Snakes in search of sex: the relation between mate-locating ability and mating success in male garter snakes

Shine, Richard; O’Donnell, Ryan P.; Langkilde, Tracy; Wall, Michael; Mason, Robert T.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.10.005

Cited by 26 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Many animals breed in dense mating aggregations comprising tens to thousands of individuals, including diverse insects (Antolin and Strand, 1992;Beani and Turillazzi, 1990), fish (Foote et al, 1997), anurans (Wells, 2007), snakes (Shine et al, 2005), birds (Ligon, 1999), and mammals (Orbach et al, 2014). Within these aggregations, males often engage in scramble competition polygyny, roaming to find and secure a breeding partner before their rivals do (Thornhill and Alcock, 1983).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Dynamic sexual dichromatism produces a sex signal in an explosively breeding Neotropical toad: A model presentation experiment

Rehberg-Besler

Mennill

Doucet

2015

Behavioural Processes

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Dynamic sexual dichromatism produces a sex signal in an explosively breeding Neotropical toad: A model presentation experiment

Rehberg-Besler

Mennill

Doucet

2015

Behavioural Processes

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“…2005). Males often lose contact with the female at this point, because they keep moving in the direction of the female's initial movement (Shine et al . 2005).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2005). This behaviour by males, plus the tendency for them to lift their heads well off the substrate while chasing a fleeing female, suggests that they forego chemosensory investigation of the substrate in favour of other cues from the female herself, or from the males that are pursuing her (Shine et al . 2005).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mate location tactics in garter snakes: effects of rival males, interrupted trails and non‐pheromonal cues

et al. 2005

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Summary 1.The ability to follow substrate-deposited scent trails using sophisticated vomeronasal abilities is a key feature of snake biology. However, previous research on this topic has derived mostly from a highly artificial test situation: captive snakes following continuous trails over structurally simple homogeneous substrates, in the absence of any other cues (e.g. visual or olfactory) either from the target of that search or from other snakes. 2. Our field experimental trials with Red-Sided Garter Snakes ( Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis ) at a communal den in Manitoba explored wider issues in mate location. 3. Males followed a female's trail less successfully if she had recently been followed by rival males, suggesting that trailing males obscured the cues left by the female. 4. Males that lost contact with a female's trail exhibited stereotyped, spatially extensive and prolonged circling behaviour centred on the last point at which the trail was detectable; in nature, this behaviour would maximize the male's ability to relocate a discontinuous trail. 5. Trail-following males switched from chemical to visual cues as soon as they were close to a female, enhancing speed but decreasing the accuracy of mate location (because males could distinguish between females and other males based on either visual or airborne olfactory cues). 6. Incorporating additional cues and broader spatial scales can clarify aspects of trail-following behaviour not evident from studies in small, highly simplified laboratory situations.

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“…The likely explanation is that larger body size enhances male success in physical combat over females, and hence increases male mating opportunities (Shine 1994). Larger males also may be better at mate‐finding or at overcoming female resistance during courtship attempts (Madsen & Shine 1993; Shine et al . 2005).…”

Section: Characteristics Of Microsatellite Loci For the Snake Stegonomentioning

confidence: 99%

PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Characterization of tri‐ and tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for the slatey‐grey snake (Stegonotus cucullatus, Colubridae)

Dubey

Brown

Madsen

et al. 2008

Molecular Ecology Resources

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We characterized nine polymorphic microsatellite (six trinucleotides and three tetranucleotides) loci for the slatey-grey snake (Stegonotus cucullatus) from Australia, in order to study the mating system of this species. Based on a total of 100 samples, the number of alleles per locus ranged from three to 10, and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.62 to 0.86 and from 0.53 to 0.83, respectively.

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Snakes in search of sex: the relation between mate-locating ability and mating success in male garter snakes

Cited by 26 publications

References 27 publications

Dynamic sexual dichromatism produces a sex signal in an explosively breeding Neotropical toad: A model presentation experiment

Dynamic sexual dichromatism produces a sex signal in an explosively breeding Neotropical toad: A model presentation experiment

Mate location tactics in garter snakes: effects of rival males, interrupted trails and non‐pheromonal cues

PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Characterization of tri‐ and tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for the slatey‐grey snake (Stegonotus cucullatus, Colubridae)

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