have also shown that predators learn to avoid prey that are nontoxic and palatable but are difficult to capture, hard to process or require long handling time when such prey advertise their unprofitability through conspicuous colours. We here postulate that uropeltid snakes use their bright colours to signal long handling times associated with attack deflection to the tails, thereby securing reduced predation from predators that can learn to associate colour with handling time. Captive chicken experiments with dough models mimicking uropeltids indicate that attacks were more common on the tail than on the head. Field experiments with uropeltid clay models show that the conspicuous colours of these snakes decrease predation rates compared to cryptic models, but a novel conspicuous colour did not confer such a benefit. Overall, our experiments provide support for our hypothesis that the conspicuous colours of these snakes reduce predation, possibly because these colours advertise unprofitability due to long handling times.Manuscript to be reviewed 35 Abstract 36 Uropeltid snakes (Family Uropeltidae) are non-venomous, fossorial snakes that are found above 37 ground occasionally, during which time they are exposed to predation. Many species are brightly 38 coloured, mostly on the ventral surface, but these colours are expected to have no function below 39 the ground. Observations have shown that the cephalic resemblance (resemblance to heads) of 40 uropeltid tails may direct attacks of predators towards the hardened tails, thereby potentially 41 increasing handling times for predators. Experiments have also shown that predators learn to 42 avoid prey that are non-toxic and palatable but are difficult to capture,hard to process or require 43 long handling time when such prey advertise their unprofitability through conspicuous colours. 44 We here postulate that uropeltid snakes use their bright colours to signal long handling times 45 associated with attack deflection to the tails, thereby securing reduced predation from predators 46 that can learn to associate colour with handling time. Captive chicken experiments with dough 47 models mimicking uropeltids indicate that attacks were more common on the tail than on the 48 head. Field experiments with uropeltid clay models show that the conspicuous colours of these 49 snakes decrease predation rates compared to cryptic models, but a novel conspicuous colour did 50 not confer such a benefit. Overall, our experiments provide support for our hypothesis ...