Abstract
Four bull snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) exhibited a higher rate of tongue flicking after constricting mice than after seeing and/or smelling mice for an equivalent length of time. Accordingly, it was concluded that the act of constriction potentiates chemosensory investigation mediated by the vomeronasal system. A comparably high rate of tongue flicking was also observed after the snakes swallowed a mouse. Since constriction and swallowing both involve grasping prey with the mouth but differ greatly in body postures, it is sug–gested that oral contact with prey (which stimulates the vomeronasal chemoreceptors) is the causative factor in the activation of chemosensory investigation.
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