Socialization: The Data is Building!

[Zephyr]

Choices of neonate Thamnophis elegans vagrans between conspecific, congeneric, and heterogeneric odors
I stumbled upon this abstract of an experiment conducted on T. elegans vagrans. Apparently, they prefer substrate marked by others of their species over fresh bedding and bedding from another species.
I thought I'd make a thread like this, seeing as my project may soon begin.

[Stefan-A]

Interesting, it's just too bad that you have to order the whole study if you want to know more.

[infernalis]

A recent observation of mine, When my son and I took CY the corn snake out for photos, The first time he did this meant nothing to me, he lifted his tail and SECRETED (not pooped, or musked) onto the rocks, ten minutes later in the pines, he SECRETED again.

The third time sold me. about 500 feet from the second spot, his tail lifted up, and this wet stuff got smeared onto the log he was climbing.

As a semi-educated guess, I would assume that to be Territorial marking.

Tomorrow, I will conduct an experiment, just for fun.

The mother Eastern (Diana - Goddess of fertility) gave birth in her enclosure, I will salvage some of the aspen, salvage some aspen from the red sided garters, and use some new aspen, place each under a separate hide, and note where the neonates chose to spend the most time.

[Stefan-A]

I was conducting a similar experiment myself, that I started earlier this week, so this quite a coincidence that this topic would come up now. I took down the separating wall between the smaller vagrans female and the tetrataenia female, but let them both keep their original substrates. Neither is inclined to cross over into the other snake's half, even after I redecorated and moved one snake's fake plants and hides to the other one's half. After I moved a little of the tetrataenia's substrate to the vagrans' half and vice versa, they have been moving around a bit more in the other one's half as well.

I can see a dozen problems with trying to draw any conclusions from this experiment, but well, there it is. My first guess was actually that they kept to their own areas because of the scent.

[jitami]

Very interesting stuff. Kyle, did you order the study? Might explain why Sly did not take to being switched to a bigger, "better", terrarium yesterday. It's the first time in ages that I totally disinfected *everything* and moved him to a new tank. He was doing so much "running around" and rubbing his nose on the glass(totally atypical) that I was worried about him. He eventually settled under his favorite hide and hasn't been out since.

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

But why is this thread called upon as socialization? This may just be inherent congeneric recognition, a "safety smell", which may have nothing to do with real socialized behaviors...

Steve-the anti-anthropomorph!

P.S. Remember, parietalis orgies in Canada are just that, a hormone driven competition for sex. They are not necessarily getting friendly.

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

P.S. Remember, parietalis orgies in Canada are just that, a hormone driven competition for sex. They are not necessarily getting friendly.

The study is fascinating! Oh, those wonderful pheromones! Makes ya feel right at home...

[drache]

interesting little tidbit that may fit into this thread . . .
I'd thought I lost one of Sammy's babies - they're kept in a critter keeper sitting inside her tank
yesterday I moved her to another tank and found the little one right next to her
so apparently she'll not eat her babies

[Stefan-A]

P.S. Remember, parietalis orgies in Canada are just that, a hormone driven competition for sex. They are not necessarily getting friendly.

Unless you use "getting friendly" as a euphemism.