We studied sea kraits (Laticauda colubrina) on a small Fijian island during the mating season (September–December) in two successive years. These snakes forage at sea but return to islands to mate (and to lay their eggs, slough their skins, and digest their prey). On land, many females are accompanied by one or more courting males. The males align their bodies with that of the female and occasionally twitch spasmodically. These groups may remain together for days, with overt courtship by males much less frequent and intense than in most previously-studied snake species. Experimental trials in outdoor arenas showed that larger females attracted more intense courtship than did smaller animals. Females containing recently-ingested prey items were no more or less attractive to males than were unfed females. The intensity of courtship did not vary significantly among different times of day, nor was it consistently correlated with ambient temperature or with group size (operational sex ratio). Male sea kraits did not interact with each other in any overt way during courtship, and larger body size did not enhance male reproductive success. In several respects, the courtship of L. colubrina differs from that reported for other snake species.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
June 2002
Articles|
June 01 2002
THE MATING SYSTEM OF YELLOW-LIPPED SEA KRAITS (LATICAUDA COLUBRINA: LATICAUDIDAE)
Sohan Shetty;
Sohan Shetty
School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
Richard Shine
Richard Shine
School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
Herpetologica (2002) 58 (2): 170–180.
Citation
Sohan Shetty, Richard Shine; THE MATING SYSTEM OF YELLOW-LIPPED SEA KRAITS (LATICAUDA COLUBRINA: LATICAUDIDAE). Herpetologica 1 June 2002; 58 (2): 170–180. doi: https://doi.org/10.1655/0018-0831(2002)058[0170:TMSOYS]2.0.CO;2
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionCiting articles via
Hidden Threats to Persistence: Changes in Population Structure Can Affect Well-Preserved Spur-Thighed Tortoise Populations
Amalia Segura, Andreu Rotger, Roberto C. Rodríguez-Caro
Nest Attendance by American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in Coastal South Carolina
Thomas R. Rainwater, Randeep Singh, Samantha L. Bock, Philip M. Wilkinson, Steven G. Platt, Bo Song, Catherine M. Bodinof Jachowski
Revisiting the Energetics Hypothesis: Accelerometry Reveals Hidden Variation in the Movement Behavior of Snakes with Differing Foraging Modes
William L. Tillett, II, Elizabeth J. Noble, John R. Powers, Amber A. Stubbs, Morgan L. Thompson, Anna F. Tipton, Dominic L. DeSantis
Habitat Occupancy of Sceloporus tristichus Lizards Is Predicted by Microclimatic Conditions of the Forest Understory
Julio A. Rivera, Cristina Romero-Diaz, J. Jaime Zúñiga-Vega, Emília P. Martins
Throat Color Polymorphism is Related to Differences in Aggression in Aegean Wall Lizards
Dhruthi S. Mandavilli, Ian J. Wang, Kinsey M. Brock