Methods of Striking in the Species, Boa Constrictor
Abstract
The species Boa Constrictor preys on a variety of organisms. This study looks at how observed striking behaviors of snakes in the lab could correlate with how they hunt in the wild, and what is most efficient. We analyzed the behavior of 44 lab-raised boa constrictors. When being fed, a 1200 fps camera captured the strike of each snake. Comparative analysis of the way each snake moved while striking revealed two distinct methods of capture. The first behavior is described as creeping, where the snake sneaks up close to the prey and strikes afterwards. The second behavior is described as long-distance striking, where the snake immediately strikes at the prey from afar. We then took this information and isolated videos of each behavior into the analysis software Tracker. Tracker allowed us to conduct a frame-by-frame analysis of the behavior leading up to striking and directly after. While the two behaviors have been observed in wild boas, our study is the first to describe them in detail, and exhibit that the individual snakes are able to modulate prey capture behavior.
Methods of Striking in the Species, Boa Constrictor
The species Boa Constrictor preys on a variety of organisms. This study looks at how observed striking behaviors of snakes in the lab could correlate with how they hunt in the wild, and what is most efficient. We analyzed the behavior of 44 lab-raised boa constrictors. When being fed, a 1200 fps camera captured the strike of each snake. Comparative analysis of the way each snake moved while striking revealed two distinct methods of capture. The first behavior is described as creeping, where the snake sneaks up close to the prey and strikes afterwards. The second behavior is described as long-distance striking, where the snake immediately strikes at the prey from afar. We then took this information and isolated videos of each behavior into the analysis software Tracker. Tracker allowed us to conduct a frame-by-frame analysis of the behavior leading up to striking and directly after. While the two behaviors have been observed in wild boas, our study is the first to describe them in detail, and exhibit that the individual snakes are able to modulate prey capture behavior.
