Luring

Lingual Luring by Mangrove Saltmarsh Snakes (Nerodia clarkii compressicauda)

—Very few cases of predatory luring by squamate reptiles involve body parts other than the tail. Here, I report the use of the tongue by Mangrove Saltmarsh Snakes (Nerodia clarkii compressicauda) to lure prey, a behavior thus far adequately described for only one other snake species. Fishes are the only verified component of the diet of these snakes and are effectively attracted by the luring b...

Predatory Luring Behavior of Odonates

Organisms in the order Odonata are highly predatory insects that have a wide distribution globally. To date, there has been zero evidence that odonates employ luring as a means of prey acquisition. However, in this study, we show that Aeshna palmata larvae use abdominal movements to lure larval Argia vivida, subsequently consuming the lured organism. We also present findings of a similar behavi...

Notes on the Feeding Behavior and Caudal Luring by Juvenile Alsophis portoricensis (Serpentes: Colubridae)

Fatal attraction: adaptations to prey on native frogs imperil snakes after invasion of toxic toads.

Adaptations that enhance fitness in one situation can become liabilities if circumstances change. In tropical Australia, native snake species are vulnerable to the invasion of toxic cane toads. Death adders (Acanthophis praelongus) are ambush foragers that (i) attract vertebrate prey by caudal luring and (ii) handle anuran prey by killing the frog then waiting until the frog's chemical defences...

Got sulfate? Luring axons this way and that.

Glycosaminoglycans are sulfated in complex and changing patterns that affect neural development. These sugars mediate interactions between macromolecules, and their biological contributions are of high interest. In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Shipp and Hsieh-Wilson describe microarrays to probe these complex modifications.