Body size and predator cues structure variation in defensive displays of Neotropical calico snakes (Oxyrhopus spp.)

• Published in: Ethology 2024-03, Vol.130 (3), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Sealey, Briana A., Larson, Joanna G., Westeen, Erin P., Sánchez‐Paredes, Ciara M., Moore, Talia Y., Davis Rabosky, Alison R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anti‐predator behavior; Body size; Context; context‐dependence; coral snake mimicry; Defensive behavior; Displays; Ontogeny; Oxyrhopus; Peruvian Amazon; Predation; Predator-prey interactions; Predator-prey simulation; Predators; Prey; Snakes; Tactile stimuli
• ISSN: 0179-1613; 1439-0310
• DOI: 10.1111/eth.13439

Interactions between predator and prey are fundamental drivers of ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Behavioral responses are one of the most common strategies that prey species use to deter predation, especially through highly stereotyped defensive displays. However, these displays are also predicted to show strong context‐dependence, in which individuals can dynamically employ different display elements as a function of their own characteristics (e.g., age and sex) or those of the predator (e.g., type of predator). In this study, we experimentally tested for the effects of four simulated predator cues on defensive displays in two species of South American calico snakes (genus Oxyrhopus). We found that juvenile snakes were both more likely to respond and to respond more strongly than adults and that displays were most common in response to tactile stimuli than to other treatments. However, we also found broad similarity across both simulated predator treatments and species in the components used in each snake's defensive display, suggesting a high degree of stereotyping. This research suggests an important role for both ontogeny and intensity of predation risk in structuring variation in defensive behavior in Neotropical snakes and emphasizes the foundational importance of context dependence in conceptual frameworks for understanding predator–prey interactions. We experimentally tested the context‐dependence of behavioral displays produced by snakes in response to different kinds of predator cues within pop‐up arenas set up in field laboratories. We found that juvenile snakes responded more strongly than adults, especially for the predator treatment in which the snake was touched (tactile treatment). We also presented an intuitive way to graphically visualize which display components are different among treatments, species, or other groups.