A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Protective coloration of European vipers throughout the predation sequence (2020)

Valkonen, J. K., Vakkila, A., Pesari, S., Tuominen, L., & Mappes, J. (2020). Protective coloration of European vipers throughout the predation sequence. Animal Behaviour, 164, 99-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.04.005

JYU-tekijät tai -toimittajat

Julkaisun tiedot

Julkaisun kaikki tekijät tai toimittajat: Valkonen, Janne K.; Vakkila, Annu; Pesari, Susanna; Tuominen, Laura; Mappes, Johanna

Lehti tai sarja: Animal Behaviour

ISSN: 0003-3472

eISSN: 1095-8282

Julkaisuvuosi: 2020

Volyymi: 164

Artikkelin sivunumerot: 99-104

Kustantaja: Elsevier

Julkaisumaa: Britannia

Julkaisun kieli: englanti

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.04.005

Julkaisun avoin saatavuus: Ei avoin

Julkaisukanavan avoin saatavuus: 

Tiivistelmä

Antipredator adaptations in the form of animal coloration are common and often multifunctional. European vipers (genus Vipera) have a characteristic dorsal zigzag pattern, which has been shown to serve as a warning signal to potential predators. At the same time, it has been suggested to decrease detection risk, and to cause a motion dazzle or flicker–fusion effect during movement. We tested these hypotheses by asking whether (1) the zigzag pattern decreases detection risk and (2) the detection is dependent on the base coloration (grey or brown) or the snake's posture (coiled, basking form or S-shaped, active form). Additionally, (3) we measured the fleeing speed of adders, Vipera berus, and calculated the flicker rate of the zigzag pattern, to see whether it is fast enough to cause a flicker–fusion effect against predators. Our results show that the zigzag pattern reduced detectability regardless of base coloration or posture of the snake. The brown zigzag morph was detected less often than the grey zigzag morph. The fleeing speed of adders appeared to be fast enough to induce a flicker–fusion effect for mammalian predators. However, it is unlikely to be fast enough to induce the flicker–fusion effect for raptors. Our findings highlight that the colour pattern of animals can be multifunctional. The same colour pattern that can decrease detection by predators can also serve as a warning function once detected, and potentially hinder capture during an attack.

YSO-asiasanat: suojaväri; varoitusväri; saalistus; kyykäärmeet

Vapaat asiasanat: animal coloration; conspicuousness; crypsis; dazzle coloration; detection; flicker–fusion; predation; vision; warning signal; zigzag pattern

Liittyvät organisaatiot

OKM-raportointi: Kyllä

VIRTA-lähetysvuosi: 2020

JUFO-taso: 2