Dead snake! A strategy for survival: Thanatosis in some Panamanian snakes with a review of death-feigning in American snakes

Magallón, Rogemif Fuentes; Castillo, Melquiades; Belton, Edmundo; Zambrano, Eduardo; Quintero-Arrieta, Helio; Batista, Abel

doi:10.17161/randa.v28i3.15753

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…In taxa that exhibit defaecation or even AH in conjunction with DF (e.g. some lizards, most snake species, some Coleoptera) [21][22][23], interactions among these behaviours can become more apparent with future studies. Moreover, our findings provide evidence for the functional integration of distinct antipredator behaviours across sequential phases of the predator-prey interaction (musking during the capture phase and DF and AH during the post-capture phase).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fact that DF occurs widely across various taxa suggests its effectiveness (insects [11]; fish [12,13]; amphibians [14,15]; reptiles [16,17]; birds [18,19]; mammals [20]), yet the precise mechanism by which DF enhances survival remains unclear. The presentation of this risky antipredator behaviour is rather distinctive across various taxa, often involving defaecation and autohaemorrhaging (AH) as common components in this display [21][22][23]. Still, when considering the extensive variation in DF displays, perhaps the most elaborate displays are seen in different snake species, such as Tropidophis sp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Synergistic effects of musking and autohaemorrhaging on the duration of death feigning in dice snakes ( Natrix tessellata )

Bjelica,

Golubović

2024

Biol. Lett.

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Predation exerts a significant selection pressure on prey, shaping a multitude of traits that serve as antipredator defences. In turn, natural selection could favour combinations of antipredator defences with synergistic effects that enhance prey survival. An especially interesting antipredator defence is death feigning (DF), present in a wide variety of taxa and usually characterized by the prey lying motionless often along with defaecation, musking and autohaemorrhaging (AH). All these aspects of the DF display should work in conjunction with one another, intensifying the overall effect of the display and in turn facilitating quicker escape. To confirm this hypothesis, we tested 263 dice snakes ( Natrix tessellata ) directly in the field. We noted the occurrence of smearing faeces, musk and AH, and we measured the duration of DF, expecting to see a negative association between the occurrence of these behaviours and the duration of DF. Our results affirm our hypothesis: dice snakes that smeared themselves in musk and faeces prior to DF and had AH during DF spent significantly less time in DF. Our results highlight the functional integration of antipredator behaviours across different phases of predator–prey interactions, emphasizing the need for future research to prioritize studying the sequential display of behaviours.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synergistic effects of musking and autohaemorrhaging on the duration of death feigning in dice snakes ( Natrix tessellata )

Bjelica,

Golubović

2024

Biol. Lett.

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“…The snakes were manually restrained by a trained assistant, gently holding their heads behind the neck, and blocking the middle of the body. Any possible sign of distress was reported and noted, including attempts to bite, thanatosis, spontaneous oral bleeding (Fuentes et al 2021), and discharge of the contents from the musk glands. The animals were examined by accessing the ventral scales (gastrosteges) and the lateral body wall.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Echocardiographic measurements and cardiac anatomy in healthy Western hognose snakes (Heterodon nasicus)

Oliveri¹,

Carnabuci²,

Vignoli³

et al. 2023

Vet. Med.

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This study aims to describe the most important cardiac structures in the Heterodon nasicus through echocardiography and anatomical dissection. Echocardiographic and echo-Doppler measurements were performed on twenty healthy adult Heterodon nasicus (10.10). The values of the ventricular length, aortic diameter, pulmonary trunk diameter, the mean thickness of the interventricular septum, and thicknesses of the wall of the cavum pulmonale (Cav. P) and cavum arteriosum (Cav. A), were measured. The aortic flow and pulmonary trunk flow were recorded. Two dead specimens (1.1) were dissected. The male's pulmonary trunk diameter was bigger compared to the female's in both the long and short axis. The reproductive ecology of Heterodon nasicus has yet to be fully elucidated upon, however, male territorialism and dispersal from the hibernacula, and multiple male courtships toward a single female were described, hence, the more active reproductive activity of the male and the consequent sexual selection toward a higher aerobic performance can be hypothesised. A moderate interventricular right to left shunt was noticed in the Cav. V of all the specimens, which is considered normal and should not confuse the clinician. Congenital defects, cardiomyopathies, valvulopathies, and pericardial diseases are known to occur in ophidians and other reptiles. Reliable data and profound knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the ophidian heart are fundamental for the in vivo diagnosis of cardiac diseases in snakes.

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“…Feigning death is an intricate display, varying among taxa, but not always easy to distinguish from other types of immobility induced by predators (e.g., specific freezing posture of insects that mechanically hampers swallowing via folded‐up legs; Honma et al., 2006). Perhaps the most elaborate death‐feigning displays are seen in snakes, which may flip onto their backs, gape their mouths, and discharge foul smelling fluids (reviewed by Fuentes Magallón et al., 2021). In any case, immobility is crucial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tongue flicking heralds flight behaviour following passive antipredator displays in dice snakes

Bjelica,

Anđelković,

Maričić

et al. 2024

Journal of Zoology

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When captured, many prey respond by biting the predator or struggling to get free. However, one indirect escape option is death feigning (DF), in which complete immobility supposedly “tricks” the predator into abandoning its meal. But lying motionless and exposed to a predator is dangerous; therefore, individuals should optimize DF occurrence and duration. We captured colour polymorphic dice snakes (Natrix tessellata, Natricidae) (N = 271) in the field and measured two behavioural responses: (1) the occurrence and duration of immobility/DF; (2) the number of tongue‐flicking sequences (TF). Tongue flicking is an essential component of a key sensory mechanism to check the safety of the environment before attempting escape. We experimentally assessed the relationship between these two behaviours and the effects of phenotypic characteristic of snakes on the occurrence and duration of immobility and of TF. Snake phenotype had multiple effects. Gravid females avoided DF and displayed more TF sequences during the tests compared to non‐gravid females and males. Blotched snakes stayed immobile longer than green and melanistic snakes. Larger individuals remained in DF for longer and showed fewer TF sequences than smaller individuals. Snakes burdened with a recent meal postponed fleeing and displayed more TF sequences than snakes without food. Finally, snakes showing more TF sequences postponed fleeing, which suggests that dice snakes assessed predatory risks and adapted escape behaviour to their risk status. Future studies should examine how individuals estimate the appropriate timing to shift from immobility to escape.

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Dead snake! A strategy for survival: Thanatosis in some Panamanian snakes with a review of death-feigning in American snakes

Cited by 4 publications

References 14 publications

Synergistic effects of musking and autohaemorrhaging on the duration of death feigning in dice snakes ( Natrix tessellata )

Synergistic effects of musking and autohaemorrhaging on the duration of death feigning in dice snakes ( Natrix tessellata )

Echocardiographic measurements and cardiac anatomy in healthy Western hognose snakes (Heterodon nasicus)

Tongue flicking heralds flight behaviour following passive antipredator displays in dice snakes

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