First Observations of Smooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis) Communal Oviposition within An Active Ant Nest of Lasius interjectus

IF 0.5 4区环境科学与生态学 Q4 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION Northeastern Naturalist Pub Date : 2023-11-22 DOI:10.1656/045.030.0404

Allison B. Sacerdote-Velat, Nick Sekits

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Abstract

Abstract - We report the first observations of Opheodrys vernalis (Smooth Greensnake) communal oviposition of 137 eggs within an active nest mound of Lasius interjectus (Citronella Ant) in a northern Illinois prairie. This is the first North American documentation of snake oviposition, and communal oviposition, within an active ant nest. The communal Smooth Greensnake nest is also the largest reported to date. We observed other instances of Smooth Greensnakes nesting in proximity to Citronella Ant nests beneath artificial cover objects, which may indicate a facultative inquiline relationship. Other documented North American associations between snakes and ants have been with Formica mound-building ants in which snakes used mounds as refugia or hibernacula. The only other North American observation of a reptile nesting within an active ant mound was with Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole) and Odontomachus brunneus ants in Florida (Kwapich 2021). Other accounts of inquiline oviposition by snakes within active ant nests have been from Central America, South America, and Africa, predominantly within the fungal-farming chambers of leaf-cutter ant genera Acromyrmex, Anochetus, Apterostigma, Atta, Camponotus, Platythyrea, and Strumigenys.

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首次观察到光滑绿蛇（Opheodrys vernalis）在 Lasius interjectus 的活跃蚁巢中集体产卵

摘要--我们报告了在伊利诺斯州北部草原上首次观察到的蛇类在Lasius interjectus（香茅蚁）的活动巢丘内共同产卵的情况。这是北美首次记录蛇类在活跃蚁巢内产卵和共同产卵的情况。这个共同的平滑绿蛇巢穴也是迄今为止报告的最大的巢穴。我们还观察到其他光滑绿蛇在人工覆盖物下的香茅蚁巢附近筑巢的情况，这可能表明光滑绿蛇与香茅蚁之间存在一种亲缘关系。其他有记录的北美蛇与蚂蚁之间的关系是与福美蚁丘蚁的关系，蛇利用福美蚁丘作为栖息地或冬眠地。北美唯一一次观察到爬行动物在活跃的蚁丘中筑巢的情况，是在佛罗里达州发现的 Anolis carolinensis（绿蚁）和 Odontomachus brunneus 蚂蚁（Kwapich，2021 年）。中美洲、南美洲和非洲也有蛇在活动蚁巢内产卵的记录，主要是在Acromyrmex、Anochetus、Apterostigma、Atta、Camponotus、Platythyrea和Strumigenys等切叶蚁属的真菌养殖室内。

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来源期刊

Northeastern Naturalist 环境科学-生态学

CiteScore

1.10

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

18-36 weeks

期刊介绍： The Northeastern Naturalist covers all aspects of the natural history sciences of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms and the environments of the northeastern portion of North America, roughly bounded from Virginia to Missouri, north to Minnesota and Nunavut, east to Newfoundland, and south back to Virginia. Manuscripts based on field studies outside of this region that provide information on species within this region may be considered at the Editor’s discretion. The journal welcomes manuscripts based on observations and research focused on the biology of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms and communities as it relates to their life histories and their function within, use of, and adaptation to the environment and the habitats in which they are found, as well as on the ecology and conservation of species and habitats. Such studies may encompass measurements, surveys, and/or experiments in the field, under lab conditions, or utilizing museum and herbarium specimens. Subject areas include, but are not limited to, anatomy, behavior, biogeography, biology, conservation, evolution, ecology, genetics, parasitology, physiology, population biology, and taxonomy. Strict lab, modeling, and simulation studies on natural history aspects of the region, without any field component, will be considered for publication as long as the research has direct and clear significance to field naturalists and the manuscript discusses these implications.