The role of the vomeronasal organ in rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis oreganus) predatory behavior.

During predatory behavior, rattlesnakes depend primarily upon thermal and visual cues to initially aim a strike. However, it has been hypothesized that prey-related odors sensed by the vomeronasal system act as releasing stimuli of the strike and that such vomodors are primary stimuli during poststrike trailing and swallowing of the envenomated rodent. To test this, northern Pacific rattlesnakes were rendered avomic by bilateral lesions of the vomeronasal nerves, and their vomic and avomic predatory behaviors were compared. Avomic rattlesnakes exhibited fewer strikes and complete elimination of trailing and swallowing behavior. These results support the hypothesis that vomodors sensed via the vomeronasal organ are capable of acting as releasing stimuli of selected rattlesnake predatory behaviors. Sensory input via the vomeronasal organ is important during prestrike/strike behavior, and it is a major route of sensory input during poststrike trailing and ingestion of envenomated prey.