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The Not-So-Dumb Corn Snake

The Not-So-Dumb Corn Snake. Pantherophis guttatus. Introduction. Corn snakes are smarter than I thought Background information on corn snake Nomenclature Appearance Habitat & Food Spatial learning experiment. Background Information. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata

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The Not-So-Dumb Corn Snake

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  1. The Not-So-Dumb Corn Snake Pantherophis guttatus

  2. Introduction • Corn snakes are smarter than I thought • Background information on corn snake • Nomenclature • Appearance • Habitat & Food • Spatial learning experiment

  3. Background Information Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subpylum: Vertebrata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata (lizards and snakes) Suborder: Serpentes Family: Colubridae (non-venomous) Genus: Pantherophis

  4. Nomenclature • Pantherophis guttatus pantherophis = leopard guttatus = speckled or spotted Other names: Red rat snake

  5. Appearance • „vivid colors of reddish or orange blotches edged in black with a grayish to orange colored background tinged with yellow“ (http://wildwnc.org/af/cornsnake.html) • Belly: black/white checkerboard

  6. Habitat & Food & Characteristics • New Jersey –Florida, East Coast – Texas and Utah • Overgrown fields, forest openings, and abandoned or seldom used buildings, corn fields and corn cribs • Feed on rodents and thereby keep down the rodent population • Excellent climbers looking for nestling birds • Poikilotherm • Respiration via lungs • Lay eggs • Non-venomous snakes • Constricting their prey

  7. Spatial Learning - Experiment Holtzman et. al 1997: Spatial learning of an escape task by young corn snakes, Elaphe guttata guttata - 17 snakes tested with a 4-day training period

  8. First Results from Experiment first trial of day 1 third trial of day 4

  9. Results from Experiment

  10. Conclusion Wow! – snakes are actually smart!!!

  11. Sources • http://wildwnc.org/af/cornsnake.html • Holtzman, David A., Terrenc3 W. Harris, Guillermo Arangurene, Elizabeth Bostock. 1999. Spatial learning of an escape task by young corn snakes, Elaphe guttata guttata. Animal Behaviour, 57, 51 – 60. • images: http://www.tainoreptiles.com

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