The spitting behavior of two species of spitting cobras
The spitting behavior of two species of spitting cobras
复制标题
两种吐痰眼镜蛇的吐痰行为
DOI：
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发表时间：
2005
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
H. Bleckmann
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
G. Westhoff;K. Tzschätzsch;H. Bleckmann
吐毒液眼镜蛇在面对骚扰者时会吐出毒液来自卫。尽管人们普遍认为，吐口水的眼镜蛇会把毒液对准侵略者的眼睛，但这从未被调查过。在这里，我们表明，吐行为的眼镜蛇（Naja nigricollis和N。苍白球）可以容易地由移动的人脸或由移动的人脸的真实的尺寸照片触发。相比之下，静止的人脸（真实的或照片）或移动或静止的人手不会触发吐痰行为。如果受到威胁，吐毒液的眼镜蛇会瞄准它们的毒液，以两种不同的喷射方式喷出。pallida）或细喷雾（N.黑颈），无论是在两眼之间还是在一只眼睛处。在研究的两种眼镜蛇中，毒液击中区域的宽度和高度与眼距无关（测试范围为5.5 cm和11 cm）。在吐口水的过程中，眼镜蛇的头部会做快速起伏的运动，这会导致它们的毒液分布更广。这种行为增加了攻击者的至少一只眼睛被击中的概率。
Spitting cobras defend themselves by spitting their venom in the face of a harasser. Although it is common belief that spitting cobras direct their venom at the eyes of an aggressor, this has never been investigated. Here, we show that the spitting act of cobras (Naja nigricollis and N. pallida) can readily be triggered by a moving human face or by a moving real size photo of a human face. In contrast, a stationary human face (real or photo) or a moving or stationary human hand does not trigger the spitting act. If threatened, spitting cobras aim their venom, ejected either in two distinct jets (N. pallida) or in a fine spray (N. nigricollis), either between the eyes or at one eye. In both cobra species investigated, the width and height of the area hit by the venom was independent of eye distance (test range 5.5 cm and 11 cm). During the spitting act the cobras performed fast undulating head movements that lead to a larger distribution of their venom. This behavior increases the probability that at least one eye of the aggressor is hit.