Responses of Python regius to animal chemosensory stimuli: Implications of foraging ecology

Python regius is considered to be a sit-and-wait forager and has been reported to attempt capture of live and dead homeothermic prey. This preference for homeothermic prey may be innate and is not dependent on thermal cues. Chemosensory stimuli appear to be the only stimuli which may indicate to P. regius the metabolic group that a dead prey item at room temperature item may belong to. Snakes were exposed to novel odors from homeothermic and poikilothermic animals. Prey Searching Behavior (amount of locomotion) and Information Gathering Behavior (tongue flicking) were observed. Habituation to odors resulted in decreased behaviors. Odors of homeothermic animals elicited greater behavioral responses than did odors of poikilothermic animals. Particular characteristics of specific odor molecules may elicit neither, one, or both foraging behaviors. A relationship has been described here for the first time between Prey Searching Behavior and Information Gathering Behavior.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Science

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Year

1999

Author dc:creator

• Klein, Albert

Contributors dc:contributor

• Robert Winokur

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/rtds/1039

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oasis.library.unlv.edu:rtds-2038