scholarly journals Responses of water snakes (Natrix r. rhombifera) and garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) to chemical cues

1974 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard H. Porter ◽  
James A. Czaplicki
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Garter Snakes ◽  
Water Snakes

Life cycles, morphological characteristics, and host specificity of Hepatozoon species infecting eastern garter snakes from Ontario

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 1850-1856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd G. Smith ◽  
Susan H. Kopko ◽  
Sherwin S. Desser
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Garter Snakes ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Northern Water Snakes ◽  
Vertebrate Hosts ◽  
Hepatozoon Species ◽  
Northern Leopard Frogs ◽  
Water Snakes

The life cycles of species of Hepatozoon that occur naturally in eastern garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis, were studied in the mosquito Culex pipiens in various amphibians, including northern leopard frogs, bullfrogs, gray treefrogs, American toads, and blue-spotted salamanders, and in natricine snakes, including northern water snakes and northern brown snakes. Morphological features of the oocysts of two forms of Hepatozoon from various widely separated regions of Ontario differed with respect to the number of sporozoites per sporocyst and the diameter and shape of the oocyst. However, morphological and morphometric differences were not apparent in the cystic or merogonic stages in the vertebrate hosts. Cystic stages of these haemogregarines were found in the liver of all four species of anurans, but not in salamanders. These forms were transmitted experimentally to garter, water, and brown snakes, with gamonts appearing in erythrocytes 45 days after the snakes were fed infected anurans. A comparison of these forms of Hepatozoon with previously named species of ophidian haemogregarines from North America indicates that there are at least two, and likely more, species of Hepatozoon in Ontario.

Intraspecific Geographical Variation in Chemical Food Cue Preferences of Newborn Garter Snakes (Thamnophis Sir Talis)

Behaviour ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon M. Burghardt
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Garter Snakes ◽  
Water Control ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
Response Measures ◽  
Identical Series ◽  
Tongue Flicks ◽  
Basic Similarity

AbstractFour litters of garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) born to females captured in three different geographic areas were tested on their responses to an identical series of water extracts prepared from the surface substances of 15 small animals in addition to a distilled water control. Two of the litters came from northern Illinois; the others were from western Iowa and northern Wisconsin. From each litter 21 previously unfed snakes were tested on the fourth and fifth days after birth. The stimuli were presented on cotton swabs, and the number of tongue flicks, as well as attacks and their latencies, were recorded. The four litters shared a basic similarity in the kinds of extracts attacked. However, the relative effectiveness of the extracts varied considerably with the two Illinois litters most alike in their "ranking" of the various stimuli. Thus, geographical differences in responses to chemical cues within a species were shown. A good example of this was seen in the responses to the fish and earthworm extracts. While the two Illinois litters attacked both frequently, the Wisconsin litter attacked the fish much more than the worms and vice-versa for the Iowa litter. Correlations between the various response measures are presented also.

scholarly journals Familiarity with a female does not affect a male’s courtship intensity in garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 805-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Shine ◽  
Jonathan K. Webb ◽  
Amanda Lane ◽  
Robert T. Mason
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Current Theory ◽  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Garter Snakes ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Female Body Size ◽  
Courtship Intensity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Size Condition ◽  
Experimental Trials

Abstract In many animal species, males direct more intense courtship towards females they have not previously encountered, than towards females with which they have previously mated. To test the factors responsible for this “Coolidge Effect”, we need studies on a wide range of taxa – including those with mating systems in which we would not expect (based on current theory) that such an effect would be evident. The Coolidge Effect has been documented in several lizard species, but has not been looked for (and would not be expected) in snakes. We conducted experimental trials with red-sided garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis pa-rietalis at a communal den in Manitoba, to see whether previous exposure to a female (either courting, or courting plus mating) modified male mate choice or courtship intensity. In keeping with prediction from theory (but contrary to an early anecdotal report), male garter snakes did not modify their courtship behaviour based upon their familiarity (or lack thereof) with a specific female. At least in large courting aggregations, male snakes may maximize their fitness by basing mate-choice upon immediate attributes of the female (body size, condition, mated status) and the intensity of competition (numbers and sizes of rival males) rather than information derived from previous sexual encounters.

Recovery of Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) from the Effects of Tetrodotoxin

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Edmund D. Brodie III ◽  
Edmund D. Brodie Jr. ◽  
Jeffrey E. Motychak
Keyword(s):  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Garter Snakes

Structural flexibility of the small intestine and liver of garter snakes in response to feeding and fasting

2002 ◽  
Vol 205 (10) ◽  
pp. 1377-1388 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Matthias Starck ◽  
Kathleen Beese
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Small Intestine ◽  
Organ Size ◽  
Transitional Epithelium ◽  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Garter Snakes ◽  
Liver Size ◽  
Mucosal Epithelium ◽  
Functional Features ◽  
Python Molurus Bivittatus

SUMMARYGarter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis feed frequently but also tolerate extended periods of fasting when food is unavailable. We studied the dynamics, reversibility and repeatability of size changes of the small intestine and liver using ultrasonography. We employed light and transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry to study the tissue mechanism that drives this flexibility. We compared garter snakes that fed every other day,snakes that fed once a week and fasting snakes. In all feeding trials, the size of the small intestine and the liver increased rapidly after feeding. Constantly feeding snakes maintained an elevated level of organ size, while snakes that were fed only once a week showed a marked up- and downregulation of organ size. Histology revealed the mucosal epithelium to be a transitional epithelium that can change cell configuration considerably to accommodate organ size changes. Upregulation of small intestine and liver size was always associated with the incorporation of lipid droplets into enterocytes and hepatocytes. Cell proliferation was not involved in upregulation of organ size. In contrast, cell proliferation increased during downregulation of organ size, indicating that cells worn out during digestion were replaced. The dynamics of flexibility and the functional features of the tissue were the same as described for the Burmese python Python molurus bivittatus. We suggest that garter snakes employ the same energetically cheap mechanism of organ size regulation as pythons, which allows for rapid, repeated and reversible size changes with no cell proliferation involved. Comparative evidence suggests that the transitional mucosal epithelium is an ancestral character of snakes and that feeding ecology is not directly related to the cytological features of the mucosal epithelium.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document