Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Noninvasive Technique for Blocking Vomeronasal Chemoreception in Rattlesnakes

  • Published:
The Psychological Record Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To examine the effects of vomeronasal deprivation on strike-induced chemosensory searching (SICS) in rattlesnakes we used a newly developed technique to anesthetize the vomeronasal organs. We compared rate of tongue flicking after striking prey in avomic rattlesnakes to vomic controls. Avomic rattlesnakes exhibited significantly fewer tongue flicks after striking prey than did vomic controls. However, avomic subjects still exhibited a significantly higher rate of tongue flicking (RTF) than did subjects that were presented with prey but not allowed to strike indicating that the increase in RTF seen in avomic snakes reflects a component of predatory behavior that is released by the strike and not dependent upon further vomeronasal activation. A second experiment was conducted to examine the role of the vomeronasal system (VNS) in location of envenomed prey. Disruption of the VNS chemoreception significantly reduced the number of poststrike tongue flicks, significantly increased the latency to locate the prey item and significantly increased the latency to commence swallowing the prey item, indicating that normal expression of these behaviors is dependent upon a functioning vomeronasal system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ALI, C. N., LAUNDL, T. M., WALLACE, K. L., SHAW, D. W., DECARLE, D. J., & COOK, I. J. (1994). Influence of mucosal receptors on deglutitive regulation of pharyngeal and upper esophageal sphincter function. American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 267, 4, 644–649.

    Google Scholar 

  • ALVING, W. R., & KARDONG, K. V. (1996). The role of the vomeronasal organ in rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis oreganus) predatory behavior. Brain Behavior & Evolution, 48, 165–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ANDREN, C. (1982). The role of the vomeronasal organs in the reproductive behavior of the adder Vipera berus. Copeia, 1, 148–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BARLOW, G. W. (1977). Modal action patterns. In J. Sebeok (Ed.), How animals communicate (pp. 98–134). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • BURGHARDT, G. M. (1970). Chemical perception in reptiles. In J. W. Johnston, D. G. Moulton, & A. Turk (Eds.), Advances in chemoreception. I. Communication by chemical signals (pp. 241–308). New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • BURGHARDT, G. M. (1980). Behavioral and stimulus correlates of vomeronasal functioning in reptiles: Feeding, grouping, sex, and tongue use. In D. Duvall, D. Muller-Schwarz, & R. M. Silverstein (Eds.), Chemical signals of vertebrates and aquatic invertebrates (pp. 275–301). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • BURGHARDT, G. M. (1983). Aggregation and species discrimination in newborn snakes. Zeitschrift für Tierpsychology, 61, 89–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CHISZAR, D. (1986). Motor patterns dedicated to sensory functions. In D. Duvall, D. Muller-Schwarz, & R. M. Silverstein (Eds.), Chemical signals in vertebrates 4 (pp. 37–44). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • CHISZAR, D., & RADCLIFFE, C. W. (1976). Rate of tongue flicking by rattlesnakes during successive stages of feeding on rodent prey. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 7, 485–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CHISZAR, D., RADCLIFFE, C. W., & SCUDDER, K. M. (1977). Analysis of the behavioral sequence emitted by rattlesnakes during feeding episodes. Behavioral Biology, 21, 418–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CHISZAR, D., RADCLIFFE, C. W., & SMITH, H. M. (1978). Chemosensory searching for wounded prey by rattlesnakes is released by striking: A replication report. Herpetological Review, 9, 54–56

    Google Scholar 

  • CHISZAR, D., RADCLIFFE, C. W., O’CONNELL, B., & SMITH, H. M. (1981). Strike-induced chemosensory searching in rattlesnakes (C. viridis) as a function of disturbance prior to presentation of rodent prey. The Psychological Record, 31, 57–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DE COCK BUNNING, T. (1983). Thermal sensitivity as a specialization for prey capture and feeding in snakes. American Zoology, 23, 363–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DICKMAN, D. J., COLTON, J. S., CHISZAR, D., & COLTON, C. A. (1987). Trigeminal responses to thermal stimulation of the oral cavity in rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) before and after bilateral anesthetization of the facial pit organs. Brain Research, 400, 365–370.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DULLEMEIJER, P. (1961). Some remarks on the feeding behavior of rattlesnakes. Koninklijke Nederlandische Akademie von Wetenschappen, Series C, 64, 383–396.

    Google Scholar 

  • DUVALL, D., SCUDDER, K. M., & CHISZAR, D. (1980). Rattlesnake predatory behavior: Mediation of prey discrimination and release of swallowing by odors associated with envenomated mice. Animal Behaviour, 28, 674–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ESTEP, K., POOLE, T., RADCLIFFE, C. W., O’CONNELL, B., & CHISZAR, D. (1981). Distance traveled by mice (Mus musculus) after envenomation by prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis viridis). Bulletin Psychonomic Society, 18, 108–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GANS, C. (1966). The biting behavior of solenoglyph snakes—Its bearing on the pattern of envenomation. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Venomous Animals. Sao Paulo, Brazil: Instituto Butantan.

    Google Scholar 

  • GOLAN, L., RADCLIFFE, C., MILLER, T., O’CONNELL, B., & CHISZAR, D. (1982). Trailing behavior in prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis). Journal of Herpetology, 16, 287–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GRAVES, B. M., & DUVALL, D. (1985). Avomic prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) fail to attack rodent prey. Zeitschrift für Tierpsychology, 67, 161–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GRAVES, B. M., & HALPERN, M. (1989). Chemical access to the vomeronasal organs of the lizard Chalcides ocellsatus. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 249, 150–157.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • GRAVES, B. M., & HALPERN, M. (1990). Roles of vomeronasal organ chemoreception in tongue flicking, exploratory and feeding behavior of the lizard Chalcides ocellsatus. Animal Behavior, 39, 692–698.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HALPERN, M. (1992). Nasal chemical senses in reptiles. In C. Gans & D. Crews (Eds.), Hormones, brain and behavior: Biology of the Reptilia Vol. 18 (pp. 423–523). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • HALPERN, M., & FRUMIN, N. (1979). Roles of the vomeronasal and olfactory organs in prey attack and feeding in adult garter snakes. Physiology & Behavior, 22, 1183–1189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HALPERN, M., & KUBIE, J. L. (1980). Chemical access to the vomeronasal organs of garter snakes. Physiology & Behavior, 24, 367–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HALPERN, M., & KUBIE, J. L. (1983). Snake tongue flicking behavior: Clues to vomeronasal system functions. In R. M. Silverstein & D. Muller-Schwarze (Eds.), Chemical signals in vertebrates 3 (pp. 45–72). New York: Plenum Publishing.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HALPERN, M., & KUBIE, J. L. (1984). The role of the ophidian vomeronasal system in species-typical behavior. Trends in Neuroscience, 7, 472–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KAHMANN, H. (1932). Sinnesphysiologische studien an reptilien: I. Experimentalle unterswuchungen uber das jakobsonche organ der eideschen und schlangen. Zool. Jhb. Zoological Physiology, 51, 173–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • KAHMANN, H. (1934). Zur Chemorezeption der Schlangen (ein Nachtag). Zool. Anz., 107, 249–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • KARDONG, K. (1986). Predatory strike behavior of the rattlesnake (Crotalus v. oreganus). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 100, 304–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KARDONG, K. V. (1992). Proximate factors affecting guidance of the rattlesnake strike. Zool. Jb. Anatated., 122, 233–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • KUBIE, J. L., & HALPERN, M., (1979). Chemical senses involved in garter snake prey trailing. Journal of Comparative Physiological Psychology, 93, 648–667.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LORENZ, K. Z. (1981). The foundations of ethology. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • MANSSON, I., & SANDBERG, N. (1974). Effects of surface anesthesia on deglutition in man. Laryngoscope, 84, 3, 427–437

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MELCER, T., & CHISZAR, D. (1989) Striking prey creates a specific chemical search image in rattlesnakes. Animal Behavior, 37, 477–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NEWMAN, E., & HARTLINE, P. (1981). Integration of visual and thermal information in bimodal neurons of the rattlesnake optic tectum. Science, 213, 789–791.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • NEWMAN, E., & HARTLINE, P. (1982). The infrared “vision” of snakes. Scientific American, 246, 116–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’CONNELL, B. R., GREENLEE, J., BACON, J., & CHISZAR, D. (1982). Strike-induced chemosensory searching in old world vipers and new world pit vipers at San Diego Zoo. Zoo Biology, 1, 287–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RADCLIFFE, C. W., CHISZAR, D., & O’CONNELL, B. (1980). Effects of prey size on post strike behavior in rattlesnakes. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 16, 449–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SCUDDER, K. M., CHISZAR, D., & SMITH, H. M. (1983). Effect of environmental odors on strike induced chemosensory searching by rattlesnakes. Copeia, 1983, 519–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SHINE, R., PHILLIPS, B., WAYE, H., LEMASTER, M., & MASON, R. T. (2003). Chemosensory cues allow courting male garter snakes to assess body length and body condition of potential mates. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 54, 162–166

    Google Scholar 

  • TINBERGEN, N. (1951). The study of instinct. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • YOUNG, B. A. (1993). Evaluating hypotheses for the transfer of stimulus particles to Jacobson’s organ in snakes. Brain Behavior & Evolution, 41, 203–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Western State College, 207a Kelley Hall, Gunnison, CO, 81231, USA

    C. Patrick Stark

  2. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA

    David Chiszar & Hobart M. Smith

Authors
  1. C. Patrick Stark
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David Chiszar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hobart M. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Patrick Stark.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Stark, C.P., Chiszar, D. & Smith, H.M. A Noninvasive Technique for Blocking Vomeronasal Chemoreception in Rattlesnakes. Psychol Rec 56, 471–487 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03396028

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03396028

Search

Navigation