Social behaviour in snakes

[infernalis]

Eyowwww turn away for ten seconds, and wham ten posts.....

James, too bad, I wish someone with credentials like that would study and follow those adder sisters around.

My thoughts about communal hides, Got me thinking, I have placed several sheets of plywood and some old road signs on the ground all over out near the meadow. I check these hides every day.

One sign way out back almost always had some kind of tiny little snake, a red belly, or DK sometimes a sub adult eastern. Then suddenly no snakes?? after about 5 days of no snakes, I discovered a colony of ants had begun taking over, Sweep off all the ants, move the sign to another location, and next morning SNAKE.

The hides that have the most slugs under them, also have the most DK and red bellies under them, coincidence?

Sometimes I will lift up a sheet of plywood, and there has been instance of finding Eastern Milks and Eastern Garters "together" Most likely neither felt any threat from the other, rather than any desire to be together.

When Garters breed in the wild, the survival of the fittest rule applies, sorry Gertie, but if big brother is the one that "makes it happen" then what that amounts to is that he wiggled the most in the breeding ball. (a wild snake orgy)

Dynamics of wild garter breeding should be it's own thread, so I won't even start rambling about that.

[Stefan-A]

Maybe there's a pheromone they emit to "page" other garters on the presence of food... Like I stated, collaborative effort to keep the species alive. This is entirely possible. When I was at the international science fair I talked to a girl who did her project on collaborative digestion of food particles by fruit fly larvae. Turns out, they all spit on the food so everyone can eat it.

I don't have the opportunity to verify that that's why the larvae are doing it, but that would be kin selection. (Kin selection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Doesn't really apply to this case, since you can't assume that the snakes they're with are closely related or even of the same species.

[Zephyr]

Dynamics of wild garter breeding should be it's own thread, so I won't even start rambling about that.

*Cough.* Maybe some one should make it then. :P

[Zephyr]

I don't have the opportunity to verify that that's why the larvae are doing it, but that would be kin selection. (Kin selection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Doesn't really apply to this case, since you can't assume that the snakes they're with are closely related or even of the same species.

Might apply to my area... I've observed signs of a genetic bottleneck that may have occurred around 40 or 50 years ago. That would mean that most of the garters would be somewhat related... Oi, this makes my head hurt. x.x

[infernalis]

*Cough.* Maybe some one should make it then. :P

Dont want to hog it all up

[Stefan-A]

We're agreed on that. So, what's your take on these two Adders? They are definitely siblings, the author of my original quote marks his subjects by 'ventral scale clipping' in a unique pattern.. so he knows his individuals. Why do you think these two sisters might spend their time together over so many years? I'll be honest, it's thrown me, and made me want to follow these two (if only I could).

I have absolutely no idea, but I would like to know.

[adamanteus]

Wayne.. go hog it!

[Garter_Gertie]

I think this is just a wonderful thread! Keep thinking you guys!

[adamanteus]

I wonder if a similar thing could be observed in wild Garters, if anybody was bothering to look closely enough.
I wonder, could we....?

[Stefan-A]

I wonder if a similar thing could be observed in wild Garters, if anybody was bothering to look closely enough.
I wonder, could we....?

It's not impossible, but they are some of the best studied species of snake. How would you set up an experiment like that?