Abstract:Copperheads are social snakes; they hibernate in communal dens with other copperheads as well as other species of snakes including timber rattlesnakes and black rat snakes. Adult copperheads mostly eat mice, but they will also eat small birds, lizards, small snakes, amphibians and insects, especially cicadas. They usually eat about every other week. The copperhead seeks out its prey using its heat-sensitive pits to detect objects that are warmer than its environment. What will happen to the snakes if they are not able to distinguish their prey using their heat sensitive pits? This experiment will set the temperature of the den to the body temperature to the mice.
Hypothesis:If the Northern Copperhead can no longer utilize their heat sensitive pits to detect their prey, over time the snakes will die off due to not being able to adapt to their new environment and the mice population will increase.
Materials: · Two groups of Eight adult copperhead snakes
· Two groups of 24 mice
· 1 thermometer
· 1 thermostat
· 2 separate enclosed dens
Procedure: 1. First group of mice and first group of copperheads in the stable den that allows the snakes to utilize there heat sensitive pits.
2. In the other den, take temperature of second group of mice and average the eight temperatures
3. Set the second enclosed den’s room temperature to the average temperature of the second group of mice
4. Introduce the second group of snakes into the second den with the set room temperature