Python regius Strike Performance: Does it get worse with time?

Researchers studied a group of Royal Pythons from hatching to 3 years old and found that their prey acquisition was better when they were younger and that as they got older, approaching 18 months old and up to the point where they were 3 years old when they ended the study, the snakes got worse at striking and hitting their prey. As they got older they missed more often and had to strike several times before capturing the prey which was frozen/thawed, not even live prey! Wow, that sounds crazy. I encourage you to read the paper for yourself, it brings up some interesting things for further research and consideration.

Ryerson, W. G. (2020). Ontogeny of strike performance in ball pythons (Python regius): a three-year longitudinal study. Zoology, 140, 125780.

Vocabulary

morphology - the physical form of a living organism and the relationship between its physical structures; the body shape and parts.

ontongeny - the development of an individual organism or anatomical pr behavioral feature from its earliest stage to maturity.

gape - to be wide open to to become wide open; open wide.

strike - hit forcibly and deliberately with a body part or implement.

kinematics - the study of the motion of a body or system.

Thanks for learning!
Lori
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