How do Colombian water snakes use strange ‘sensors’ to hunt prey?

Researchers in Colombia have scanned the skin of water snakes to understand how sensillae, tiny sensor-like structures, can help them find and attack prey.

Sensillae, which are characterized by an elongated dome-like shape from the skin of freshwater snakes, function as a sensory organ that detects direct pressure stimuli or vibrations.

Valeria Velasquez Cañon, a biologist and graduate student at the University of Caldas in Colombia, says she and co-authors of a July 2024 article in the international journal Frontiers in amphibian and reptile science studied these structures in the bodies of snakes from species Helicops pastazae (a fish-eater found in rocky rivers) and Daniel helicopters AND Helicopes angulatus (two species commonly found in grassland floodplains and have a more general diet consisting of fish, frogs and lizards).

“Among the most interesting results, we noticed that these sensilla do not present a homogeneous distribution along the body, they are mainly concentrated in the lateral part of the neck,” she says, “Although the hunting behavior of these species has not yet been. described, these results may provide clues to the possibility that they represent ‘side hits’ to robbery.”

Velasquez says that the study shows that in the vertebral levels of Helicopterswhere this keel is much more pronounced, these structures are concentrated in a straight line along the “keel” (raised lines on the surface of the scale) compared to the lateral scales which present a less pronounced keel.

“This discovery raises new questions: could the keel play an important role in sensing the environment in these snakes?” she says.

Growing up in Colombia

Velasquez is originally from the mountain town of Manizales in Colombia and says that as a child, she was an extremely curious person, which influenced her decision to study biology.

“Throughout my career, I discovered in research a way to satisfy my curiosity; it was not only to ask myself questions, but also to have the tools to answer those questions,” he says. in the first semesters of university I fell deeply in love with reptiles, especially reptiles, fascinated by their ecology, evolution, natural history and physiology, and that is why over the years I have devoted myself to exploring and studying these interesting animals, especially through scholarly collections.”

Velasquez explains that in 2022, she was an intern in the Amphibian and Reptile Collections at Columbia’s Humboldt Institute and used that access to a project intern.

“That’s how I ended up leading and collaborating on this work along with other researchers from the Humboldt Institute and the Universidad de los Andes,” she says, “This work shows that collections are repositories where we can not only find records of biodiversity and the discovery of new species, but also offer a wide range of opportunities to understand the natural history and sensory ecology of organisms,” she says.

Velasquez explains that she believes it is essential to encourage scientists from the Global South to be actively involved in research and problem solving both nationally and globally.

“Although we often face limiting conditions (usually economic) that hinder the process of doing science, I strongly believe in the ability we have to solve problems, innovate and explore using what we call “ciencia criolla, ie home-grown science,” she says, adding that during her project, writing science in a non-native language was a challenge, as was limited, paid access to sophisticated equipment such as electron microscopy.

“This is why it is essential to support and give voice to all that knowledge and experience that not only offers unique perspectives or knowledge of different socio-cultural and environmental contexts, but also offers solutions that not only benefit the country, but will also inspire, enrich and contribute to the equity and sustainability of science around the world,” she says.

The luminous lizards of Colombia

Elsewhere in Colombia, Camilo Andrés Estupiñan, a biologist at Icesi University in Colombia and a researcher at the Interandinos Foundation, and a group of passionate lizard scientists have published a guide to dozens of species of Anoles: small brightly colored tree lizards related to iguanas.

Colombia supports more than 75 species Anolysis which are and males have large throat fans called dewlaps, to attract females.

“Colombia has the greatest diversity Anolysis species in the world, and this book seeks to capture and share that wealth,” he says, adding that this is a collaborative effort that emerged from the Interandinos Foundation.

“The information available on these species is quite scattered, which presents a big challenge for us, but we have received tremendous support from the scientific community, which has contributed significantly,” he says, “has Maria, the illustrator of this book. an outstanding work, exceeding our expectations with illustrations that accurately capture the unique characteristics of each species.”