chemical crypsis !!!

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chemical crypsis !!!

Postby Berislav Horvatic » Sat Jan 16, 2016 12:44 am

An ambusher's arsenal: chemical crypsis in the puff adder (Bitis arietans)

Ashadee Kay Miller, Bryan Maritz, Shannon McKay, Xavier Glaudas, Graham J. Alexander
Published 16 December 2015. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2182

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/ ... 1/20152182

Abstract
Ambush foragers use a hunting strategy that places them at risk of predation by both visual and olfaction-oriented predators. Resulting selective pressures have driven the evolution of impressive visual crypsis in many ambushing species, and may have led to the development of chemical crypsis. However, unlike for visual crypsis, few studies have attempted to demonstrate chemical crypsis. Field observations of puff adders (Bitis arietans) going undetected by several scent-orientated predator and prey species led us to investigate chemical crypsis in this ambushing species. We trained dogs (Canis familiaris) and meerkats (Suricata suricatta) to test whether a canid and a herpestid predator could detect B. arietans using olfaction. We also tested for chemical crypsis in five species of active foraging snakes, predicted to be easily detectable. Dogs and meerkats unambiguously indicated active foraging species, but failed to correctly indicate puff adder, confirming that B. arietans employs chemical crypsis. This is the first demonstration of chemical crypsis anti-predatory behaviour, though the phenomenon may be widespread among ambushers, especially those that experience high mortality rates owing to predation. Our study provides additional evidence for the existence of an ongoing chemically mediated arms race between predator and prey species.
Berislav Horvatic
 
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Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:35 pm
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country: Croatia

Re: chemical crypsis !!!

Postby Frédéric Seyffarth » Sun Jan 17, 2016 11:05 am

Hello,

Very VERY interesting!
Thanks for posting

;-)
Frédéric Seyffarth
 
Posts: 119
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 7:13 pm
Hometown: Husseren-Wesserling
country: France


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