Brown tree snake

Feeding behavior Brown tree snake Responds strongly No Yes D. Chiszar,... 

FIGURE 7.4 A female brown tree snake discharges cloacal defense secretion. (From Greene and Mason, 2000.)... 

Chiszar, D., Kandler, K., Lee, R., and Smith, H. M. (1988b). Stimulus control of predatory attack in the brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis. 2. Use of chemical cues during foraging. Ampfete-RepftZw 9,77-88. 

Greene, M. J. and Mason, R. T. (2000). Courtship, mating and male combat of the brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis. Herpetologica 56 166-175. 

Mason, R. T. and Greene, M. J. (2001). Invading pest species and the threat to biodiversity pheromonal control of Guam brown tree snakes, Boiga irregularis. In Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, vol. 9, eds. A. Marchlewska-Koj, J. J. Lepri, and D. Miiller-Schwarze, pp. 361-368. New York Kluwer Academic/Plenum. 

Shivik, J. A. (1998). Brown tree snake response to visual and olfactory cues. Journal of Wildlife Management 62,105-111. 

Shivik, J. A., and Clark, L. (1997). Carrion seeking in brown tree snakes importance of olfactory and visual aits. Journal ofExperimentalZoology 179,549-553. 

THE EFFECTS OF CLOACAE SECRETIONS ON BROWN TREE SNAKE BEHAVIOR... 

Female brown tree snakes release cloacal secretions to inhibit male courtship (Greene and Mason, 2003). Female brown tree snakes are particularly active in the process of courtship compared to reports for other snakes (Greene and Mason, 2000). Females display overt courtship behaviors that appear to solicit courtship from males and may represent mechanisms to asses to quality of potential mates (Greene and Mason, 2000). Also, females lift their tails, gape their cloacae, and deposit secretions during courtship to which males respond by ceasing courtship activity (Greene and Mason,... 

We tested the effects of cloacal secretions that had been aged in a sealed vial on brown tree snakes. Our bioassay measured changes in locomotion, avoidance behavior and the expression of defensive behaviors in response to touch stimuli. A blank control, freshly collected cloacal secretions and aged cloacal secretions were the stimuli used in the study. An applied aim of this study was to investigate chemical cues that might be of use in controlling the brown tree snake in its introduced habitat (Mason and Greene,... 

In conclusion, cloacal secretions have the following behavioral effects on brown tree snakes I) they act as a pheromone that inhibits male courtship behavior, and 2) when aged, they act as a chemical signal and/or chemical irritant that that elicits defensive behaviors from the snakes. Our results represent a significant part of only a small handful of studies that have empirically demonstrated behavioral effects of cloacal secretions, despite the attention they have historically received in the literature (Mason, 1992). The data also demonstrate the effects of volatile chemical signals on snake behavior the effects of non-volatile signals on snake behavior have been more commonly studied (Mason, 1992). 

Fritts, T. H., 1988, The brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis, a threat to Pacific Islands, US Fish and Wildlfe Biological Report 88(31),... 

Rodda, G. H., Fritts, T. H, McCoid, M. J., and Campbell III, E. W., 1999, An overview of the biology of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), a costly introduced pest on Pacific islands, in Problem Snake Management the Habu ami Brown tree snake, G. H. Rodda, U. Sawai, D. Chiszar, and H. Tanaka, eds, Cornell University Press, Khaca, New York, pp. 44-80. 

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHEMOSENSORY ATTRACTANTS FOR BROWN TREE SNAKES... 

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