Side to side swaying as a defensive behaviour in the dekay's brownsnake (storeria dekayi)

Abstract

When discovered by humans, Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) exhibits a range of defensive behaviours that are likely used to cope with a variety of potential predators. After being handled, a brownsnake at Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, was observed to coil the anterior portion of its body and to sway the coil from side to side as it attempted to flee. Swaying has rarely been documented in Dekay's Brownsnake and may be a tactic to distract or confuse a visually oriented predator.