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Strike kinematics and performance in juvenile ball pythons ( Python regius )
Author(s) -
Ryerson William G,
Tan Weimin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of experimental zoology part a: ecological and integrative physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.834
H-Index - 11
eISSN - 2471-5646
pISSN - 2471-5638
DOI - 10.1002/jez.2131
Subject(s) - python (programming language) , juvenile , captivity , kinematics , biology , viperidae , zoology , anatomy , ecology , computer science , physics , classical mechanics , venom , operating system
The rapid strike of snakes has interested researchers for decades. Although most work has focused on the strike performance of vipers, recent work has shown that other snakes outside of the Viperidae can strike with the same velocities and accelerations. However, to date all of these examples focus on performance in adult snakes. Here, we use high‐speed video to measure the strike kinematics and performance of 10 juvenile (<6 months of age) ball pythons, Python regius . We find that juvenile P. regius strike at levels comparable to larger snakes, but with shorter durations and over shorter distances. We conclude that the juvenile P. regius maintain performance likely through manipulation of the axial musculature and accompanying elastic tissues, and that this is a first step to understanding ontogenetic changes in behavior and a potential avenue for understanding how captivity may also impact behavior.