Does the Siberian chipmunk respond to the snake by identifying it?

Abstract

Abstract-Siberian chipmunks were presented with snakes and 4 control animals (tortoises, frogs, eels, quails) in a large outdoor pen to examine whether the snakedirected behavior of the chipmunk is a response to identifying the snake or simply an exploratory behavior toward generally strange objects. The animals were presented to chipmunks in 3 manners; tethered, anesthetized, and in perforated opaque boxes and in wire netting boxes. In "tethered" and "anesthetized", chipmuhks responded significantly more intensively to snakes than to other animals. When the animals were presented in the boxes, that is, when chipmunks could perceive only olfactory stimulus from the animals, they also showed the strongest response to snakes. The results suggest that 1)snake-directed behavior of chipmunks is not a general exploratory response toward strange objects but a response to identifying the snakes, and that 2)olfaction is an important cue for the chipmunks to identify snakes.

Behavioral Responses of Siberian Chipmunks toward Conspecifics Applied Snake Scent

“…I judged that the chipmunks were nosing the boxes when they showed elongate posture (Kobayashi 1987 for the definition) with their noses less than ca.5 cm distant from them.…”

The biological function of snake mobbing by Siberian chipmunks: I. Does it function as a signal to other conspecifics?

“…show mobbing behavior to snakes, including tail shaking, foot thumping and other movements (Kobayashi & Watanabe 1986a;Kobayashi 1987). There is a high possibility that this snake-directed behavior of chipmunks is adaptive to the reduction of snake predation risk, because snakes are their natural pradators (Kawamichi 1978;Kobayashi 1986) and chipmunk response to snakes is different from that to other non-predator animals (tortoises, frogs, eels, quails) (Kobayashi 1987).…”

“…There is a high possibility that this snake-directed behavior of chipmunks is adaptive to the reduction of snake predation risk, because snakes are their natural pradators (Kawamichi 1978;Kobayashi 1986) and chipmunk response to snakes is different from that to other non-predator animals (tortoises, frogs, eels, quails) (Kobayashi 1987). Many studies of the mobbing behavior have been conducted in various animals (e.g.…”

“…The forest floor with undergrowth is a good place for snakes to hide, and is therefore a dangerous place for chipmunks and ground squirrels. Chipmunks are very sensitive to odor, especially snake scent (Kobayashi & Watanabe 1986b, Kobayashi 1987), but only in close proximity to scent source. On the other hand, chipmunks can perceive movement at great distances (Kobayashi 1986).…”

The biological function of snake mobbing by Siberian chipmunks: II. Functions beneficial for the mobbers themselves

“…Snake mobbing by Siberian chipmunks has been clarified to be induced by the snake olfaction (Kobayashi 1987), and to have an effect making other conspecifics notice the presence of snakes (Kobayashi 1994). Concerning the biological functions of snake mobbing, 2 problems remain to be resolved.…”