Abstract
Chemical eavesdropping is a critical tool used by organisms to gain information about their environment and mediate interactions with other organisms within it, such as prey gaining information about predators and vice versa. However, most chemical eavesdropping studies focus on information used by prey species, not predators. The goal of this study was to assess whether or not a desert ambush predator, Crotalus ornatus (Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake), differentiates among chemical cues from nonnative familiar and novel native prey items when choosing ambush spots. Naive neonate C. ornatus were obtained from wild mothers, born and raised in captivity, and placed in an arena where they were presented with aquatic extracts from the integument from 9 known and suspected prey items, a familiar non-native prey item, and a tap water control. Their reactions to the chemical extracts were recorded under diurnal and nocturnal conditions, and they were given a tongue-flick ambush (TFAM) score based on their predatory behavior towards the chemical cue. Ten naive neonate C. ornatus were put through each of the 11 trials under diurnal and nocturnal conditions, and based on TFAM scores, snakes differentiated among the chemical cues, but there were no detectable differences based on photoperiod. Post hoc pairwise tests revealed that snakes preferred native small mammal and lizard prey. The snakes used in this study had never been exposed to wild prey stimuli in their native ecosystem and had fed exclusively on non-native mammalian prey in captivity, thus their preference for native small mammals and lizards indicates an innate basis for prey preference in C. ornatus.
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The datasets generated and analyzed during the study presented within this manuscript are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
Funding for this project was provided by awards through the University of Texas at El Paso Graduate School and was also aided by a National Science Foundation grant and associated supplements for Indio Mountains Research Station facilities improvements. We thank other members of the JD Johnson lab, notably DL DeSantis, O De Cunha, and J Mead, for their assistance in conducting fieldwork.
Funding
University of Texas at El Paso Graduate School, through Dodson Research Grant and Dissertation Completion Fellowships awarded to JD Emerson. National Science Foundation, through grants and associated supplements for facilities improvements at Indio Mountains Research Station (FSML, DBI #09342721) awarded to JD Johnson.
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J.D.E. and J.D.J.: contributed to research conception and experimental design; J.D.E.: contributed to material preparation, data collection and analysis, and draft writing; J.D.J.: contributed to manuscript editing and logistics support, such as transportation, access to materials, and site access.
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The authors state that the research represented by this manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere and is original research conducted by the authors. The University of Texas at El Paso Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Protocol #A-201806-1 and amendments) approved all protocols detailed herein from the period 17 July 2018 through 16 July 2021. Texas Parks and Wildlife (Scientific Permit Number SPR-0290-019) also authorized all relevant protocols pertaining to this study.
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Emerson, J.D., Johnson, J.D. Evidence for an innate basis of prey preference in a desert ambush predator. Evol Ecol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-023-10286-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-023-10286-w