Arboreal Habitat Structure Affects the Performance and Modes of Locomotion of Corn Snakes (Elaphe guttata)
Arboreal Habitat Structure Affects the Performance and Modes of Locomotion of Corn Snakes (Elaphe guttata)
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DOI：
10.1002/jez.521
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发表时间：
2009-03-01
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影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Jayne, Bruce C.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Astley, Henry C.;Jayne, Bruce C.
树栖环境对动物的运动提出了许多功能上的挑战，包括适应狭窄的空间，在圆柱形表面上保持平衡，在斜坡上移动，以及在阻碍直线路径的树枝上移动。许多种类的蛇都是树栖的，它们细长，灵活的身体似乎非常适合满足这些需求，但树栖栖息地结构对蛇运动的影响还没有很好的了解。我们研究了108组合的表面形状（圆柱形与矩形隧道），表面宽度，倾斜，和一排钉上的玉米蛇（锦蛇guttata）的运动的影响。钉子使蛇能够在最宽最陡的表面上移动，没有钉子就无法通过。隧道允许蛇在比类似宽度的圆柱体更陡峭的斜坡上移动。运动方式随生境结构的变化而变化。在没有钉子的表面上，大多数蛇使用两种不同的蛇腹运动，但总是使用受控的滑梯向下移动。蛇在大多数有钉子的表面上使用横向波动。增加上坡坡度对最大速度的不利影响大于增加表面宽度对最大速度的不利影响。蛇在隧道里比在圆柱上移动得快，不管是否有钉子。根据表面的宽度，在水平圆柱和隧道中添加桩柱分别导致速度增加8 - 24倍和1.3 - 3.1倍。因此，虽然类似的结构，如二级分支似乎可能会阻碍四肢树栖动物的运动，但钉大大提高了蛇的运动性能。J. Exp. Zool.311A：207 - 216，2009. (C)2009威利-利斯公司
Arboreal environments pose many functional challenges for animal locomotion including fitting within narrow spaces, balancing on cylindrical surfaces, moving on inclines, and moving around branches that obstruct a straight path. Many species of snakes are arboreal and their elongate, flexible bodies appear well-suited to meet many of these demands, but the effects of arboreal habitat structure on the locomotion of snakes are not well understood. We examined the effects of 108 combinations of surface shape (cylinder vs. rectangular tunnel), surface width, incline, and a row of pegs on the locomotion of corn snakes (Elaphe guttata). Pegs allowed the snakes to move on the widest and steepest surfaces that were impassable without pegs. Tunnels allowed the snakes to move on steeper inclines than cylinders with similar widths. The mode of locomotion changed with habitat structure. On surfaces without pegs, most snakes used two variants of concertina locomotion but always moved downhill using a controlled slide. Snakes used lateral undulation on most surfaces with pegs. The detrimental effects of increased uphill incline were greater than those of increased surface width on maximal velocity. Snakes moved faster in tunnels than on cylinders regardless of whether pegs were present. Depending on the surface width, the addition of pegs to horizontal cylinders and tunnels resulted in 8-24-fold and 1.3-3.1-fold increases in speed, respectively. Thus, pegs considerably enhanced the locomotor performance of snakes, although similar structures such as secondary branches seem likely to impede the locomotion of limbed arboreal animals. J. Exp. Zool. 311A:207-216, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.