Title
The Foraging Ecology of the Gray Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta Spiloides). I. Influence of Habitat Structural Complexity when Searching for Mammalian Prey
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1999
Abstract
The habitat in which a predator experiences the highest level of foraging success may depend on the complexity of the structure within that habitat. Visual perception of prey may increase in an open habitat where structure is absent, whereas a predator's crypsis in an ambush posture may increase in a highly complex habitat. We examined the effect of variation in habitat structural complexity on the predatory success of the semi-arboreal snake Elaphe obsoleta spiloides foraging for small mammals (Mus domesticus). Individual snakes searched for mice in large enclo-sures containing one of five levels of vegetation density. Latency to prey capture and snake behaviors were recorded on video tape for each foraging episode. Gray rat snakes were least proficient at capturing prey in enclosures devoid of vegetation, but latency to prey capture was not reliably affected by variation in the density of vegetation within the enclosures. Subjects spent over 95% of foraging time performing 10 of the 20 described behaviors; three behaviors occurred more often than the other seven regardless of variation in structural complexity of habitat. Experimental ma-nipulation of structural complexity within simulated habitats did not influence predatory success or behavioral expression in gray rat snakes foraging for small rodents. Key words: Elaphe obsoleta spiloides; Foraging behavior; Gray rat snake; Habitat simulation; Predatory success; Structural complexity within simulated babitats did not influence predatory success or behavioral expression in gray rat snakes foraging for small rodents.
Repository Citation
Mullin, Stephen J. and Gutzke, William H. N., "The Foraging Ecology of the Gray Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta Spiloides). I. Influence of Habitat Structural Complexity when Searching for Mammalian Prey" (1999). Faculty Publications. 116.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/biology/116
Comments
Mullin, Stephen J., and William HN Gutzke. "The foraging ecology of the gray rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta spiloides). I. Influence of habitat structural complexity when searching for mammalian prey." Herpetologica (1999): 18-28.