Life Sciences Commons^™

Arginine Vasotocin And Neuropeptide Y Vary With Seasonal Life-History Transitions In Garter Snakes, Ashley R. Lucas, Daelyn Y. Richards, Lucy M. Ramirez, Deborah Lutterschmidt

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Transitions between life-history stages are often accompanied by dramatic behavioral switches that result from a shift in motivation to pursue one resource over another. While the neuroendocrine mechanisms that regulate such behavioral transitions are poorly understood, arginine vasotocin (AVT) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) are excellent candidates because they modulate reproductive and feeding behavior, respectively. We asked if seasonal changes in AVT and NPY are concomitant with the seasonal migration to and from the feeding grounds in red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Male and female snakes were collected in different migratory states during both the spring and fall. The total …