166 Emotional Support Rattlesnakes

We chat about some new research on the social behaviour of rattlesnakes. Plus a brand new snake species just described from Australia.

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Main Paper References:

Martin CE, Fox GA, Putman BJ, Hayes WK. 2023. Social security: can rattlesnakes reduce acute stress through social buffering? Frontiers in Ethology 2:1181774. DOI: 10.3389/fetho.2023.1181774.

Species of the Bi-Week:

Nankivell JH, Maryan B, Bush BG, Hutchinson MN. 2023. Whip it into shape: Revision of the Demansia psammophis (Schlegel, 1837) complex (Squamata: Elapidae), with a description of a new species from central Australia. Zootaxa 5311:301–339. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5311.3.1.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Tian, L., Preisser, E. L., Haynes, K. F., & Zhou, X. 2017. Social buffering in a eusocial invertebrate: termite soldiers reduce the lethal impact of competitor cues on workers. Ecology, 98(4), 952-960.

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Emmy – https://www.fiverr.com/emmyk10 

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com