The influence of sex and body size on food habits of a giant tropical snake, Python reticulatus

摘要: 1. In many animal species, dietary habits shift with body size, and differ between the sexes. However, intraspecific range of sizes is usually low, making it difficult to quantify size-associated trophic shifts, or determine degree which sex differences in diet are due body-size differences. Large snakes ideal for such a study, because they provide vast within single population. 2. More than 1000 Reticulated Pythons (Python reticulatus) from southern Sumatra were examined, specimens 1·5 > 6 m snout–vent length, 1 75 kg mass. Females attained much larger did conspecific males (maxima 20 vs kg, 5 7 m), but had similar head lengths at same lengths. 3. Prey sizes, feeding frequencies numbers stomach parasites (ascarid nematodes) increased size both sexes, composition changed ontogenetically. Small fed mostly on rats, shifted mammalian taxa (e.g. pangolins, porcupines, monkeys, wild pigs, mouse deer) 3–4-m length. 4. Adult females showed strong ecological divergence. For some traits, this divergence was entirely caused by allometry (combined sexual dimorphism), other cases frequency, composition), sexes followed different allometric trajectories. example, rats mammals smaller males, more rapidly males. These divergences enhanced difference ecology induced dimorphism.