Benefits of female mimicry in snakes

Shine, Richard; Phillips, Benjamin L.; Waye, Heather L.; LeMaster, Michael P.; Mason, Robert T.

doi:10.1038/35104687

Cited by 85 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Kleptogamy through female mimicry has been documented for small males in a variety of taxa, including insects (Forsyth & Alcock, 1990;Harari et al, 2000), sh (Ruchon et al, 1995;Goncalves et al, 1996;Oliveira & Almada, 1998;Uglem et al, 2001), birds (Hakkarainen et al, 1993;Saetre & Slagsvold, 1996;Langmore & Bennett, 1999), snakes (Mason & Crews, 1985;Shine et al, 2001), a salamander (Howard et al, 1997), and an Anolis lizard (Trivers, 1976). Although we lack direct eld evidence to support our female mimicry hypothesis, we offer several observations from laboratory studies consistent with this type of deception.…”

Section: Female Mimicry Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 70%

Heterosexual Signalling By the Lizard Anolis Carolinensis, with Intersexual Comparisons Across Contexts

Orrell¹,

Jenssen

2003

Behav

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SummaryWe quanti ed the structure and use of signals exchanged by males and females within the female-defence polygyny of the lizard, Anolis carolinensis. During heterosexual interactions, both sexes performed three kinds of stereotypic headbob displays (A, B, and C) with equal precision. These three display types were essentially identical to A, B, and C display types previously documented for both sexes during consexual contests, and for males when displaying alone (non-directed context). Therefore, there is no courtship-speci c headbob display in A. carolinensis. Although interacting males and females displayed at a similar mean frequency (»20 displays/h), signalling was sexually dimorphic in that: (1) males used predominately C displays (89%), whereas females used predominantly A and B displays (48% and 50%, respectively); (2) males extended their dewlaps with almost every display (98%), whereas females extended their dewlaps with few displays (<2%); (3) males sequenced 80% of displays in volleys of two or more displays, whereas females performed only 12% of displays in volleys; and (4) males concluded 22% of displays with shudderbobs (i.e. display modi er composed of shallow, quick, double bobs), whereas females never appended displays with shudderbobs. From eld and laboratory data on A. carolinensis signal behaviour during other social contexts and the species' female-defence mating system, we interpret heterosexual signalling from a perspective of intrasexual selection to discuss the: (1) absence

show abstract

Section: Female Mimicry Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 70%

Heterosexual Signalling By the Lizard Anolis Carolinensis, with Intersexual Comparisons Across Contexts

Orrell¹,

Jenssen

2003

Behav

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although originally described as an alternative mating tactic based on confusing other males within a 'mating ball' (Mason & Crews 1985), female mimicry in the same species seems more likely to reflect advantages unrelated to mating. Courted 'she-males' are warmed by the attention of other males, and protected from attack by predatory crows (Shine et al , 2001b. (iv) Courtship effectiveness.…”

Section: (D ) Number Of Matingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive strategies in snakes

Shine

2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

Self Cite

270

199

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Snakes of both sexes display remarkable flexibility and diversity in their reproductive tactics. Many features of reproduction in female snakes (such as reproductive mode and frequency, seasonality and multiple mating) allow flexible maternal control. For example, females can manipulate not only the genotypes of their offspring (through mate choice or enhanced sperm competition) but also the phenotypes of their offspring (through allocation 'decisions', behavioural and physiological thermoregulation, and nest-site selection). Reliance on stored energy ('capital') to fuel breeding results in low frequencies of female reproduction and, in extreme cases, semelparity. A sophisticated vomeronasal system not only allows male snakes to locate reproductive females by following scent trails, but also facilitates pheromonally mediated mate choice by males. Male-male rivalry takes diverse forms, including female mimicry and mate guarding; combat bouts impose strong selection for large body size in males of some species. Intraspecific (geographical) variation and phenotypic plasticity in a wide array of reproductive traits (offspring size and number; reproductive frequency; incidence of multiple mating; male tactics such as mate guarding and combat; mate choice criteria) provide exceptional opportunities for future studies.

show abstract

“…This procedure was standardised to minimise error (i.e. position of the logger on the body, amount of attaching tape) and temperatures obtained using this method accurately follow internal body temperatures variations (Shine et al, 2001a;Shine et al, 2003).…”

Section: Snake Body-temperaturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal plasticity in young snakes: how will climate change affect the thermoregulatory tactics of ectotherms?

Aubret

Shine

2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYClimate change will result in some areas becoming warmer and others cooler, and will amplify the magnitude of year-to-year thermal variation in many areas. How will such changes affect animals that rely on ambient thermal heterogeneity to behaviourally regulate their body temperatures? To explore this question, we raised 43 captive-born tiger snakes Notechis scutatus in enclosures that provided cold (19-22°C), intermediate (19-26°C) or hot (19-37°C) thermal gradients. The snakes adjusted their diel timing of thermoregulatory behaviour so effectively that when tested 14 months later, body temperatures (mean and maximum), locomotor speeds and anti-predator behaviours did not differ among treatment groups. Thus, the young snakes modified their behaviour to compensate for restricted thermal opportunities. Then, we suddenly shifted ambient conditions to mimic year-to-year variation. In contrast to the earlier plasticity, snakes failed to adjust to this change, e.g. snakes raised at cooler treatments but then shifted to hot conditions showed a higher mean body temperature for at least two months after the onset of the new thermal regime. Hence, thermal conditions experienced early in life influenced subsequent thermoregulatory tactics; the mean selected temperature of a snake depended more upon its prior raising conditions than upon its current thermoregulatory opportunities. Behavioural plasticity thus allows snakes to adjust to suboptimal thermal conditions but this plasticity is limited. The major thermoregulatory challenge from global climate change may not be the shift in mean values (to which our young snakes adjusted) but the increased year-to-year variation (with which our snakes proved less able to deal).

show abstract

Benefits of female mimicry in snakes

Cited by 85 publications

References 10 publications

Heterosexual Signalling By the Lizard Anolis Carolinensis, with Intersexual Comparisons Across Contexts

Heterosexual Signalling By the Lizard Anolis Carolinensis, with Intersexual Comparisons Across Contexts

Reproductive strategies in snakes

Thermal plasticity in young snakes: how will climate change affect the thermoregulatory tactics of ectotherms?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About