{"id":{"repo_id":"eku","oai_identifier":"oai:encompass.eku.edu:etd-1718"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/eku/oai:encompass.eku.edu:etd-1718","repository":{"repo_id":"eku","name":"Eastern Kentucky University","base_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Evidence of Non-Strike Induced Chemosensory Searching by Eastern Copperheads (Agkistrodon Contortrix) During Cicada Predation","abstract":"<p>New evidence of active foraging by eastern copperheads, <italic>Agkistrodon contortrix</italic>, contradicts its description as an envenomation-reliant ambush predator. Evidence of active foraging through non-strike induced chemosensory searching (NSICS) was previously found in cottonmouths (<italic>A. piscivorus</italic>) but could not be replicated with A. contortrix in later experiments. I observed foraging methods similar to non-strike induced chemoreception when specifically predating upon cicada nymphs during seasonal emergences. I hypothesized that A. contortrix actively forage using chemoreception without envenomation, and that tongue flick rates would be higher during foraging behaviors than during non-predatory or resting behaviors. Behavior of twelve <italic>A. contortrix</italic> were filmed at a campsite in Kentucky during foraging excursions in the summer of 2020. Recordings were analyzed for tongue flick rates and presence or absence of seven behavioral activities. Each minute of recording was assigned to a behavioral category (ground movement, climbing, post-feeding movement, pausing, periscoping, eating, and fighting) based on the predominant behavior occurring within that minute and ecological context of the recording. We found statistically significant differences between tongue flick rates during predatory and non-predatory behaviors, differences among distinct foraging categories, and no differences in tongue flick rate between resting/non-chemoreceptive behaviors. We also identified significant differences in predatory movement behavior tongue flick rates of successful events of tracking cicadas to unsuccessful attempts. My results support the hypothesis that tongue flick rates in movement categories are elevated to levels expected with predatory chemoreceptive searching, even though <italic>A. contortrix</italic> did not envenomate prey items. Increases in tongue flick rates for trials that involved snakes encountering a cicada suggests that chemoreception is a discriminating factor for tracking cicada prey. </p>","abstract_html":"&lt;p&gt;New evidence of active foraging by eastern copperheads, &lt;italic&gt;Agkistrodon contortrix&lt;/italic&gt;, contradicts its description as an envenomation-reliant ambush predator. Evidence of active foraging through non-strike induced chemosensory searching (NSICS) was previously found in cottonmouths (&lt;italic&gt;A. piscivorus&lt;/italic&gt;) but could not be replicated with A. contortrix in later experiments. I observed foraging methods similar to non-strike induced chemoreception when specifically predating upon cicada nymphs during seasonal emergences. I hypothesized that A. contortrix actively forage using chemoreception without envenomation, and that tongue flick rates would be higher during foraging behaviors than during non-predatory or resting behaviors. Behavior of twelve &lt;italic&gt;A. contortrix&lt;/italic&gt; were filmed at a campsite in Kentucky during foraging excursions in the summer of 2020. Recordings were analyzed for tongue flick rates and presence or absence of seven behavioral activities. Each minute of recording was assigned to a behavioral category (ground movement, climbing, post-feeding movement, pausing, periscoping, eating, and fighting) based on the predominant behavior occurring within that minute and ecological context of the recording. We found statistically significant differences between tongue flick rates during predatory and non-predatory behaviors, differences among distinct foraging categories, and no differences in tongue flick rate between resting/non-chemoreceptive behaviors. We also identified significant differences in predatory movement behavior tongue flick rates of successful events of tracking cicadas to unsuccessful attempts. My results support the hypothesis that tongue flick rates in movement categories are elevated to levels expected with predatory chemoreceptive searching, even though &lt;italic&gt;A. contortrix&lt;/italic&gt; did not envenomate prey items. Increases in tongue flick rates for trials that involved snakes encountering a cicada suggests that chemoreception is a discriminating factor for tracking cicada prey. &lt;/p&gt;","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gull, Henderson Cyrenius"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2021-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:53Z","subjects":["Agkistrodon","Agkistrodon contortrix","Chemosensory","Predation","SICS","Tongue flicks","Other Animal Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2021 Henderson Cyrenius Gull"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/720","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Gull, Henderson Cyrenius"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Agkistrodon","Agkistrodon contortrix","Chemosensory","Predation","SICS","Tongue flicks","Other Animal Sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2021 Henderson Cyrenius Gull"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/720"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["<p>New evidence of active foraging by eastern copperheads, <italic>Agkistrodon contortrix</italic>, contradicts its description as an envenomation-reliant ambush predator. Evidence of active foraging through non-strike induced chemosensory searching (NSICS) was previously found in cottonmouths (<italic>A. piscivorus</italic>) but could not be replicated with A. contortrix in later experiments. I observed foraging methods similar to non-strike induced chemoreception when specifically predating upon cicada nymphs during seasonal emergences. I hypothesized that A. contortrix actively forage using chemoreception without envenomation, and that tongue flick rates would be higher during foraging behaviors than during non-predatory or resting behaviors. Behavior of twelve <italic>A. contortrix</italic> were filmed at a campsite in Kentucky during foraging excursions in the summer of 2020. Recordings were analyzed for tongue flick rates and presence or absence of seven behavioral activities. Each minute of recording was assigned to a behavioral category (ground movement, climbing, post-feeding movement, pausing, periscoping, eating, and fighting) based on the predominant behavior occurring within that minute and ecological context of the recording. We found statistically significant differences between tongue flick rates during predatory and non-predatory behaviors, differences among distinct foraging categories, and no differences in tongue flick rate between resting/non-chemoreceptive behaviors. We also identified significant differences in predatory movement behavior tongue flick rates of successful events of tracking cicadas to unsuccessful attempts. My results support the hypothesis that tongue flick rates in movement categories are elevated to levels expected with predatory chemoreceptive searching, even though <italic>A. contortrix</italic> did not envenomate prey items. Increases in tongue flick rates for trials that involved snakes encountering a cicada suggests that chemoreception is a discriminating factor for tracking cicada prey. </p>"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/PDF"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Evidence of Non-Strike Induced Chemosensory Searching by Eastern Copperheads (Agkistrodon Contortrix) During Cicada Predation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Gull, Henderson Cyrenius"],"dc:description.abstract":["<p>New evidence of active foraging by eastern copperheads, <italic>Agkistrodon contortrix</italic>, contradicts its description as an envenomation-reliant ambush predator. Evidence of active foraging through non-strike induced chemosensory searching (NSICS) was previously found in cottonmouths (<italic>A. piscivorus</italic>) but could not be replicated with A. contortrix in later experiments. I observed foraging methods similar to non-strike induced chemoreception when specifically predating upon cicada nymphs during seasonal emergences. I hypothesized that A. contortrix actively forage using chemoreception without envenomation, and that tongue flick rates would be higher during foraging behaviors than during non-predatory or resting behaviors. Behavior of twelve <italic>A. contortrix</italic> were filmed at a campsite in Kentucky during foraging excursions in the summer of 2020. Recordings were analyzed for tongue flick rates and presence or absence of seven behavioral activities. Each minute of recording was assigned to a behavioral category (ground movement, climbing, post-feeding movement, pausing, periscoping, eating, and fighting) based on the predominant behavior occurring within that minute and ecological context of the recording. We found statistically significant differences between tongue flick rates during predatory and non-predatory behaviors, differences among distinct foraging categories, and no differences in tongue flick rate between resting/non-chemoreceptive behaviors. We also identified significant differences in predatory movement behavior tongue flick rates of successful events of tracking cicadas to unsuccessful attempts. My results support the hypothesis that tongue flick rates in movement categories are elevated to levels expected with predatory chemoreceptive searching, even though <italic>A. contortrix</italic> did not envenomate prey items. Increases in tongue flick rates for trials that involved snakes encountering a cicada suggests that chemoreception is a discriminating factor for tracking cicada prey. </p>"],"dc:format":["application/PDF"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/720"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2021 Henderson Cyrenius Gull"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["Agkistrodon","Agkistrodon contortrix","Chemosensory","Predation","SICS","Tongue flicks","Other Animal Sciences"],"dc:title":["Evidence of Non-Strike Induced Chemosensory Searching by Eastern Copperheads (Agkistrodon Contortrix) During Cicada Predation"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:53Z"}