Posted by:
FR
at Tue Nov 26 12:30:09 2013 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
Hi again, I mentioned field guides, So you would tell me here, what they said. And please, we will get the some fun stuff, in due time. But we have to break down the things that are misleading.
I mentioned ethology, in ethology, they do not consider any animal static. Its always changing. In one talk I went to, an ethologist explained he was a rarity, in that most ethologist work with OTHER types of animals and not reptiles(varanids). He explained how behavior is always ahead of adaption. Even if to a small degree, but sometimes to a huge degree. The world is in a constant state of change, its always evolving. And so are the animals. So to exist, the animals must test and stay ahead of adaption, or one change would wipe them out.
In our case, hognose of all types were and are based(adapted to) soft soils, as in pine woods etc in the east. While they are common and dominate in their preferred habitat, they are surely not 100% restricted to that. Which may indeed be the case of what your trying to explain. As I mentioned, we have both soft soiled hog populations and hard soiled populations here. In our case, in soft soiled areas hognose are a dominating snake species. In the hard soiled, they are not. But they are there.
Another example, sidewinders occur and are adapted to sandy deserts, sand dunes etc and have many physical adaptions for living there. I live right next to a national park that mountains, canyons. Away from the park there are low silty areas that sidewinders are common in. Yet, right by me, there is a population of sidewinders that lives up in the rocky hillsides. No sand, no soft anything. Harsh rocky hills etc. But they are there.
So when we are talking about an animal, where would you assign that animal, to the majority of this habitat and range, or to small exceptions? I will reply to your captive tests when I get back. Thanks and have a great day.
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