Courtship behavior in garter snakes: effects of artificial hibernation

Abstract

Following 5 months of artificial hibernation (0 h light (L) – 24 h dark (D), 3 °C) male garter snakes courted females that were artificially hibernated as well as females maintained under constant laboratory conditions (12 h L – 12 h D, 28 °C) for 5 months. The hibernated males also courted nonhibernated males but did not court each other. Nonhibernated males did not court any females or males. These results suggest that the environmental conditions accompanying hibernation are critical to the display of male courtship patterns, are not critical to the elaboration of female attractivity, and provide a basis upon which male snakes can distinguish other males from females.