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Behavioral Responses By Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon Piscivorus) To Chemical And Visual Predator Cues, Kristen Lee Kohlhepp

MSU Graduate Theses

Predator detection and assessment of predation risk have important survival consequences for animals. However, responses to predatory threats can vary with different stimuli. Chemical cues are important for predator recognition but visual cues may elicit defensive responses. Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) exhibit an array of antipredatory behaviors that have been thoroughly characterized in response to human aggressors, but their responses to cues from other predators are poorly known. I conducted three experiments to evaluate cottonmouth responses to visual and chemical stimuli from predators and non-predators. Snakes exposed to predator chemical cues exhibited elevated tongue-flick rates compared to controls but did not …