The multimodal display of rattlesnakes is a deterring signal that works best with sympatric species (IMAGE)
Caption
The robotic rattlesnake and experimental set-up. (A) Diagram of the 3D-printed robot rattlesnake. (B-D) Behavioral responses of a collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) during each of the three trial types. In all trials, a food reward was placed in the enclosure to encourage approach. (B) The test individual was released in the enclosure after the food reward was placed in the enclosure. (C) The robot rattlesnake was placed in the vicinity of the food reward, but the rattle was not triggered when the animal approached the food or the model. (D) The robot rattlesnake was placed in the vicinity of the food reward and the rattle was triggered with the remote control when the animal approached the food or the model.
Credit
Da Cunha et al., 2026, PLOS One, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Usage Restrictions
Credit must be given to the creator.
License
CC BY