Intraspecific competition, not predation, drives lizard tail loss on islands

Y Itescu, R Schwarz, S Meiri, P Pafilis - Journal of Animal Ecology, 2017 - JSTOR
1. Tail autotomy is mainly considered an antipredator mechanism. Theory suggests that
predation pressure relaxes on islands, subsequently reducing autotomy rates. 2 …

Responses of natricine snakes to predatory threat: a mini-review and research prospectus

PT Gregory - Journal of Herpetology, 2016 - meridian.allenpress.com
Numerous behaviors of natricine snakes are plausibly interpreted as antipredator
mechanisms that are useful at different stages of an encounter with a predator. Several of …

Amphibian and Reptile road mortality in special nature reserve Obedska Bara, Serbia

M Anđelković, N Bogdanović - Animals, 2022 - mdpi.com
Simple Summary Road networks allow for faster and easier transportation of people and
goods, but unfortunately, they also have many negative effects on nature. For example, due …

Dwarf vipers on a small island: body size, diet and fecundity correlates

L Tomović, M Anđelković, A Golubović… - Biological Journal of …, 2022 - academic.oup.com
Insular populations offer excellent opportunities to study the factors that influence
phenotypes. We observed island dwarfism in a widespread snake, the nose-horned viper …

[PDF][PDF] Melanism in the grass snake Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, Romania

G Fănaru, AE Telea, I Gherghel, R Melenciuc - Herpetozoa, 2022 - herpetozoa.pensoft.net
Animal colouration has a significant ecological role in defence, reproduction, and
thermoregulation. In the case of melanism, it is a complex topic. Besides potential …

A dicey situation: capture behaviours in free-ranging dice snakes

V Bjelica, M Anđelković, M Lakušić, M Maričić… - Behavioral Ecology and …, 2023 - Springer
When captured by a predator, the prey's options for escape decrease dramatically; however,
some species, such as dice snakes, display a wide variety of behaviours in order to escape …

Death‐feigning propensity varies within dice snake populations but not with sex or colour morph

A Golubović, M Anđelković, L Tomović… - Journal of …, 2021 - Wiley Online Library
Once cornered by a predator, prey can try to intimidate the assailant or repel it, with irritating
sprays for example. If seized, they may scratch, bite or struggle to cause the predator to …

Living with aliens: suboptimal ecological condition in semiaquatic snakes inhabiting a hot spot of allodiversity

L Stellati, N Borgianni, AM Bissattini, V Buono… - Acta Oecologica, 2019 - Elsevier
The presence of alien species can embody a form of disturbance for natural communities
and the concomitant presence of alien species at different levels within the trophic chain …

Melanism, body size, and sex ratio in snakes—new data on the grass snake (Natrix natrix) and synthesis

S Bury, TD Mazgajski, B Najbar, B Zając, K Kurek - The Science of Nature, 2020 - Springer
It is postulated that melanism in ectotherms is adaptive by enhancing thermoregulation,
subsequent resource acquisition, and growth. Such effects may differ between the sexes as …

Stress in wild and captive snakes: quantification, effects and the importance of management

J Van Waeyenberge, J Aerts… - Vlaams …, 2018 - openjournals.ugent.be
As in other animals, distress and impaired welfare have a deleterious effect on the mental,
physical and behavioral health of snakes in the wild and in captivity. Besides anthropogenic …