engleski

Chemical prey preferences in the ingestionally naive White-lipped tree viper, Cryptelytrops albolabris

Among venomous snakes, arboreal vipers form a distinct group which has special behavioural, morphological and functional adaptations for living in a complex three-dimensional environment of bushes and/or trees. Majority of arboreal vipers are small to medium snakes with prehensile tails which enables them to anchor themselves on branches. Although they are quite popular as pets and as objects for studying taxonomic relationships, surprisingly little is known about their ecology and behaviour. In the series of experiments. we tested chemical preferences of the newborn, ingestionally naive White-lipped Tree Vipers (Cryptelytrops albolabris). Sixteen animals were tested using cotton swabs smeared with eight scents: fish skin, frog skin, lizard skin and day-old mouse skin. Also, the abdominal compartment smears of each of the scent-providing animal were included in the test. All these scents may be relevant as the food odours in nature. As a negative control, we used distilled water and as a pungency control perfume diluted 1:7. The rate of tongue flicking was measured as a response to the various olfactory stimuli. Each animal was tested with eight scents + two controls. The animals were tested once daily with one scent and with the other scents/controls on the consecutive days (for 10 days). The order of presentation of the scents/controls was randomly generated for each snake. After the first series of the experiments. the snakes were fed three times in 10 - 14 day interval with day-old mice and tested again with the same number of scents/controls, 15 days after the last feeding. The results will be discussed in the light of the ontogenetic diet shifts and their relevance to the evolution of chemosensory preferences in vipers and snakes in general.

Chemical ecology; Prey preferences; Snake; Cryptelytrops albolabris

Internet stranica: http://webpages.icav.up.pt/pessoas/vipersconf/Vipers_home.htm (pristupljeno 7. siječnja 2014.)