Chemically mediated self-recognition in sibling juvenile common gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) reared on same or different diets: Evidence for a chemical mirror?
Abstract
Abstract Although self-recognition or self-awareness has been studied with the visually-based mirror test, passed by several species, primarily apes, the possibility of a chemically-based analogue is controversial. Prior studies suggested that chemical self-recognition may occur in some squamate reptiles. To evaluate this possibility, we studied 24 individually housed gartersnakes, Thamnophis sirtalis , raised from birth on either earthworm or fish diets and tested 12 male and 12 female snakes with cage liners that were either clean, their own, or from same-sex siblings fed their own or the opposite diet. Tongue flicking and activity were recorded in 30-minute video-recorded trials in a balanced design. After initial habituation to the stimuli, male, but not female, snakes discriminated between their own stimuli and those from littermates fed the same diet. Combined with other data and studies, the possibility that a chemical ‘mirror’ form of self-recognition exists in squamate reptiles is supported.
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Reptiles are not asocial; they exhibit diverse and often complex social behaviors.
“Moreover, reptiles are not asocial, although even reptile researchers who should know better continue to make such claims that are then repeated in the literature.”
From The evolution of sociality and the polyvagal theory (2023) · cites this paper as Burghardt et al., 2021
Reptiles exhibit social interactions including communal breeding, prolonged parental care, life-long monogamy, extended families, complex communication and mating systems, coordinated hunting, coordinated group movements, social learning, social play, social and self-recognition.
“which are now known to include cases of communal breeding, complex and prolonged parental care, life-long monogamy, extended families with permanent social bonds, complex communication and mating systems, coordinated hunting, coordinated group movements, social learning, social play, social and even self-recognition”
From The evolution of sociality and the polyvagal theory (2023) · cites this paper as Burghardt et al., 2021
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References 54 · Cited by 17
- Authors
- Burghardt, G. M., Partin, A. M., Pepper, H. E., Steele, J. M., Liske, S. M., Stokes, A. E., Lathan, A. N., Springer, C. M., & Jenkins, M. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (US)
- Venue
- Behaviour
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2021-09-22
- Volume
- 158
- Issue
- 12-13
- Pages
- 1169-1191
- ISSN
- 0005-7959 (ISSN-L)
- 1568-539X
- OpenAlex
- W3204590510
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 1.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behaviour (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Keywords
- Thamnophis sirtalis, diet effects, squamate reptiles, chemical communication, sex differences, tongue flicking
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