Eastern Tiger Snake - Notechis scutatus
Changes for the Better
Queensland, Australia: Commonly known as the "Sunshine Coast". As an area that the Eastern Tiger Snake resides in, it is no wonder that this tiger snake has adopted methods to use the sun in a beneficial way!
The constant sunshine penetrating down has been of raising concern for skin cancer rates among human beings. At the same time, the eastern tiger snake has specifically adapted to this sun-shining environment and actually uses the sun’s warmth to its ability. The sun's heat causes these species to have higher body temperatures, while utilizing shade as a way of lowering their internal body temperature. Eastern tiger snakes, possessing darker banding and skin, use their coloration method as a way of absorbing the sun's heat at a quicker rate. Snakes, as a whole, are cold-blooded animals that are incapable of generating their own body heat, as well as controlling their body temperatures overall.
Although Notechis scutatus lack limbs, they still have the ability to move through both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Movement is possible because of their muscles and scales. Due to the fact that eastern tiger snakes are not restricted to only traveling on flat ground, they have the ability to travel through/over many different surfaces and areas. There are different types of locomotion, depending on the terrain that the snake is traveling through. The most common method is undulatory locomotion, which is also referred to as slithering. This type of movement also allows the eastern tiger snake to move efficiently through water. Due to muscular contractions, a traveling body wave is formed that pushes against the water. This pushing momentum created by the snake body drive the snake forward. In contrast, land surfaces are uneven, in which the body of the snake pushes against it. Every point on the body follows the same path and pushes against the same irregular point, causing the entire body to move onward.
Photograph source: Stewart MacDonald
Sidewinding locomotion is used to move through substrates of sand. This type of locomotion is used when this snake species tosses its body in a sideways direction, forming reoccurring s-shaped loops. Eastern tiger snakes use concertina locomotion when climbing vertical surfaces, such as trees. This type of movement is performed in a stop-and-go technique, where one portion of the body is stationary while the other part is in motion. First, the head and anterior end of the body reach forward until they reach a stationary point. Then the posterior end of the body follows, while the frontal area forms stationary curves. Then the cycle repeats again, with the anterior end extending forward.
To sense and respond to environmental stimuli, the eastern tiger snakes uses a variety of different senses including sight, smell, hearing, and touch. By possessing well-developed eyes, this species is able to distinguish images, rather than solely differentiating between light and dark. The pupils are round in size, which allow only a minimum amount of light to hit the eye during bright and sunny days. These snakes also posses pit organs, commonly known as heat receptors, that give them the ability to perceive light within the infrared spectrum. Infrared vision allows the snake to detect and differentiate temperature differences between an object and its surroundings. Eastern tiger snakes feed on warm-blooded prey animals and the pit organs allow for the detection of these prey items.
As for hearing, eastern tiger snakes do not have external ears or eardrums. Instead, they have a columella, or a small ear bone, that picks up low frequency airborne sounds. Sound waves are transferred from the skin, to muscle, and finally to the bone where this species is able to detect nearby vibrations, passed through the ground. Upon reaching the ear bone, the vibrations are processed by the brain.
Even though Notechis scutatus do possess nasal cavities and nostrils, a majority of smells are sensed through the use of a flickering tongue. While extended, the flickering tip of the tongue causes odor particles to stick to it. The tongue is then pulled back into the mouth, where the particles are transferred to the roof of the mouth. From there, the particles are passed along to a specialized olfactory chamber, commonly known as the Jacobson's organ. The fluid-filled Jacobson's organ distinguishes the different odor particles as being prey, predator, or other items. The tongue is responsible for the transport of odor particles, rather than detecting the presence of them.
Image source: Stewart MacDonald
Notechis scutatus possess lungs that are used to breathe. In some cases, the eastern tiger snake's air pathway may be partially blocked from engulfing prey and having a full mouth. Sounds like a dangerous issue, but it is not one to worry about for this species. They possess a glottis, or the opening and valve that leads into the trachea, which can be extended out of the side of the mouth, underneath the food. This gives the eastern tiger snake the ability to continue breathing while consuming larger prey.
By using these possessed senses, eastern tiger snakes are able to find both prey and mates, while detecting predators. If a sense becomes nonfunctional, Notechis scutatus can still survive by depending on the other effective senses. The brain processes the sensory results, which in return, determines how the snake reacts to each environmental stimuli.
Now that some of the unique sensory organs and adaptive methods have been discovered, let's move along to see what this species is having for dinner tonight! Click here for the home page.