Predator simulation and duration of death feigning in neonate hognose snakes – Burghardt and Greene, 1988 Hognose snakes have a tendency to display a wide range of defensive behaviours that include puffing, hissing, coiling, striking, flattening, and playing dead. Playing dead includes flipping over and sticking their tongue out while releasing a noxious odour toContinue reading “Hognoses Play Dead-Burghardt, Greene 1988”
Author Archives: K of Kyrene
Fitness is related to social competence
Social competence: an evolutionary approach – Taborsky and Oliveira, 2012 Behavioural Flexibility as phenotypic plasticity Classic evolutionary theory states that adaptation by natural selection is dependent on phenotypic variation which is heritable and produced by genetic variation. But when the genetic variation is outpaced by the environmental changes, then adapting to the environment without geneticContinue reading “Fitness is related to social competence”
Komodo Dragons- Bite/Venom > Bacteria
ANAEROBIC AND AEROBIC BACTERIOLOGY OF THE SALIVA AND GINGIVA FROM 16 CAPTIVE KOMODO DRAGONS ( VARANUS KOMODOENSIS): NEW IMPLICATIONS FOR THE “BACTERIA AS VENOM” MODEL – Goldstein et al. 2013 Introduction: Komodo dragons have mandibular venom glands that are attached to their teeth which aid in killing prey. The analysis of the venom had shownContinue reading “Komodo Dragons- Bite/Venom > Bacteria”
Repeatability in lizards (charging method used)
Exploration and spatial cognition show long-term repeatability but no heritability in the Aegean wall lizard – De Meester et al. 2022 Intro: To show that a cognitive trait evolves via natural selection then there needs to be evidence that shows the trait is connected to survival and/or reproduction. It also needs to show that theContinue reading “Repeatability in lizards (charging method used)”
sheds, shit and blood – observing snake stress markers
Stress in wild and captive snakes: quantification, effects and the importance of management – Waeyenberge et al. 2018 Introduction: Stress responses can be seen in all vertebrates and snakes are not the exception. Stressors are known to cause the subject to have a lack of control over the situation by adding a component of uncertainty.Continue reading “sheds, shit and blood – observing snake stress markers”
Container restraints increase cort levels in pythons
Written with partial aid of chatgpt for summarization purposes THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF HANDLING AND RESTRAINT ON THE BALL PYTHON (Python regius) AND THE BLUE-TONGUED SKINK (Tiliqua scincoides) – Kreger and Mench, 1993 Introduction: This paper starts off by highlighting the use of handling reptiles for various settings like zoos, educational presentations, medicalContinue reading “Container restraints increase cort levels in pythons”
Enrichment and Population Recovery
The value of enrichment to reintroduction success- Reading et al. 2013 Introduction: Environmental enrichment is defined as an animal husbandry principle that enhances the quality of captive animal care by identifying and providing the environmental stimuli needed for optimal psychological and physiological well being. Animals that are raised for release need to a wide rangeContinue reading “Enrichment and Population Recovery”
Neurology to Physiology
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Placebo Effects: Concepts, Predictions, and Physiology – Geuter et al. 2107 Introduction: This paper looks at the effectiveness of sham treatments/placebos and the manner in which they affect the physiological mechanisms related to the benefits they cause. A cool way they phrase this is by saying “How does the central nervousContinue reading “Neurology to Physiology”
Reversible Brain Deficits from Social isolation
Social enrichment reverses the isolation-induced deficits of neuronal plasticity in the hippocampus of male rats – Biggio et al. 2019 Introduction: Adolescence is a critical life stage for subjects because this is a time when the brain is exhibiting high functions and high amounts of adaption, and if stressed during this time it can causeContinue reading “Reversible Brain Deficits from Social isolation”
Durations of Enrichment Play a Critical Role in Brain Development
Neurobehavioural effects of restricted and unpredictable environmental enrichment in rats – Rojas-Carvajal et al. 2020 Introduction: Teasing apart how and why animals react the way they do to different environmental conditions would shed some light as to why EE works for some human subjects but not others. This is to do with the complex relationshipContinue reading “Durations of Enrichment Play a Critical Role in Brain Development”
Al3xandria 