石灰或鵝糞是否具有防蛇的作用
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Date
1997-12-??
Authors
林洋如
杜銘章
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
國立臺灣師範大學生命科學學系
Department of Life Science, NTNU
Department of Life Science, NTNU
Abstract
石灰或鵝糞可以防蛇已在民間廣為流傳，但卻沒有任何實驗支持這樣的傳說，石灰能防蛇的可能原因是認為蛇在接觸生石灰後有炙熱作用，但蛇的表皮多相當乾爽，和生石灰接觸應不至於引起炙熱的感受，因此我們推測石灰應無阻擾蛇的作用。鵝糞能防蛇可能是鵝的領域行為很強，受攻擊的蛇因制約反應而學會避開鵝甚至鵝糞，因此我們推測：經常有機會與鵝接觸的蛇，對鵝糞會有明顯的躲避行為，其他的蛇則無明顯的反應。 我們以T型管隨機在分叉處的左邊或右邊放置石灰或鵝糞，記錄蛇的爬行選擇，以卡方分析法檢視結果。另以石灰或鵝糞畫一圓圈，將蛇放在圓心處，觀察蛇在接近和越過圓圈的行為反應。 結果顯示少數的蛇有爬離石灰或鵝糞的傾向，但種內差異甚至大，沒有任何蛇被困於石灰或鵝糞圈內，故石灰與鵝糞並不能有效的防蛇。
Both quick lime and goose dropping are thought to be effective materials to guard against snakes in Taiwan. However, no evidence can support this idea. The reason why quick lime can repel snakes may come from the wrong thought that snakes are slimy. Due to this wrong idea, it is supposed when snakes touch quick lime may induce their burning reaction and further trigger the retreating response. In fact, snakes are never slimy. Therefore, we hypothesize that quick lime should have no effect on guarding against snakes. Since geese are territorial and aggressive animals, snakes may learn to escape from goose dropping through associative learning. Therefore, we predict that snakes encountering geese frequently in their natural habitat will have higher tendency to escape from goose dropping. Two experiments were conducted in this research. First, a T tube was used to see if snakes crawled away from quick lime or goose droppings, that were put randomly either in left or right arm of the T tube. Secondly, a snake was put in the middle of a circle, which was made by quick lime or goose dropping. The escape behavior of the snake was recorded when it encountered the circle edge of quick lime or goose dropping. Fourteen species and twenty-three individuals were tested with quick lime. Only eleven species and twenty-one snakes were tested with goose dropping. A few snakes showed a tendency to crawl away from quick lime or goose dropping in the T tube, However, most snakes (65% in quick lime and 67% in goose dropping) did not have this tendency. No snake was trapped in the quick lime or goose dropping circle. Most snakes passed through the circle with limited or without hesitation. We conclude that both quick lime and goose dropping are not effective materials to guard against snakes.
Both quick lime and goose dropping are thought to be effective materials to guard against snakes in Taiwan. However, no evidence can support this idea. The reason why quick lime can repel snakes may come from the wrong thought that snakes are slimy. Due to this wrong idea, it is supposed when snakes touch quick lime may induce their burning reaction and further trigger the retreating response. In fact, snakes are never slimy. Therefore, we hypothesize that quick lime should have no effect on guarding against snakes. Since geese are territorial and aggressive animals, snakes may learn to escape from goose dropping through associative learning. Therefore, we predict that snakes encountering geese frequently in their natural habitat will have higher tendency to escape from goose dropping. Two experiments were conducted in this research. First, a T tube was used to see if snakes crawled away from quick lime or goose droppings, that were put randomly either in left or right arm of the T tube. Secondly, a snake was put in the middle of a circle, which was made by quick lime or goose dropping. The escape behavior of the snake was recorded when it encountered the circle edge of quick lime or goose dropping. Fourteen species and twenty-three individuals were tested with quick lime. Only eleven species and twenty-one snakes were tested with goose dropping. A few snakes showed a tendency to crawl away from quick lime or goose dropping in the T tube, However, most snakes (65% in quick lime and 67% in goose dropping) did not have this tendency. No snake was trapped in the quick lime or goose dropping circle. Most snakes passed through the circle with limited or without hesitation. We conclude that both quick lime and goose dropping are not effective materials to guard against snakes.