Male Snakes Cannibalizing Females Present Evolutionary Puzzle

The Scientist speaks with organismal biologist Xavier Glaudas about possible reasons for his recent finding that male Montpellier snakes cannibalize female conspecifics.

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| 4 min read
snake eating another snake

A male Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) swallowing a smaller female Montpellier snake

MARIE-GEORGE SERIE

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Finding cannibalism in the animal kingdom is not particularly shocking. Famously, female black widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.) sometimes consume males after mating, an example of so-called sexual cannibalism. Similarly, cannibalism in snakes has been documented, especially in king cobras and Lataste’s vipers. In these snakes it’s usually the male being consumed, either by a male competitor or by a female conspecific. In a research note published in Ethology on October 15, researchers report that some male snakes flip this script, dining on females of the same species—that is, potential mates.

There have been only a few previous reports of cannibalism in this species, known as Montpellier snakes (Malpolon monspessulanus). The new finding grew out of a French community database of animal observations in which users documented three instances of male Montpellier snakes cannibalizing adult female conspecifics in the south of France outside of their mating season. Xavier Glaudas, an organismal ...

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Meet the Author

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    Chloe Tenn

    Chloe Tenn is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where she studied neurobiology, English, and forensic science. Fascinated by the intersection of science and society, she has written for organizations such as NC Sea Grant and the Smithsonian. Chloe also works as a freelancer with AZoNetwork, where she ghostwrites content for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food, energy, and environmental companies. She recently completed her MSc Science Communication from the University of Manchester, where she researched how online communication impacts disease stigma. You can check out more of her work here.

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