Abstract

BRITISH JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY, Vol. 6, pp. 261-268 (1982) OXFORD SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS

LIFESTYLE AND THERMAL ECOLOGY OF NATRICINE SNAKES

ADRIAN HAILEY¹, P. M. C. DAVIES¹ AND ELIZABETH PULFORD²

^{1Zoology Department, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD and ²Zoology Department, UCNW, Bangor,

Gwynedd LL57 2UW

SUMMARY

Natrix maura was active by day and night in Spain in September, with a mean active body temperature of 22^oC. Natrix natrix was only seen active in daytime, at a mean body temperature of 26.6^oC. Natrix natrix was an active forager in summer, N. maura mostly a sentinel (sit-and-wait) predator. In spring, both species were seen basking and moving actively to a greater extent than in summer. Differences in lifestyle (foraging mode) between these species in sympatry are extrapolated to cool temperate N. natrix, and the differences in thermophysiology between this species and N. maura examined from the standpoint of both lifestyle and climate.}