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The role of innate and environmental influences in shaping antipredator behavior of mainland and insular gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis)

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Abstract

Vertebrates inhabiting islands are often characterized by fearlessness and tame behavior. While this relaxation of antipredator behavior has been documented in many species endemic to islands, fewer researchers have examined it in species that occur both in insular and mainland habitats. In addition, the mechanisms underlying this shift in behavior are still poorly known. For this work, antipredator behavior of island and mainland populations of the common gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) was surveyed. Observed differences were explained in terms of innate tendencies and/or environmental influences using both neonates and adults in laboratory experiments designed to tease apart these two underlying mechanisms. While antipredator behavior of adults was positively correlated with the predation pressures associated with capture sites, neonate behavior did not fully reflect this pattern. However, some support for hard-wired antipredator behavior at birth was evident. Plasticity experiments also revealed that environmental factors appear to influence antipredator behavior. Thus, the data presented here suggest that predation pressures play a strong role in shaping the antipredator behavior of island animals and that the resulting behaviors are most likely the result of some combination of both nature and nurture.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Jonathan P. Casey for a lifetime of support. I thank Gordon Burghardt, Sandy Echternacht, Chris Boake, and Randy Small for reviewing an earlier incarnation of this manuscript. Jim Gillingham of Central Michigan University (CMU) and Brent Graves of Northern Michigan University provided laboratory space, other facilities and supplies for the collection of snakes in Michigan. Gordon Burghardt of the University of Tennessee and his Reptile Ethology Lab provided space and support for the housing and care of pregnant females and neonates. The staff, students, and researchers of CMUs Biological Station on Beaver Island were invaluable in the collection of snakes and transport to sites. All snakes were collected under a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Scientific Collector’s Permit. Funding for this research was provided via Summer Research Grants from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee and a National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (IBN 0309339).

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA

    John S. Placyk Jr.

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Placyk, J.S. The role of innate and environmental influences in shaping antipredator behavior of mainland and insular gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). J Ethol 30, 101–108 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-011-0302-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-011-0302-0

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