Rattling Behavior of Prairie Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis viridis, Viperidae) in Relation to Sex, Reproductive Status, Body Size, and Body Temperature
Rattling Behavior of Prairie Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis viridis, Viperidae) in Relation to Sex, Reproductive Status, Body Size, and Body Temperature
复制标题
DOI：
10.1111/j.1439-0310.1997.tb00146.x
复制
发表时间：
2010-04
期刊：
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
K. J. Kissner;M. Forbes;D. M. Secoy
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
K. J. Kissner;M. Forbes;D. M. Secoy
我们研究了草原响尾蛇(Crotalus Viridis Viridis)的性别、生殖状态、身体大小或体温是否与蛇对接近的观察者发出响声的时间有关。我们发现，怀孕的雌性比雄性允许更近的距离，这表明雌性依靠密码来避免捕食，可能是因为怀孕限制了她们的运动能力。与体型较大的蛇相比，体型较小的蛇可以更近地靠近。体型较小的蛇可能更加神秘或速度较慢，这可能会影响它们等待观察者靠近时才发出嘎嘎声。总体而言，我们发现蛇发出响声的距离与其体温之间没有一致的关系。然而，与温暖的怀孕雌性相比，较冷的怀孕雌性允许观察者更近地接近。总而言之，生殖状态、体型和体温似乎会影响响尾蛇隐蔽防御与主动防御的成本和收益。
We examined whether sex, reproductive status, body size, or body temperature of prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis viridis) was related to when snakes rattled in response to an approaching observer. We found that gravid females allowed significantly closer approaches than males, suggesting that females relied on crypsis to avoid predation, possibly because pregnancy constrained their locomotive ability. Smaller snakes allowed significantly closer approaches than did larger snakes. Smaller snakes may be more cryptic or slower, which may influence their waiting to rattle until the observer was close. Overall, we found no consistent relationship between the distance from the observer that a snake rattled and its body temperature. However, cooler gravid females allowed closer approaches by the observer than did warmer gravid females. In summary, reproductive status, body size, and body temperature appear to influence the costs and benefits of crypsis vs. active defense of rattlesnakes.