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June 20, 2026Integrative Organismal BiologyOpen Access

Naïve garter snake chemosensory preferences corroborate diet of wild individuals and reveal behavioral convergence for foraging in deep water

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Authors

ECElsie CarrilloMBMadisen BerryDRDamiana S. Rojas

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Overview

Randomized trial reveals how garter snakes adapt for foraging in shallow and deep water, indicating significant behavioral flexibility.

Key Points

  • The study investigates innate chemosensory preferences and foraging behavior in two garter snake species in aquatic environments.
  • Compared prey capture abilities of Lake Chapala and checkered garter snakes using tongue flicks and attack latency.
  • Categorized strike modes and quantified prey capture efficiency at shallow and deep water depths.
  • Analyzed head shape to explain variations in strike mode between species.
  • T. e. obscurus exhibited faster prey capture and better accuracy in shallow water with a greater gape angle.
  • Both species adopted forward strikes and longer prey capture latencies in deeper water.
  • Behavioral convergence was evident as both species adapted to stay underwater longer for prey transport.

Cite This Study

Carrillo et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a362f11db0793dc1a536962https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obag030
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Also Consider

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