Reproduction by Female Bullsnakes (<i>Pituophis catenifer sayi</i>) in the Nebraska Sandhills

Iverson, John B.; Young, Cameron A.; Akre, Thomas S.; Griffiths, Christopher

doi:10.1894/0038-4909-57.1.58

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 58 publications

(86 reference statements)

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“…The mass of Bullsnakes may have consisted of gravid females that formed an aggregation for thermoregulatory advantages before oviposition. Indeed, the date of observation coincides with the typical timing of oviposition (Wright 2008;Iverson et al 2012). One of the known females in the mass had recently migrated to the nest site from its normal home range roughly 1.2 km away and was presumed gravid for this reason.…”

Section: Literature Citedmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…Bullsnakes have been well studied outside of their Canadian range (e.g., Fitch 1982;Moriarty and Linck 1998;Kapfer et al 2008aKapfer et al ,b,c, 2010Iverson et al 2012), and knowledge of Bullsnake ecology in Canada has expanded greatly in recent years (e.g., Didiuk 2003;Kissner and Nicholson 2003;Wright 2008Wright , 2016Martinson 2009;Fortney et al 2012;Martino et al 2012;Gardiner et al 2013;COSEWIC 2017;Somers et al 2017;Edkins et al 2018;Powell et al 2018). However, there are still important knowledge gaps in terms of whether they behave differently at the northern periphery of their range relative to ar-eas further south.…”

Section: Literature Citedmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lepitzki¹

2020

Can Field Nat

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The objectives of this Club shall be to promote the appreciation, preservation, and conservation of Canada's natural heritage; to encourage investigation and publish the results of research in all fields of natural history and to diffuse information on these fields as widely as possible; to support and cooperate with organizations engaged in preserving, maintaining, or restoring environments of high quality for living things.

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Section: Literature Citedmentioning

confidence: 61%

Section: Literature Citedmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lepitzki¹

2020

Can Field Nat

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mentioning

confidence: 61%

“…Bullsnakes have been well studied outside of their Canadian range (e.g., Fitch 1982;Moriarty and Linck 1998;Kapfer et al 2008aKapfer et al ,b,c, 2010Iverson et al 2012), and knowledge of Bullsnake ecology in Canada has expanded greatly in recent years (e.g., Didiuk 2003; Kissner and Nicholson 2003;Wright 2008Wright , 2016Martinson 2009;Fortney et al 2012;Martino et al 2012;Gardiner et al 2013;COSEWIC 2017;Somers et al 2017;Edkins et al 2018;Powell et al 2018). However, there are still important knowledge gaps in terms of whether they behave differently at the northern periphery of their range relative to ar-eas further south.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A report of unusual aggregation behaviour in Bullsnakes (<i>Pituophis catenifer sayi</i>) near a nest site in Saskatchewan

et al. 2020

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We describe an unusual aggregation of Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi) near a nest site in Saskatchewan. Bullsnake is a wide-ranging oviparous colubrid that reaches the northern tip of its continental range on the prairies and badlands of Canada. At that location, it is considered a species of Special Concern, but, until recently, has been the subject of relatively few natural history reports. This is significant, because, at the northern edge of their range, Bullsnakes may behave differently than elsewhere due to thermal limitations experienced at high latitudes. On 29 June 2019, we observed a mass of five adult Bullsnakes in a Silver Sagebrush (Artemisia cana) shrub on a slope in southwestern Saskatchewan. Aggregations of Bullsnakes are known to occur at hibernacula, during mating, and inside nest chambers before and after oviposition. However, we are unaware of the occurrence of surface aggregations in any other situation. We suggest that these Bullsnakes may have been exhibiting communal gestation, a behaviour thought to be rare in oviparous snakes whereby gravid females congregate before parturition or oviposition for thermal stability or protection from predators.

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