# Confirmation and more information required.



## ViperLover (Jun 7, 2009)

> Interdisciplinary research at the University of California, Davis, since the 1970s has shown that the squirrels use a variety of techniques to reduce rattlesnake predation. Some populations of California Ground Squirrels have varying levels of immunity to rattlesnake venom as adults. Female squirrels with pups also chew on the skins shed by rattlesnakes and then lick themselves and their pups (who are never immune to venom before one month of age) to disguise their scent. Sand-kicking and other forms of harassment provoke the snake to rattle its tail, which allows a squirrel to assess the size and activity level (dependent on blood temperature) of the snake.
> 
> Another strategy is for a squirrel to super-heat and swish around its tail. When hunting, rattlesnakes primarily rely on their pit organ, which detects infra-red radiation. The hot-tail-swishing appears to convey the message "I am not a threat, but I am too big and swift-moving for it to be worth trying to hunt me." These two confrontational techniques also distract the snake from any nearby squirrel burrows containing pups.


 
This has just been sent to me via email from a friend. I am unsure, he said he found it while browsing. Can anybody add to that please?


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## Keir64 (Oct 12, 2009)

Squirrels are intense =D 

Sorry. Not exactly the kind of input you want I know but that sounds awesome xD


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## ViperLover (Jun 7, 2009)

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCalifornia_Ground_Squirrel&h=95e4ded64d572ea6b13840fd0c266d28


Theres the link he gave me...Ive only read what he copy and pasted.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=htt...d_Squirrel&h=95e4ded64d572ea6b13840fd0c266d28


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## StevetheSnake (Mar 10, 2008)

Straight off wikipedia, no lie :lol2:

California Ground Squirrel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

no surprise there.


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## ViperLover (Jun 7, 2009)

StevetheSnake said:


> Straight off wikipedia, no lie :lol2:
> 
> California Ground Squirrel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> no surprise there.


 
D'oh! - Read above and I posted the link.

He sent me that in an email.


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## pythondave82 (Nov 14, 2007)

There is a section on this in “The Biology of Rattlesnakes” – if your friend is interested, it may be worth a purchase. I had my copy shipped from America @ £58.

Resistance is nothing unique to one particular organism against another but is simply the process of natural selection over a long enough period of time.


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## ViperLover (Jun 7, 2009)

pythondave82 said:


> There is a section on this in “The Biology of Rattlesnakes” – if your friend is interested, it may be worth a purchase. I had my copy shipped from America @ £58.
> 
> Resistance is nothing unique to one particular organism against another but is simply the process of natural selection over a long enough period of time.


 
Cheers, Dave. He knows I am interested, and sent me that [aragraph & link. It would be good to read detail on it, if anyone has any papers, it would be welcome and appreciated. Thanks in advance,

James


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## kelboy (Feb 10, 2009)

ViperLover said:


> D'oh! - Read above and I posted the link.
> 
> He sent me that in an email.


Read the actual link title, it mentions wiki at least twice.

I have seen this on tv though, chewing shed skin and rubbing it into their tail, and then sand kicking, and waving their tails. In the clip I saw, the snake eventually moved away, so it's obviously effective, or they wouldn't have evolved the technique. It might have been in Life last week, come to think of it.


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## StevetheSnake (Mar 10, 2008)

James, you would be much better learning the basis husbandry of your chosen first snake than reading pages upon pages of literature that you will most likely shrug off at some stage.


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## maffy (Dec 24, 2008)

*Squirrels (not a post I ever envisaged doing!!!)*

Well Viperlover I wouldn't dismiss your friends thinking here.

I invite everyone to see this gorgeous Cape Cobra being jostled somewhat by a group of ground squirrels intent on removing it from their territory.

YouTube - Ground Squirrels tease a Cape Cobra - Wild Africa - BBC

Incredibly inventive and intelligent natural behaviour. Animals have natural instincts but many do think rather cognitively.

Once again proof that venomous snakes are not mindless vicious creatures. They just wish to eat like the rest of us :lol2:


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## ViperLover (Jun 7, 2009)

maffy said:


> Well Viperlover I wouldn't dismiss your friends thinking here.
> 
> I invite everyone to see this gorgeous Cape Cobra being jostled somewhat by a group of ground squirrels intent on removing it from their territory.
> 
> ...


If I was a snake in my second life, I wouldn't turn down a bacon sandwich. :lol2:


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## nitro (Dec 8, 2009)

ViperLover said:


> If I was a snake in my second life, I wouldn't turn down a bacon sandwich. :lol2:


I think how bad everyone's luck is you'd come back as yourself :lol2:


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## ViperLover (Jun 7, 2009)

nitro said:


> I think how bad everyone's luck is you'd come back as yourself :lol2:


 
Enough of you...:whip:


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## nitro (Dec 8, 2009)

ViperLover said:


> Enough of you...:whip:


:Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## DavidR (Mar 19, 2008)

There are quite a large number of papers about the co-evolutionary arms race between _Spermophilus_ and Rattlesnakes. These are a good starting point but by no means an exhaustive list:

Poran, Coss & Benjamini (1987) "Resistance of California Ground Squirrels (_Spermophilus beecheyi_) to the venom of the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (_Crotalus viridis oreganus_): A study of adaptive variation". _Toxicon_. *25*, 767-777.

Biardi, Coss & Smith (2000) "California ground squirrel (_Spermophilus beecheyi_ ) blood sera inhibits crotalid venom proteolytic activity". _Toxicon_. *38*, 713-721.

I'm sure you will be able to find these (and many more) on google scholar.

David.


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## ViperLover (Jun 7, 2009)

DavidR said:


> There are quite a large number of papers about the co-evolutionary arms race between _Spermophilus_ and Rattlesnakes. These are a good starting point but by no means an exhaustive list:
> 
> Poran, Coss & Benjamini (1987) "Resistance of California Ground Squirrels (_Spermophilus beecheyi_) to the venom of the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (_Crotalus viridis oreganus_): A study of adaptive variation". _Toxicon_. *25*, 767-777.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks David, Are they completely immune?


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## Richcymru (Nov 21, 2008)

It was actually shown on the BBC series 'Life' quite recently.


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## Rikki (Mar 27, 2007)

Richard Coss is a very nice man, and i'm sure if you email him he'd be happy to forward the research to you.


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## ViperLover (Jun 7, 2009)

Rikki said:


> Richard Coss is a very nice man, and i'm sure if you email him he'd be happy to forward the research to you.


 

How do I get in contact?

Cheers


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