Evidence of Lingual-Luring by an Aquatic Snake

Welsh, Hartwell H.; Lind, Amy J.

doi:10.2307/1565240

Cited by 17 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…For example, Lind & Welsh Jr (1994) observed ontogenetic shifts in the foraging patterns of Oregon garter snakes Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus in a stream habitat. Neonates and juveniles fed on smaller prey along the stream margins, often employing ambush foraging strategies and lingual luring (Welsh Jr & Lind, 2000), whereas adults foraged widely over a greater variety of habitats in search of larger prey. Lind & Welsh Jr (1994) proposed differential prey availability, predation, morphology and physiological constraints (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ambush site selection and ontogenetic shifts in foraging strategy in a semi‐aquatic pit viper, the Eastern cottonmouth

2009

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Although habitat selection has been studied in a variety of snake taxa, little is known about habitat selection in aquatic snake species. Additionally, due to their small size and secretive nature, juvenile snakes are seldom included in habitat selection studies. The Eastern cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus is a semiaquatic pit viper known to use ambush, sit-and-wait foraging strategies. Ambush hunters are likely to select habitats that increase opportunity for successful prey capture while minimizing predation risk and maintaining appropriate thermal and hydric conditions. We characterized the foraging strategy and microhabitat use of cottonmouths at Ellenton Bay, an isolated Carolina bay freshwater wetland on the Savannah River Site in SC, USA. We measured habitat characteristics of 55 ambush sites used by 51 individual cottonmouths located during nighttime visual surveys, as well as 225 randomly selected sites within our search area. Cottonmouths exhibited an ontogenetic shift in foraging strategy with juveniles using predominately ambush foraging around the edge of the wetland while adults were most often encountered actively moving within the wetland. Principal components analysis revealed that juveniles selected foraging microhabitats that were different from random and consisted of mud substrate with sparse vegetation, whereas adults occupied a greater variety of microhabitats that did not differ from random. Concomitantly, free-ranging cottonmouths exhibited ontogenetic shifts in diet: juveniles consumed mostly salamanders, while adults ate a greater variety of prey including other snakes and birds. Our results highlight the importance of understanding how ontogenetic changes in coloration, diet and predation risk influence foraging strategy and microhabitat selection in snakes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The propensity for larger snakes to consume larger prey can result in different foraging strategies between adult and juvenile snakes (e.g. Lind & Welsh Jr, 1994;Savitzky & Burghardt, 2000;Welsh Jr & Lind, 2000). Many snake species also exhibit ontogenetic shifts in morphology or coloration that may influence prey capture or habitat use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ambush site selection and ontogenetic shifts in foraging strategy in a semi‐aquatic pit viper, the Eastern cottonmouth

2009

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“…All age classes of aquatic garter snakes feed on amphibians, with adults shifting to bigger prey such as giant salamanders and salmonids fishes that only the larger snakes can pursue in deeper, swifter waters (Lind and Welsh 1994). Young snakes forage on tadpoles and small fishes in shallow stream margins (Welsh and Lind 2000). Alluvial channels offer both higher numbers and a higher diversity of prey for all age classes in conjunction with abundant open areas for thermoregulation.…”

Section: Species Occurring In All Channel Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial relationships in a dendritic network: the herpetofaunal metacommunity of the Mattole River catchment of northwest California

Welsh¹,

Hodgson²

2011

Ecography

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We investigated the aquatic and riparian herpetofauna in a 789 km2 river catchment in northwest California to examine competing theories of biotic community structuring in catchment stream networks. Research in fluvial geomorphology has resulted in multi‐scale models of dynamic processes that cyclically create, maintain, and destroy environments in stream networks of mountain catchments. These models have been applied to understanding distributions of invertebrates, algae, fishes and their habitats across entire basin networks, but similar approaches with herpetofauna are rare. We examined multi‐scale spatial patterns of multiple species as they related to variation in channel types, channel settings, and within‐channel attributes that result from these processes. From 83 reaches distributed randomly throughout the watershed, we distinguished four channel types: 1) high gradient with cascade structure; 2) 2–4% gradient with step‐pool structure controlled by moderately steep valleys; 3) slightly entrenched, lower gradient, plane‐bed structure; and 4) low gradient, shallow, unconfined, multiple or migrating pool/riffle channels in broad alluvial valleys. The composition of herpetofauna differed in five of six pair‐wise comparisons among these channel types, indicating a minimum of three distinct mesoscale assemblages. We used non‐parametric multiple regression (NPMR) to examine relationships at multiple spatial scales. NPMR revealed species‐specific associations with channel settings and within‐channel environments among species sharing the same sets of channel types. Morphological adaptations, biophysical limits and natural histories of each species best explained their associations with distinct sets of attributes surrounding and within channel types. While each set of species has similarly adapted to fluvial and geomorphic disturbance processes structuring channels at the mesoscale, species within each set have adapted to a unique set of attributes that are best discerned when their spatial relationships are examined across multiple spatial scales. We evaluated the various spatial patterns against hypotheses of stream community organization and metacommunity perspectives.

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“…Many functions are not performed constantly but only under specific circumstances. For example, the tongue of the juvenile aquatic garter snake Thamnophis atratus has the function to lure prey but it lures prey only when the snake is hunting (Welsh and Lind 2000). The p53 gene has the function to brake the cycle of cell growth but it brakes the cycle of cell growth only in circumstances where the cell is stressed or damaged (Vogelstein et al 2000).…”

Section: Transworld Identity or Trait-type Dependencementioning

confidence: 99%

Two arguments for the etiological theory over the modal theory of biological function

Leahy

Huber

2014

Synthese

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Evidence of Lingual-Luring by an Aquatic Snake

Cited by 17 publications

References 25 publications

Ambush site selection and ontogenetic shifts in foraging strategy in a semi‐aquatic pit viper, the Eastern cottonmouth

Ambush site selection and ontogenetic shifts in foraging strategy in a semi‐aquatic pit viper, the Eastern cottonmouth

Spatial relationships in a dendritic network: the herpetofaunal metacommunity of the Mattole River catchment of northwest California

Two arguments for the etiological theory over the modal theory of biological function

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