Comparative Ecology and Evolution of Rattlesnakes Across an Interspecific Hybrid Zone

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Rattlesnakes frequently hybridize, and we have developed a number of tools to study fine-scale details of their natural behavior. Thus, rattlesnake hybrid zones are excellent natural laboratories to investigate the influences of behavior on the isolation of lineages. During my PhD work at San Diego State University under Dr. Rulon Clark and as part of a collaboration with a broad consortium of researchers, I sampled 194 snakes across a Prairie/Mojave Rattlesnake hybrid zone. Using these snakes I characterized the two parental and hybrid lineages' spatial ecology, hunting behavior, and behavioral types and syndromes. To date, we have found that the hybridizing lineages are similar in their behaviors and interactions with their prey and predators (Maag and Clark 2022, Amphib. Reptil.; Maag et al. 2023, Ecol. Evol.). However, we did find some potentially important differences between lineages and unexpected relationships between ancestry and behavior (Gibert et al. 2022, Behav Ecol Sociobiol; Maag et al. 2023a, in review Biol. J. Linn. Soc.; Maag et al. 2023c, in prep Sci. Rep.). Our findings highlight the need to intensively study organisms in nature and the importance of minor differences in phenotype in the isolation of lineages.