Scientists from Loma Linda University have found that stressed rattlesnakes calm down better in the company of other individuals. Research published in the journal Boundaries in Ethology.
The biologists studied the behavior of 25 South Pacific rattlesnakes in three scenarios: when the snakes are alone, in the presence of a snake-like string, and in the presence of a same-sex rattlesnake.
The snakes were fitted with heart rate sensors: Measurement of the animals’ heart rate was used to assess the stress level. The scientists then placed the snakes in a bucket. After a 20-minute acclimation period, the snakes were artificially disturbed. Having a companion snake significantly reduced heart rate variability.
When mammals suffer from acute or chronic stress, they release more hormones that cause changes in the nervous system, immune response and behavior. Some animals may experience less stress if a relative is nearby.
“This attenuation in the stress response has not been previously reported in any reptile species,” the scientists wrote.
Because the researchers were working with wild-caught rattlesnakes, they believe the phenomenon likely exists in nature and may persist in captivity.
The scientists noted that the study included snakes hibernating both singly and in groups. There was no difference between them, and biologists did not observe the sex dependence of social buffering.
Previously experiments On the clitoris and penis of mice, it made it possible to find out why vibrostimulation is pleasant for the genitals.