Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ORNITHOLOGY, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
We report the discovery of a novel relationship between Otus scops (Eurasian Scops Owl) and Xerotyphlops vermicularis (worm snake) found during systematic nest box inspections spanning 6 breeding seasons in central T & uuml;rkiye. The presence of live X. vermicularis was specific only to nest boxes occupied by O. scops, which delivered snakes alive to the nest boxes. The snakes were found in 44% of 109 owl nests. While there was no significant difference in clutch or brood size between nests with and without snakes, hatchling success was significantly higher in nests with snakes (61% of hatched young fledged) compared to nests without snakes (29%). Insectivorous snakes were found both on, and within, the nesting material where they might remove commensal and kleptoparasitic insects (e.g., ants and fly larvae). Several research questions emerge from our findings, since non-consumptive interaction between blind snakes and owls is now known from different parts of the globe. Taken together, these studies suggest that behaviors potentially involving cognitive processes could, over evolutionary timescales, facilitate the emergence of mutualistic interactions through selective predation. Owl nests might be beneficial environments for the insectivorous X. vermicularis, but it remains to be determined whether owl-snake interactions are a facultative mutualistic relationship or only misdirected predation or even parasitism, primarily beneficial just for the owls. We discovered that Otus scops (Eurasian Scops Owl) brought live Xerotyphlops vermicularis (worm snake) into their nest sites in central T & uuml;rkiye. Xerotyphlops vermicularis are relatively small, terrestrial reptiles that eat ants, fly larvae, and other small insects and the removal of insects by worm snakes might be beneficial for owls. During 6 breeding seasons, 1-6 snakes were found in 44% of 109 owl nests. The proportion of hatched young that fledged was more than twice as high in nests with snakes (61%) than in nests without snakes (29%). Our observations suggest that the presence of snakes in owl nests may improve breeding success, thus warranting further research on owl-snake relationships. Reportamos el descubrimiento de una relaci & oacute;n novedosa entre Otus scops y Xerotyphlops vermicularis (culebra ciega) encontrada durante inspecciones sistem & aacute;ticas de cajas nido a lo largo de 6 temporadas reproductivas en el centro de T & uuml;rkiye. La presencia de individuos vivos de X. vermicularis ocurri & oacute; solo en las cajas nido ocupadas por O. scops, que llev & oacute; las serpientes vivas a las cajas. Las serpientes se encontraron en el 44% de los 109 nidos de O. scops. Aunque no hubo diferencias significativas en el tama & ntilde;o de la puesta o de la nidada entre nidos con y sin serpientes, el & eacute;xito de los polluelos fue significativamente mayor en los nidos con serpientes (61% de los j & oacute;venes eclosionados volaron) en comparaci & oacute;n con los nidos sin serpientes (29%). Las serpientes insect & iacute;voras se encontraron tanto sobre como dentro del material del nido, donde podr & iacute;an eliminar insectos comensales y cleptopar & aacute;sitos (e.g., hormigas y larvas de mosca). Surgen varias preguntas de investigaci & oacute;n a partir de nuestros hallazgos, dado que estas interacciones que no implican consumo entre culebras ciegas y b & uacute;hos ahora son conocidas para diferentes partes del mundo. En conjunto, estos estudios sugieren que los comportamientos que potencialmente involucran procesos cognitivos podr & iacute;an, a lo largo de escalas evolutivas, facilitar la aparici & oacute;n de interacciones mutualistas mediante depredaci & oacute;n selectiva. Los nidos de los b & uacute;hos podr & iacute;an ser ambientes beneficiosos para la especie insect & iacute;vora X. vermicularis, pero a & uacute;n queda por determinar si las interacciones b & uacute;ho-serpiente constituyen una relaci & oacute;n mutualista facultativa o solo depredaci & oacute;n mal dirigida, o incluso parasitismo, beneficioso principalmente para los b & uacute;hos.