The Learning Zone

[Stefan-A]

Greg picked the title.

[guidofatherof5]

Here's one from Dr. Robert Mason:

Why do male garter snakes have longer tails then Females.

http://people.oregonstate.edu/~mason...malesnakes.pdf

[ConcinusMan]

Oooh, Oooh, I know, pick me! jk.

[Stefan-A]

For those who really need something to read:

http://www.sekj.org/AnnZool.html

Found 39 articles I liked. There are a few herp related articles in the mix, too.

[gregmonsta]

That link isn't working for me .... you're getting me back for the adder relocation doc, aren't you?

[Stefan-A]

That link isn't working for me .... you're getting me back for the adder relocation doc, aren't you?

That is interesting, it worked just fine for me when I posted the link. I think the site is just down at the moment.

[Stefan-A]

R. Shine · B. Phillips · H. Waye · M. LeMaster ·
R. T. Mason

Chemosensory cues allow courting male garter snakes to assess body length and body condition of potential mates

Abstract
When choosing between two potential mates, a male may benefit by picking a larger (longer and/or more heavy-bodied) female because she is likely to produce more or larger offspring. Males of many species use visual cues to evaluate the sizes of their mates, but in some situations (at night or in a crowded mating swarm), vision may be useless. Potentially, males may be able to use chemical cues that convey information about female body size. We manipulated cues available to free-ranging male garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) in large courting aggregations near communal dens in Manitoba, Canada. Males not only directed disproportionate courtship to longer and heavier-bodied females, but also courted most vigorously in response to lipids extracted from the skins of such females. Our data show that with a flick of his tongue, a male garter snake can identify not only a female’s body length, but also her body condition.

[ConcinusMan]

Wow. Now I kinda wish I was garter snake. I mean, if by the flick of my tongue I can tell which girls are the hottest, even in the dark.. well...

That's just...

Oh yeah, I want to be garter snake.

[guidofatherof5]

R. Shine · B. Phillips · H. Waye · M. LeMaster ·
R. T. Mason

Chemosensory cues allow courting male garter snakes to assess body length and body condition of potential mates

Abstract
When choosing between two potential mates, a male may benefit by picking a larger (longer and/or more heavy-bodied) female because she is likely to produce more or larger offspring. Males of many species use visual cues to evaluate the sizes of their mates, but in some situations (at night or in a crowded mating swarm), vision may be useless. Potentially, males may be able to use chemical cues that convey information about female body size. We manipulated cues available to free-ranging male garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) in large courting aggregations near communal dens in Manitoba, Canada. Males not only directed disproportionate courtship to longer and heavier-bodied females, but also courted most vigorously in response to lipids extracted from the skins of such females. Our data show that with a flick of his tongue, a male garter snake can identify not only a female’s body length, but also her body condition.

And yet there is so much we don't know about them. Great information.
Thanks for the post. This is a great thread and it had gone silent for awhile.

[gregmonsta]

Polymorphic Clay Models of

Thamnophis sirtalis Suggest Patterns of

Avian Predation

https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/...V103N3_062.pdf