Commonly found in amphibians (Anurans)
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Plethodontidae Salamanders
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Squamates (Chameleons)
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Oral cavity
Opisthoglyph
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%%Rear-fanged%% snakes (back of maxilla)
Fangs not hollow
%%Weak%% venom
Due to location of fangs, %%snake must move prey to back of mouth%% before digestion
IN: Hognose Snake
Proteroglyph elapid snakes
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Forward-grooved snakes
%%Shortened%% maxillary bearing fangs with %%few teeth except for enlarged fangs%%
%%Fixed%% fangs with a %%hollow tube%% (like a needle/syringe)
Many species are some of the %%most toxic%% (%%neurotoxins%%)
Due to the %%shortened%% nature of its %%front teeth%%, it must %%hold on%% momentarily to inject the venom
Cobras & Brown Snakes (Australia)
Solenoglyph Viperid Snakes
@@Sit-and-wait (ambush foraging)@@
@@Active foraging (wide foraging)@@
Likely a %%continuum%% of foraging modes from these two extremes
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External factors
Internal factors
@@How hungry is it?@@
@@Amount of learned experiences (coupled with age)@@
@@Sex and reproductive state@@
@@Genetics@@
Phylogenetic factors
Amphibians and reptiles can detect prey using different cues
@@Visual@@
Mostly used by %%sit-and-wait%% predators
Large, well-developed eyes
Discriminate prey based on %%shape and size%%
%%Binocular%% perception
Most %%align%% heads or entire body axis with that of prey before attacking
@@Chemical@@
Olfaction
Vomerolfaction (Jacob’s organ)
Taste
@@Tactile@@
Relatively %%poorly understood%%
%%Mechanoreceptors%% in the skin (lateral line in aquatic amphibians)
In several spp., %%flaps of skin are highly innervated%% and also help in the tactile detection of prey
@@Thermal@@
%%Infrared light%% sensed by %%nerve endings%% in skin of head which are located %%inside pit organs%%
Pits open anteriorly (%%always face forward%%) and provide a %%binocular%%
Most effective for %%nocturnal spp.%% that feed on mammals & birds
Many spp. use some %%combination%% of these cues
Specific food habits depend on:
Acoustic cues
4 basic call categories
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Reciprocation
Release
Distress
Frogs can make vocalizations by passing air back and forth between lungs, vocal cords, and vocal sacs
Visual cues
%%Tactile signals%% very important for snake courtship
3 different phases
Tactile phase
Male %%chases%% female to copulate
Intromission & copulation
2 forms
@@Hibernation@@
@@Breeding Aggregations@@