1997/12/15 by John A. Shivik, Larry Clark · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · Neuroscience · #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
paper · doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-010x(19971215)279:6<549::aid-jez2>3.0.co;2-n
crossref issued 1997/12/15 · crossref published 1997/12/15 · crossref published-print 1997/12/15 · openalex publication_date 1997/12/15 · crossref created 2004/10/23 · crossref deposited 2021/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/08/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
We performed field experiments to examine brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) attraction to carrion. These snakes were attracted to carrion and entered traps baited with dead mice as readily as traps baited with live mice. Using the cues arising from both live and dead prey, we examined the relative importance of visual and chemical cues to brown tree snakes. With carrion lures, chemical cues alone were sufficient for attracting and capturing snakes, but with live prey lures visual cues were required to attract and capture brown tree snakes. Our study presents the first experimental field evidence showing carrion to be attractive to an ophidian predator and suggests that the relative importance of chemical and visual sensory stimuli to brown tree snakes is context-specific. J. Exp. Zool. 279:549–553, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.