Diet Specialization by the Scarlet Kingsnake, Lampropeltis elapsoides (Colubridae)

Greene, Harry W.; Zimmerer, Edmund J.; Palmer, William M.; Benard, Michael F.

doi:10.17161/randa.v17i1.16057

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 5 publications

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“…(3) Arizona elegans and L. zonata that consume type IV birds are longer than other snakes that eat type III mammals, and the latter are longer, on average, than snakes taking less bulky types II and III lizards. Total length is correlated with gape within species (Jayne et al, 2022), and a similar relationship between snake TL and lizard, bird, or mammal prey also characterizes some other colubrids (e.g., Milksnakes [Lampropeltis triangulum sensu lato] Rodríguez and Drummond, 2000; Barten, 2010;Greene et al, 2010). ( 4) Arizona elegans has a wider gape than R. lecontei and consumes mammals at a smaller TL; among limbed squamate prey, the former mainly consumes stout-bodied type III phrynosomatids and the latter elongate type II whiptails.…”

Section: Mass-bulk Theory and Nonvenomous Colubrid Snakesmentioning

confidence: 90%

Heavy, Bulky, or Both: What Does “Large Prey” Mean to Snakes?

Greene,

Wiseman

2023

Journal of Herpetology

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Section: Mass-bulk Theory and Nonvenomous Colubrid Snakesmentioning

confidence: 90%

Heavy, Bulky, or Both: What Does “Large Prey” Mean to Snakes?

Greene,

Wiseman

2023

Journal of Herpetology

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The function of red and banded patterns in snakes: the ophiophagy hypothesis

Mouy

2023

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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The functions of bright bands in coral and other snakes have long been a puzzle. The most common opinion is that coral snakes display aposematic marks and that other red and black banded snakes in the Americas are mimics of coral snakes. I previously found that this prevailing opinion is weakly supported and unlikely, that red and bands had probably evolved independently or conjointly many times, and that a present selection for bands and red seems to exist in a significant fraction of the world. Here, I review the potential selective forces for red and bands in snakes. I find that snakes as predators are a priori plausible selective agents. I find that ophiophagy appears to be an exceptionally high risk in snakes that are themselves ophiophagous. Testing the working hypothesis that bands and red are protective against snake predators via their association with ophiophagy, as ophiophagous snakes are at higher risk, I find that the consumption of elongate vertebrates predicts band and red coloration with a very high level of confidence: red and bands are probably defensive against snake predators. Noting an apparent correlation of coloration with specific defensive behaviours and ontogenetic colour changes, I review both and find that ophiophagous snakes are remarkable for using stereotypical defences and not being aggressive, while ontogenetic colour changes seem to affect red and bands in snakes disproportionately. Defence against ophidian predators may be an unexpected natural selection shaping the appearance and behaviours of many snakes.

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Diet Specialization by the Scarlet Kingsnake, Lampropeltis elapsoides (Colubridae)

Cited by 2 publications

References 5 publications

Heavy, Bulky, or Both: What Does “Large Prey” Mean to Snakes?

Heavy, Bulky, or Both: What Does “Large Prey” Mean to Snakes?

The function of red and banded patterns in snakes: the ophiophagy hypothesis

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