Six Crotalus viridis and 6 Crotalus enyo were observed once per week for 8 successive weeks in each of two situations: a clean cage and a cage containing mouse odors. Snakes were placed into each situation for 5 min, and all tongue flicks were recorded. Although the snakes had been fed weekly until the initiation of this study, they were offered no food during the 8-week experimental period. During weeks 1-4 the mean rate of tongue flicking (RTF, per min) in the clean cage was statistically indistinguishable from the mean RTF in the cage with mouse odors. Hence, the snakes exhibited no differential chemosensory response to the two cages while they were deprived of food for the first month. However, during weeks 5-8 the mean RTF in the cage with mouse odors increased significantly compared to the rate in the clean cage, indicating that increasing hunger resulted in greater sensitivity and/or responsiveness to prey odors. We suggest that hunger-related increase in chemosensory response to prey odors may be the basis for foraging behavior in rattlesnakes.
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文章 : 英语