Ontogenetic Variation in the Thermal Biology of Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC 137B
Start Date
16-5-2013
End Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
The strong size discrepancy between adults and neonates within many species of ectotherms results in drastically different rates of heating and cooling. For squamate reptiles, this may have important consequences for how individuals regulate their body temperature in nature. We hypothesized that since neonate snakes can heat and cool faster than adult snakes they would have more variation in body temperatures and may therefore show different thermal preferences than adult snakes. To test this hypothesis, we investigated thermal preferences of neonate and adult Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes in a laboratory thermal gradient at temperatures ranging from 10°C to 35°C. Hide boxes were placed (at intervals of 5°C) throughout the gradient to offer snakes refugia at a range of temperatures. Snake body temperatures were recorded throughout the day using an infrared thermometer and behaviors associated with recorded body temperatures were also recorded. Neonate snakes had a broader range of body temperatures than did adults and were also active more often than adult snakes, using a wider range of locations throughout the gradient. These differences suggest that the thermal biology of neonate rattlesnakes differs from that of adults, which appears to translate into differences in behavior and microhabitat use. The ecological implications for these differences are important for each age class, as they may result in differences in activity patters, movements, and habitat use. Field studies to corroborate these findings are currently underway.
Recommended Citation
Loughran, Caleb, "Ontogenetic Variation in the Thermal Biology of Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 60.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/oralpresentations/60
Additional Mentoring Department
Biological Sciences
Ontogenetic Variation in the Thermal Biology of Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes
SURC 137B
The strong size discrepancy between adults and neonates within many species of ectotherms results in drastically different rates of heating and cooling. For squamate reptiles, this may have important consequences for how individuals regulate their body temperature in nature. We hypothesized that since neonate snakes can heat and cool faster than adult snakes they would have more variation in body temperatures and may therefore show different thermal preferences than adult snakes. To test this hypothesis, we investigated thermal preferences of neonate and adult Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes in a laboratory thermal gradient at temperatures ranging from 10°C to 35°C. Hide boxes were placed (at intervals of 5°C) throughout the gradient to offer snakes refugia at a range of temperatures. Snake body temperatures were recorded throughout the day using an infrared thermometer and behaviors associated with recorded body temperatures were also recorded. Neonate snakes had a broader range of body temperatures than did adults and were also active more often than adult snakes, using a wider range of locations throughout the gradient. These differences suggest that the thermal biology of neonate rattlesnakes differs from that of adults, which appears to translate into differences in behavior and microhabitat use. The ecological implications for these differences are important for each age class, as they may result in differences in activity patters, movements, and habitat use. Field studies to corroborate these findings are currently underway.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dan Beck