Pheromone cloacal, snake

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). 

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