Survey/Project Number: |
763
Total No. of Sites:
1
|
Survey/Project Name: |
Is prey size driving ecological speciation in Tiger snakes? |
Abstract: |
Hopkins Island adult Tiger snakes seemingly occur in two size categories, with small and very large snakes. Such difference may result from different diet, small versus large prey. I suspect that at some stage juvenile Tiger snakes may or may not successfully swallow and move on to larger prey (from skinks to bird chicks). Since large females snake usually prefer to mate with large male, there is an opportunity for assortive mating to occur, and thus reproductive isolation between the two snake groups. Eventually such system may lead to the evolution of two snake species from a single population. The Tiger snake speciation investigations was conducted in January 2010. |
|
Start Date: |
25/01/2010
End Date: 30/01/2010
|
Survey Type: |
Fauna only |
|
|
Study Area Description: |
Hopkins Island - Eyre Peninsula |