Effects of Prey Size on Poststrike Behavior of Juvenile Red Spitting Cobras (Naja mossambica pallida)

Abstract

Juvenile red spitting cobras (Naja mossambica pallida) held small neonatal mice (Mus musculus, 1.8-2.0 g) after striking but released larger mice (5.58.0 g). These results agree with data on viperids and suggest that N. m. pallida and perhaps other elapids will be found to exhibit strike-induced chemosensory searching and prey trailing behavior when relatively large rodents are attacked. Rattlesnakes typically strike and release adult rodent prey (Gans, 1966), permitting the envenomated rodent to wander up to 700 cm before succumbing to the venom (Estep et al., 1981). Small rodents, especially neonates, are often held in the snake's jaws after the strike, or they are sometimes swallowed without being struck (Radcliffe et al., 1980). Hence, poststrike trailing behavior occurs mainly when rattlesnakes attack relatively large rodent prey (Chiszar et al., 1977, 1978; Dullemeijer, 1961; O'Connell et al., 1981). Cobras also exhibit variability in poststrike behavior, although large specimens (including N. m. pallida) usually hold even adult mice (personal communication from M. Finstrom and K. Wintin, Knoxville Zoo, reptile dept.). Young cobras in particular seem to hold or release rodent prey depending upon prey size and/or defensive-struggling behavior. In fact, it has been hypothesized that the strike-release-trail strategy evolved as an adaptation by which juvenile venomous snakes deal with relatively large and formidable This content downloaded from 207.46.13.124 on Wed, 22 Jun 2016 05:27:59 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 60 TRANSACTIONS OF THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE rodent prey (Chiszar et al., 1982). Hence, the present study was designed to determine if juvenile cobras hold or release rodents as a function of prey weight.