Chemosensory behavioural responses to prey and conspecifc chemical stimuli in Elaphe quatuorlineata (Bonnaterre, 1790)

Skin lipids and other semiochemicals of the integument of snakes act as chemical signals and have various functions, but the behavioural responses to semiochemicals are rarely studied. In this study, we isolated the scent of the Four-lined Snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata) both from a living individual and from shed skin. We then examined the tongue-ficking responses of these snakes to determine if isolated lipid extractions of snake skin could be recognized by conspecifcs. We detected that the snakes ficked their tongues more frequently when exposed to the scent of prey and shed skin extract than to a control with no scent. We also examined the infuence of ontogeny, with adult female snakes exhibiting higher relative tongue fick rates than subadult females. Elaphe quatuorlineata is protected and listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, and these snakes are difcult to detect for biomonitoring purposes due to their elusive lifestyle. The use of semiochemicals that elicit behavioural responses could facilitate feld searches, improve knowledge of the species’ biology and behaviour, and contribute to its conservation.