Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-2914, USA.
J Chem Ecol. 2009 Oct;35(10):1234-41. doi: 10.1007/s10886-009-9699-0. Epub 2009 Nov 12.
Low temperature dormancy is a necessary requirement of the annual cycle of most nonmigratory, temperate vertebrates. The red-sided garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, overwinters in communal dens during its prolonged winter dormancy (8 mo), and upon emergence, reproductive behavior of both sexes is maximal. Previous work on this species showed that male courtship behavior is maximally induced after simulated low temperature dormancy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether low temperature dormancy affects the pheromone profiles of individual female red-sided garter snakes. We collected females in the fall at den sites in Manitoba, Canada, and extracted pheromones from individuals at three different time points: fall (field), winter (lab), and spring (lab). Total skin lipid and pheromone fraction masses increased from fall to spring, and pheromone profiles were distinctly different in the fall and spring. Pheromone profiles became dominated by the long-chain, unsaturated methyl ketone components of the blend by the time snakes emerged in the spring. Further, the amounts of both saturated and unsaturated components increased from fall to spring, suggesting significant sex pheromone synthesis was induced by low temperature dormancy.
低温休眠是大多数非迁徙温带脊椎动物年周期的必要要求。红边束带蛇（Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis）在其漫长的冬季休眠（8 个月）期间在公共巢穴中越冬，并且在出现时，两性的繁殖行为达到最大值。先前对该物种的研究表明，雄性求偶行为在模拟低温休眠后被最大程度地诱导。本研究的目的是确定低温休眠是否会影响个体红边束带蛇的信息素特征。我们在加拿大马尼托巴省的巢穴地点收集了秋季的雌性，并在三个不同时间点从个体中提取信息素：秋季（野外）、冬季（实验室）和春季（实验室）。总皮肤脂质和信息素分数的质量从秋季增加到春季，秋季和春季的信息素特征明显不同。当蛇在春季出现时，信息素特征主要由该混合物的长链不饱和甲基酮成分组成。此外，从秋季到春季，饱和和不饱和成分的量都增加了，这表明低温休眠诱导了显著的性信息素合成。
