Mate Preference in Garter Snakes

Males of two species of garter snakes with contrasting natural histories exhibited changes in mate preference during the breeding season both in the field and in the laboratory. Male Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis from a population with strongly seasonal activity limits in Manitoba, Canada, initiall...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Herpetologica 1985-01, Vol.41 (1), p.9-19
Main Authors: Garstka, William R., Crews, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amphibia and reptilia
Animal ethology
Biological and medical sciences
Breeding
Breeding seasons
Employment discrimination
Female animals
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Garters
Herpetology
Male animals
Mating behavior
Pheromones
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Snakes
Thamnophis melanogaster
Thamnophis sirtalis
Vertebrata
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Summary:Males of two species of garter snakes with contrasting natural histories exhibited changes in mate preference during the breeding season both in the field and in the laboratory. Male Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis from a population with strongly seasonal activity limits in Manitoba, Canada, initially courted untreated females, ovariectomized females, mated females, and estrogen-treated females equally. As the breeding season progressed, male T. s. parietalis discriminated untreated females from mated females and from ovariectomized females. In contrast, male Thamnophis melanogaster from a population with relatively aseasonal activity patterns in Michoacan, Mexico, initially did not court untreated females. Only if male T. melanogaster were first exposed to estrogen-treated females, would these males begin to court both untreated and ovariectomized females.
ISSN:0018-0831
1938-5099