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Confronting Snakes in the Burrow: Snake‐Species Discrimination and Antisnake Tactics of Two California Ground Squirrel Populations
Author(s) -
Towers Steven R.,
Coss Richard G.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
ethology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0179-1613
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1990.tb00796.x
Subject(s) - burrow , ecology , population , harassment , ground squirrel , biology , predator , predation , zoology , fossorial , demography , sociology , political science , law , thermoregulation
The purpose of this study was to investigate phylogenetic and ecological factors that shape encounters between California ground squirrels and snakes in the burrow setting. Ground squirrels were video taped while interacting in a simulated burrow with either a venomous rattlesnake or a lessdangerous gopher snake. Squirrels from a population where snakes are rare treated both snake species with greater caution than did squirrels from a snake‐adapted population. High physiological resistance to rattlesnake venom in the snake‐adapted population was associated with more intense rattlesnake harassment. Squirrels from both populations treated the rattlesnake as the more important predator, as inferred from higher levels of harassment and escape‐motivated behavior while interacting with the rattlesnake. We conclude that the tightly constraining ecology of burrow encounters with intruders supports the expression of competent antipredator behavior in ground squirrels. We view adaptations such as snake‐species discrimination as embedded in the ecological relationship between snakes, ground squirrels, and the architecture of the burrow setting.