Meeting Abstract

P3.63  Monday, Jan. 6 15:30  Thermal dependency of locomotor performance and anti-predator behaviors in boa constrictors (Boa constrictor) SALVATORE, BP*; GERALD, GW; Nebraska Wesleyan University brittani_s@hotmail.com

Temperature is widely known to have a large influence on locomotor performance and behaviors of many animals, especially poikilotherms. In snakes, previous studies have quantified thermal dependencies of locomotor abilities during different locomotor modes in snakes of the family Colubridae. To our knowledge, no study has examined the influence of temperature on a species of snake in the family Boidae (boas and pythons). In addition to most species being found in tropical or sub-tropical environments, these large-bodied snakes might encounter more friction during movement compared to smaller snakes, thus exacerbating the influence of decreasing temperatures. This study examined both the thermal dependency of locomotor performance and anti-predator behaviors in the boa constrictor. Performance was tested on snakes moving via lateral undulation, swimming, concertina, and arboreal locomotion at three temperatures. We found that temperature dependencies were similar to those found in other colubrid snakes. Moreover, we found that anti-predator behavioral strategies exhibited were related to performance at different temperatures.