Date of Graduation

Fall 2025

Degree

Master of Science in Biology

Department

Biology

Committee Chair

Brian D. Greene

Abstract

When social organisms encounter a stress-inducing event, the presence of a conspecific can dampen the physiological and/or behavioral response elicited by the stressor. This concept, termed ‘social buffering’, has been well documented in mammals, but there are few studies investigating this phenomenon in organisms traditionally perceived as asocial, including reptiles. However, the paradigm is shifting, and social behavior is now more widely recognized in reptiles, including snakes. In this study I tested whether juvenile Northern Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorous) experience social buffering by measuring changes in heart rate in snakes following an acute stressor with and without the presence of a conspecific buffering partner. Additionally, I tested whether both the relationship between the snakes and the stress status of the partner influence the partner’s buffering capacity. My results did not provide evidence that Northern Cottonmouths are capable of social buffering, nor that the degree of familiarity between buffering partners plays a role in attenuating the stress response. Likewise, I found no evidence that the stress status of the partner influenced the focal snake’s response. However, furthering our understanding of social behavior in snakes and other reptiles may help fill in the evolutionary gaps in the development of more complex social behavior. Because evidence of social buffering has been documented in mammals, birds, and fishes, and because reptiles exhibit multiple forms of sociality, continued investigation into social behavior in this taxon is warranted.

Keywords

Agkistrodon piscivorous, behavior, stress, social buffering, pitvipers, Northern Cottonmouth, physiology

Subject Categories

Behavior and Ethology

Copyright

© Alyssa Owens

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Open Access

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